Say what you will about Ypsi: we have adequate power and transport facilities. According to the 1930 promotional brochure from which this pic is taken, Ypsi in 1930 had 13,000 people in 2 1/8 square miles, with a valuation of 9,000,000 dollars and a debt of $490,000 (ah, god, those were the days.) 12.9 miles of paving! 33 miles of public sewers! 15 factories within city limits!

Past and Present: Washington Street, 1930s

Here's a view from what was until recently the Mongolian BBQ looking north. Long before it was the BBQ it was a Kresge's and is still known as the Kresge Building.

Check out the Coca-Cola lettering on the tall white building in the middle of the east side of the street. Perhaps the building just to the south was built later, as it obscures the logo.

The building just to the south of the Coke logo has a quite pretty facade, presumably still beneath the modern-day green covering.

Starling Bust

"Only three of the ten city aldermen and the mayor responded for the big shoot Tuesday evening. The police department assisted, so the the official party included Mayor Ray Burrell, Chief of Police Ralph Southard, and Alderman Charles Hartman, Merle Renton, and Effiner J. Kramer.

"The evening had been officially set aside for eliminatoin of birds declared a nuisance on Pearl, Perrin, Congress, and Ballard Sts. In council meeting Monday evening the aldermen responded to protests from residents with the announcement that they would personally aid in a relief campaign. The mayor gave his consent and it looked like a big night but the catch proved small.

"After the first few shots the birds disappeared, leading the aldermen to conclude that other methods will be more practical. From the standpoint of the city sanitary officer, Ernest Maddux, the shoot was a success. His job of cleaning up after the attack was light." --August 21, 1935 Ypsilanti Daily Press

Shotgun-Wielding Councilmen

"Aldermen were in a light and sportive mood Monday night when they agreed to dog out shot guns and sling shots for a mass attack on starlings in the Pearl St. neighborhood.

"The huntsmen are to meet this evening at 7 o'clock at the corner of Pearl and Ballard St. and are warning onlookers to watch the performance at their own risk.

"So vociferous have been complaints against the nuisance of the birds in that section that the council has been driven to direct action to preserve peace.

"Several plans were discussed. One alderman suggested importing screechowls to drive away the noisy starlings; others said traps should be devised for the birds; one suggestion was a proposal to hang bells on the limbs of the trees.

"When it was reported that one resident, after a few minutes' work with a shot gun had downed 28 birds, councilmen decided the gun was the thing, so tonight, the birds bite the dust." --The Ypsilanti Daily Press, August 20, 1935.

Crow Recipe from Ypsi Hunting/Conservation Group

"Members of the local Izaak Walton League of America are going to "Eat Crow" for a time at least and are inviting residents of Ypsilanti to do the same. A letter received by William Raglin, local secretary of the League, requested members to organize Crow hunts and to do everything possible to rid the country of this dread to the farmer.

"After careful experimenting by seasoned hunters, it was discovered that crow is good to eat. A recipe for the successful cooking of the bird was supplied by Mr. Raglin.

"After the birds are dressed they should be rubbed with lard and placed in a braiser or iron skillet with an iron lid. Then a pint of water and celery trimmings should be poured over the skillet full of birds and cooked until three-quarters done. Then a light brown gravy of chicken or beef stock should be poured over the birds and they should be cooked until tender. Serve with any kind of dressing.

"It is emphasized vy those who have had experience in cooking Crows that they must be cooked until they are tender. It is said that when they are done they taste like smothered quail." --August 18, 1936 Ypsilanti Daily Press

Kroger, On the Air!

Now this is interesting, from the June 3, 1930 Ypsilanti Daily-Press. It's an ad for "Kroger Time: a new and enchanting radio program." Broadcast on longtime Detroit AM station WJR, among other local radio stations.

"You will be thrilled by exquisite music. Strange and interesting stories of intrigue and romance in many lands will delight you. Hear the stories told by Uncle Joe each Wednesday evening at Kroger Time: 9 p.m."

Also, you could get a "Jap Rose Health Ball" ['Jap Rose' was the name of a brand of soap] if you purchased a passel of soap products.

Anyone else nostalgic for the days when a grocery store sponsored a radio program, and promised us thrilling stories and beautiful music?

