Town Name: Delta Mills
Population: 1000+
Reason For Becoming a Lost Town: The town eventually got overtaken by Lansing's growth and lost its town identity.
Town History: In this area, the word "Delta" is known to all. The township, the daycare center, and other places use Delta in their name. But why? Well, at this location, a town called Delta Mills thrived! And boy did it have big plans.
In the beginning, the Ingersolls ruled this corner of Eaton County.
The first settler in 1836 was Erastus Ingersoll, who constructed a water-powered sawmill that same year. A grist mill was added not long afterward.
The first dwelling was Erastus Ingersolls’ log cabin.
The first hotel was operated by E.S. Ingersoll.
The first postmaster was E.S. Ingersoll.
The first minister of the gospel was Rev. E.P. Ingersoll.
In 1836 a dam was constructed on the Grand River. In 1837 it was swept away and re-built. The first election was held 1838. The first child born in Delta Mills was a girl, in 1838.
The town was originally called Grand River City, but was locally called Delta Mills due to mills that dominated the area, and the Delta Mills name eventually won out.
A school modeled after Oberlin college was chartered in town as the “Grand River Theological Seminary,” but never opened.
Delta Mills, due to it's central location in the state and closeness to the Grand River, made it an excellent candidate to be Michigan's next state capitol. Unfortunately, not only did it lose out to Lansing, but Lansing's growing population ultimately did Delta Mills in.
The post office eventually closed, the mills that were so famous eventually closed in the early 20th Century, and the town was doomed to be lost to time.
Although Delta Mills only exists in history, the area has continued to grow. Delta Township, once the fastest growing township in Michigan, has floruished as Lansing's suburb. The population has increased every decade since it chartered in the 1960s.
However, despite all the growth, Delta Mills remains to be...... A lost town.
Cache Description: A bottle that has no pencil. Bring your own please!
Notes of Interest: Located on the grounds of the Hillside Cemetery, please be discrete and do not visit at night!
This cache is part of the Michigan's Lost Towns cache series.
