high respecting
the terms of admission proposed by Congress to Michigan, and the
convention, which recently met at Ann Arbor, refused their assent to
these terms, under a mistaken view of the case, as I think, and the lead
of rash and heady advisors; for there is no doubt in my mind that the
large area of territory in the upper country, offered as an equivalent
for the disputed boundary with Ohio, will be found of far greater value
and importance to the State than the "seven mile strip" surrendered--an
opinion, the grounds of which are discussed in my "Albion" letters. I
expressed this opinion in the spring of the year, before the Judiciary
Committee of the Senate, where I attended, on the invitation of Hon.
Silas Wright, to impart information, which I was supposed to possess, on
the geography and natural resources of the Lake Superior region.

_Nov. 2d/_. Mr. J.G. Palfrey, acting editor of the _N.A. Review_,
invites me to become a contributor to the pages of that standard
periodical.

_8th_. No territory in the Union has required so long, so very long a
time for its appreciation, as Michigan, and now, that emigration is
freely coming in, it is difficult to estimate the very rapid
improvement of places. An instance of the kind occurs in the details of
a letter which I have just received. "It may not be amiss," says Mr.
A.L. Ely, "to give you a short description of the growth of Allegan. The
site was bought at government prices, in the spring of 1833, by two
gentlemen now living at Bronson, namely, Anthony Cooly and Stephen
Vickery. In November of that year, my father, who was then in Michigan
looking for a location, both for him and myself, purchased for me
one-third of the property, there being in all about 452 acres of land,
for which he paid $1750. In June, 1834, we sent one family from
Rochester, who built two log houses, and grubbed the ground for a mill
race. In October, 1834, Mr. Sidney Ketchum, as agent for some gentlemen
in Boston, purchased all the interests in the property, except those
held by me, for something under $5,000.

"The winter of '34 and '35 was spent in making roads, and getting
provisions together, and preparing to commence improvements. In April,
1835, we commenced the dam and canal for a double saw mill, which were
completed that fall. In May, our plat was laid out in lots. In June, we
commenced selling them. We have sold up to this date 175 lots. In June,
1835, the second family came into