1 in 47

Almost 100 years ago, the ratio of Washtenaw residents to cars was 47 to one.

"These figures come from the secretary of state, who has just completed a compilation, showing the number of automobile tags issued up to June 16, 1913, and the counties into which they have been sent. Up to the first of the month [they] had issued 47,138 automobile licenses, 13,199 more than were issued in the same period during 1912 . . .

"Ingham county leads the state with one car to every 11 of its inhabitants. Branch county has one for every [42?], Washtenaw one for every 47, Wayne one for every 48, and Kent, with the state's second city, drops far below these with one car for every [60?] residents . . ."

At this time Washtenaw county had 942 cars total.

--July 17, 1913 Daily Ypsilantian-Press