Rare Interior Views of Cleary College

I'm on a Cleary College kick lately it seems, so here are two rare views of the interior of the onetime college where now stands EMU's School of Business. The first pic is of the registration desk, and the second is of the Cleary library. From the August, 1933 edition of the Cleary newspaper, Cleary College Fellowship News.

Aerial Views of King's Flats, Early 1930s

These are a collection of aerial views of what was once called "King's Flats" just southeast of downtown, where the Huron once wound through a flat floodplain. The 1874, 1895, and 1915 plat maps shows one Edward King owning land on both sides of the river in the area that is now Ford Lake. Here are Edward King's landholdings on the 1874 map:


The legend on the envelope that houses the photos in the Archives reads, ""These pictures were taken by Dr. H. Britton and his wife while flying their plane over what was known as King's Flats. It was to have a record to show how this area was before King's Flats was flooded to become Ford Lake."

Each photo is also labeled. This one's legend reads, "Looking east. South river road [Huron River Drive] running up center. Beginning work on Ford Dam at left center. Rear edge of lower wing at lower left. Tip of tail at upper right."


"Looking northwest, King's Flats at lower left. Struts and wires of plane at right."


"Looking east. Beginning of Ford Dam at upper right center."


"Looking east. King's Flats. South river road runs up center of picture."


"Looking east. King's Flats in lower right corner."

The Birth of Ford Lake

Ford Lake was born early in the Depression, and here was one of the first steps: closing the old north-south Tuttle Hill Road then crossing what is now the middle of the lake. The old Tuttle Hill Road that once crossed over the river now crosses the Ford Lake lakebottom, traveled only by carp--or long since covered in ooze.

It happened this time of year in 1932: this article is from the May 8, 1932 Ypsi Daily Press. Construction of a temporary coffer dam had taken place the previous October. Once dammed, the level of Ford Lake rose slowly over the spring, summer, and early fall of 1932.

Take a look at the original Tuttle Hill Road and its little bridge over the pre-Ford Lake Huron River. This plat map is from 1915. The area where the river meanders back and forth, and a section downstream from that, is the region referred to in the above article as the "flats." Old Tuttle Hill Road is marked in pink. Farmlands belonging to members of the Tuttle family, ancestors of whom were landowners here from the earliest days of county settlement, are marked in yellow.

From the November 10, 1931 Minutes of the Home Association Monthly Meeting

Long before state or federal relief or welfare programs, Ypsilanti's Home Association--founded in 1857--provided food, fuel, and clothing to the needy in town. Some of the most prominent women in town were members. Their meeting-books with notes from the late 19th century up through the Depression are preserved in the Archives, and offer a rare glimpse of the juxtaposition of the upper and the lower classes in town.

Despite its best intentions, sometimes the H.A. could do only little.

"Mrs. Converse told a sad story of the unemployed--a man and family [with] 3 children who walked from Indiana hoping to receive help or work in Mich & was returning disappointed. Mrs. Converse's father fed them and Mrs. Converse gave them $3.00 [$43 in 2010 dollars] to buy more food."

"Them".....the children walked along as well. And all the way home again.

1936 Aerial Photo, Labeled

Here's another 1936 aerial photo with some points of interest labeled. In this Depression-era photo we're looking north.

A: LeForge Road.
B: Highland Cemetery
C: Forest avenue Bridge
D: Ypsilanti Gas Company (?)
E: Frog Island
F: Riverside Park
G: Masonic Hall (Riverside Arts)
H: Huron Hotel (Centennial Center)
I: Wiedman Ford dealership
J: Cleary Business College
K: St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Just northwest of C: reputed onetime hobo jungles

1931 Torch Murders Photo On Sale at eBay

eBay has for sale a photo of the three men that allegedly robbed two couples in Peninsular Park, drove them to Tuttle Hill Road and murdered them and burned their bodies, in August of 1931. The photo comes with what seems to be a newspaper article of the day, but the text is unattributed. For more on the Torch Murders, here is Edward Deake's Gleaning's story.

