The ceremony which marked the laying of the cornerstone for Michigan's third capitol was held on October 2, 1873. Attended by thousands of people from all over the state, this parade was part of the gala events.
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The "temporary" capitol was clearly inadequate from the start. Any thought of a grander building, however, had to be set aside for the duration of the Civil War. Although a 16-foot addition was added to the structure in 1865, it was not until 1871 that Governor Henry Baldwin called for a larger, fireproof, and more dignified seat of state government. The legislature agreed, calling for the construction of a new capitol in Lansing.
A board of building commissioners was named, and a nationwide contest announced to select an architect for the new structure, with a limit of $1,200,000 placed on its construction. In January of 1872, a plan (called "Tuebor," meaning, "I will defend") submitted by architect Elijah E. Myers of Springfield, Illinois, was selected. Myers moved to Michigan to supervise construction and lived for the rest of his life in his adopted state.
Construction began in 1872. When the cornerstone of the eagerly-awaited building was laid on October 2, 1873, a ceremony was held which rivaled anything Lansing had seen since becoming the capital a quarter of a century earlier. People thronged to the city in numbers far exceeding its capacity. Private citizens opened their homes and made preparations to feed and shelter the visitors.
The ceremony which marked the laying of the cornerstone for Michigan's third capitol was held on October 2, 1873. Attended by thousands of people from all over the state, this parade was part of the gala events.