Chronology of the Michigan Agricultural College
1855–1870 1871–1885 1886–1900 1901–1915 1916–1925
| Year | Event or Building | History |
| 1855 | M.A.C. founded, 12 February | |
| 1856 | College Hall | Demolished, 1918 |
| Saints’ Rest dormitory | Burned, 9 Dec. 1876 | |
| Brick Horse Barn | Demolished, c.1922 | |
| 1857 | College opens, 13 May | |
| Faculty Row № 4 | Demolished, 1945 [Kuhn, p. 446] | |
| Faculty Row № 5 | Demolished, 1945 [Kuhn, p. 446] | |
| Faculty Row № 6 | Demolished, c. 1970 | |
| Faculty Row № 7 | Existing (Cowles House) | |
| 1858 | Smith farmhouse moved, rebuilt as farm foreman’s house | Moved at least 3 times, by 1912 occupied by Horticulture foreman |
| Students build first bridge over river | [Lautner, pp. 26–27] | |
| First apple orchard planted | ||
| 1859 | Bumper crop of turnips | |
| 1860 | 1st Farm Lane bridge (wooden) | Destroyed by ice in spring thaw, 1875 |
| 5 brick dwellings and barn (now shop) built |
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| 1861 | Seniors dismissed early to join Union army | |
| 1862 | 1st Cattle Barn | |
| 1863 | Michigan Ave. connected to Grand River Ave. | |
| 1864 | 1st pear orchard | |
| 1865 | Built sheep barn 1st fruit from orchard |
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| 1866 | ||
| 1867 | 1st greenhouse erected, “probably by Professor Prentiss” [Beal, p. 269] | Demolished, 1874 |
| 1868 | ||
| 1869 | Farm foreman’s house built | Moved, 1900.[Beal, p. 268] |
| 1870 | Williams Hall | Burned, 1919 |
| Piggery, 34x80 feet, erected by Dr. Miles and students | Moved southeast, 1885, for Engineering Shops; “still farther back” in 1907.[Beal, p. 268] | |
| DL&LM Railroad crosses farm (Kuhn, p. 80 says 1871… this might be the date when the line finally reached Lansing?) |
later Pere Marquette, then Chesapeake & Ohio, today CSX Railroad | |
| Note: Italicized entries are from Beal’s “College as a River” timeline, 1913 | ||
Next: 1871–1885
