I believe we came to East Lansing about 1939. The date seems right as by then I would have been eight years old and, being held back a year in school, I would be in the 2nd grade since I graduated from high school in June of 1950. The graphic on the left is of the State Of Michigan's capital building, as seen in the 1800s, in Lansing which is only a few miles to the west of East Lansing.

I believe that my Day moved to East Lansing due to a job offer from the State Of Michigan in Lansing where the state capital was located. Dad worked in the a Department Of Vocational Education. Since my Dad had lots of work experience in department stores I assume that somehow the State agency heard of him and offer him a position. I am not sure where he started out in the department but I believe he ended his career as the head.

Lansing is in the lower 1/3 of the lower peninsula of Michigan. It had, at that time, a good size population and a manufacturing base, mainly due the the location of the Oldsmobile plant, which I hope you may recognize at being part of the General Motors family. I believe that shortly before we moved from Flint to Lansing, my Dad purchased a 1939 Buick 4 door. Quite an impressive vehicle but more on this car later.

Just a few miles outside of Lansing is the town of East Lansing, know for being the home of Michigan State College (MSC), which was renamed to Michigan State University (MSU) in the later 1940s I believe. Before being MSC, it was know as Michigan Agricultural College (MAC), or as the "university" down the road, University of Michigan (UM) called it, "Cow College". This again is a whole other story for later.

Dad, for some reason, decide to settle his family in East Lansing. Perhaps it was because East Lansing was a small town, about 8,000 at that time, and because of the college just across the main street. Anyway, he did find a home, 643 Grove Street, that was available for about $6,000. Yes, $6,000 is correct. But you have to remember that wages, etc. were much different from today. I am not sure exactly how much money my Dad made per year at that time and I don't think I really ever knew his salary. But I believe that when he finally retired when he was about 70 that he as making near $25,000/year.

Our new home on Grove Street was an excellent location. It was, and still is, on the Southwest corner of Grove and Burchman Road. My parents lived there until my Dad passed away in the 80s and then my Mom had to go into a nursing home due to her health. But the house was sold to Jim's daughter, Beth, and her husband Rudy. They kept this house until the 1990s when they sold it to move to a larger home in East Lansing. So, the property was in the Thomson family for over 50 years.

643 Grove Street was an old house at the time my parents purchased it. During an addition, the carpenter told my Dad the house was build with 4X4 studs, a most unusual construction now days but apparently quite common when it was built. I believe the house was at least 50 years old when we moved in but was in good shape. It had a detached single car garage in back the driveway was just ruts in the ground, again, a common way of having driveways in the early 1900s.