Now on Sale at 128 Michigan Ave.

E. M. Comstock's, run by Edgar M and Charles F Comstock, dealt in dry goods, carpets, window shades, oilcloths, curtains, and curtain rods. This ad is from the May 17, 1889 Ypsilanti Commercial.

Lunch at 1934 Prices at Haab's

Dusty Diary accompanied a member of the Ypsilanti literati to Haab's for their special 75th anniversary lunch. Though we got there at 10:30 a.m. (they open at 11), there was already a considerable line down Michigan Ave. We were seated quickly and had a great waitress.

Dusty D ordered the famous Chicken in a Basket (50 cents) and actually finished it. I now have sufficient calories to carry me through to Halloween--and it was worth it. The fries were good too. Haab's was packed, so we made sure to eat and leave quickly so our waitresscould turn over the table.

Dusty D left a tip commensurate to 20% of what the normal price would have been--every staff person there will certainly earn it today. Happy 75th anniversary to Haab's and thank you for the lovely chicken lunch!

Haab's 75th Anniversary: An Ad from their Early Days

AnnArbor.com is running Janet Miller's story about Haab's upcoming 75th anniversary on Monday, when they roll back prices to 1934 levels (50 cents for a chicken dinner!)

Dusty D dug up this April 7, 1937 ad from Haab's early days, when it was called "Haab Brothers Cafe." Same location: 18 W. Michigan. This "nice, quiet place to eat" had "Schlitz, Budweiser, and Schlitz Bock Beer on Draught."

Happy Diamond Anniversary to our wonderful and venerable old restaurant!

Wednesday Mystery Photo: Wood You Know?

Dusty D hoped to mystify readers last week with a photo of a Michigan Ave. Desoto business that doesn't even exist anymore. It was no problem for no fewer than multiple readers: BF and Mickey Ichesco nailed it, and Ed V. contributed the tidbit that the building, like so many others in the area, was designed by architect Ralph Gerganoff.







So now Dusty D is kicking it up a notch. No more recognizable buildings, dangit! I'm branching out and will axe you to leaf all those buildings behind and go out on a limb here! Answer and new Mystery Photo next Wednesday!

Where in Ypsilanti Did 1874 Teen Diarist Allie McCullough Live?

(Confidently): 6 W. Michigan, on the north side of the street between Huron and the river, currently the site of Angel Food Catering. TA-DA!!!

Uh, maybe.

In the 1873-1874 Ypsilanti city directory, there is a William McCullough listed as residing at 6 Congress (later Michigan Ave.) "bet. Huron and River."

Annoying inner voice: "Does River mean the river or River Street, the first street east of the river and the first street east of Huron?"

River means the Huron River, since (lucky flash of memory) on old maps Congress east of the river is labeled East Congress, whereas Congress west of the river is labeled Congress.

Researcher's Rule #1, for City Planners: Don't muck around with East and West versions of streets please. Pick different names already. And don't call the street next to a major geographical feature by the name of that feature. OK?

Annoying inner voice: "OK. Well, I see the directory also lists William as part of "W. & J. McCullough." I know William Sr. started and ran the foundry for at least ten years prior to 1874 since it's shown on the 1864 plat map. But in a May 1874 Ypsilanti Commercial article the foundry is listed as "J. & W. L. McCullough," not just "W." So does the directory "William" refer to William Sr., in whose household Allie still lived, or William L., Jr., who might have established his own household, without Allie?"

In 1874, William L. would have been 20, a tad young even then to marry but certainly not impossible. Hm. The 1880 Census shows that he is married to Lora Eaton and has a 7 month old child, Caleb. We can speculate that, according to the general custom of the time, he did not wait six years from 1874 to 1880 to have a kid. So he had probably established his own household at least 7 months before 1880, but not around 1874. So the 1874 directory address refers to William Sr., and hence, Allie. That's good enough, right?

Annoying inner voice: "No!"

Researcher's Rule #2, for Parents: Do not name your child after anyone in your family. Sorry. Not allowed as of now. Honor old Aunt Tillie with a trip to Bermuda instead of naming your child after her. OK?

(Sigh). All righty. Well, William Sr.'s obituary card lists him as living at "6 Congress St. between Huron and the river." It does not indicate the source for this information. But we'll just go with that, OK?

Annoying inner voice: "The source is probably the same directory! Fail!"

Researcher's Rule #3, for Obituary Card Scribes: list your dangnabbin' sources; you have enough ink left in your pen already, it won't break.


WAIT! GOLD MINE! Here's some scribbly mess from the McCullough family file that says William L. was married in... 1874--NO! --1879... 4 ...9 ...wait, the 4's are different. It's a 9! IT'S A 9! William L. was married January 28, 1879 and had Caleb in...hm, census was taken June 18, 1880 and Caleb was 7 months old, so he was born around November of 1879. A honeymoon baby, perhaps.

Annoying inner voice: "You don't know the source for the scribbly mess, though it does say "Bible" on there. Also, you don't know if William L. established his own household when he got married."

Researcher's Rule #4, for People Who Write Scribbly Messes and Then Put Them in Archive Files: Three choices: print it, write it in immaculate copperplate handwriting, or type the bloody thing. Did I mention including sources?

As far as William L. establishing his own household, it's clear that Lora got pregnant right away, so it seems pretty likely. Can we let it rest there, annoying inner voice, and say Allie lived at 6 W. Michigan? Please? Just throw in a "probably" and call it a day?

Annoying inner voice: "Your kitchen floor needs mopping."

I know. Jeez, it's always something with you, isn't it?