1936 Aerial Pic of Downtown Ypsi with Points of Interest Labeled

(click for larger image)
This photo was recently for sale on eBay. It offers a view of Michigan Avenue looking east. Just look at how closely farmland encroached upon the town! In the top left you can see Michigan Avenue and the railroad heading away to Detroit. I've labeled a few points of interest:

A: Wiedman's Ford dealership on Pearl. You can even see individual Fords parked in his car lot!
B: Huron Hotel, THE place to stay!
C: Masonic Temple
D: I *think* that this is the old interurban car barn, apparently not yet torn down.
E: Cleary Business College with its distinctive tower. The EMU School of Business is there today.
F: Note all the industries on the Water Street property.
G: There was a dump in this area around this time...I think this might be the dump.
H: Prospect Street
I & J: These appear to be orchards. I am charmed by how closely the rural landscape is to town in this era.

See anything else of note? Do pop it in "Comments" if you would, thanks!

1930 Aerial View of Ypsilanti

This item was found on an online auction (larger image here) by Ann Arbor historian Wystan Stevens. He speculated that the SOS octagon house was located ner the water tower prior to 1966, when it was moved to River Street.

Observations:
*Look at how small the EMU campus is, even including the gymnasium just east of the Water Tower.
*Farm(?)land just a stone's throw from campus.
*Just west of town, looks like Washtenaw turns into a dirt road.
*Look at how isolated Roosevelt School/Hall is from the other few campus buildings. It's in a grove of trees, for Pete's sake.
*The farmed patch to the north and west of Roosevelt might be the school's onetime flower garden.
*There appears to be a residential block just north of Pease Hall. Professors' homes? Student boarding houses?

What tidbits do you notice?

Rickets in Depression-Era Ypsilanti Children

When some half-starved children in Ypsi developed rickets, the dread disease that leads to debilitating bone loss, how did the city respond? The answer is in today's YpsiNews column.

Christmas Wish Lists in the Depression

Have kids in your life with Christmas wishes? Sons, daughters, nieces, nephews? Take a look at what Depression--era kids requested, in today's story in the Courier.

Depression-Era Children's Letters to Santa

Some say that unemployment levels in Michigan, if you count those people who have simply given up on looking for work, approaches or equals depression-era levels.

How does one Depression-era Christmas compare to Christmas 2010? In particular, how did Ypsi children react to the difficulties they could see all around them, to the worried nighttime conversations around the kitchen table overheard from their bedrooms, to their parents' inability to buy them a new warm coat?

How many could afford the trains, skates, and velocipedes on sale at Shaefer's Hardware in December of 1932?

That story will be in tomorrow's Ypsilanti Courier (if they run it); be sure to snag a copy!

Ypsi's German-American Kitchen and a special Armistice Day

Here's a story themed to Veteran's Day about the onetime little German restaurant on Huron, the family behind it, U-M professors fired for being "pro-German," and a special ceremony that took place here in 1933.

Also, the debut of the Mystery Artifact in video format! Take a peek and then take a guess! Featuring an artifact from the Ypsilanti Historical Museum.

Fraternal Society Cartoon

Dusty D found this interesting as a relic from days when fraternal organizations were popular social institutions, in Ypsi as well, whose newspapers used to feature frequent stories about the goings-on of the Knights of Pythias et al.

The caption for this cartoon (click to enlarge) so far as I can read is says "The royal impossible potentate of the flowing purple robe, who had left the lodge rooms in [a ru]sh to shut up a bunch of hootstown [row]dies, came out second in the fracas."

--Ypsilanti Daily Press, November 2, 1933.

Depression-Era Welfare Work in Riverside Park

Had you taken a stroll in Riverside Park on a chilly mid-November day in 1933, you might have noticed a group of local men working outdoors on the western bank of the onetime junk-lined park.

These were men receiving municipal welfare benefits. Before the federal welfare system, the city did what it could to provide money, food, and fuel to those in town who were in need. In this case, even the dead trees cut down this day in 1933 were salvaged for fuel.

The men cleared away the garbage and junk then-piled behind the Riverside Arts Center and St. Luke's Church, "where previously there were junk heaps . . . [t]he old tin, wire fencing, and auto parts have been hauled away . . ."

"The entrance to this new park is at the Ladies' Library, where last year a small rock garden and pool were constructed, with a winding walk down to the lower flats."

---November 15, 1933 Ypsilanti Daily Press