Ann Arbor, July 22--John Heerst, a farmer residing about three miles north of Ann Arbor, has filed suit by his solicitor, Geo. J. Burke, to the circuit court here asking $1,000 damages from the Ann Arbor railroad, for a horse which he alleges was run over and killed by a train on that road. The notice of suit does not state whether Heerst is a breeder of horses or not, but up to the present time it was not supposed that there was a horse of that value in Washtenaw county. --July 22, 1909 Ypsilanti Daily Press

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."

From One-Room Schoolhouse to Lincoln Consolidated Schools

This photo labeled "1924" shows the presumably new Lincoln Consolidated School District and the previous one-room schoolhouses from which it drew its pupils, the sons and daughters of Ypsilanti Township farmers. In an era of increasing industrialization, car ownership, and the dawn of the Jazz age, the time of one-room schoolhouses in Washtenaw County was fading.

On Saturday and Monday street fakers visited this city and caught more than the average number of fish. The Indian doctor? on Monday evening capturing a hat full of silver dollars.

Who says the bike is not more powerful than the legislature to compel a reduction in fares? Tuesday morning last week Mr. and Mrs. Lee Forsyth of this city mounted their wheels and started for Kankakee, Ill., reaching Battle Creek the first day. They expected to make their visit and return yesterday. But for the bike they would probably have paid $35 to the railroad company, but this they saved. The time may come when the railroads will acknowledge the competition of the bike, and cut their fares or lose their custom.

Miss Maggie Smith, a young girl of 16, tried to commit suicide last Tuesday by taking a dose of laudanum. She was ashamed of her mother who is addicted to the use of strong drink. Her rash act was discovered in time to save her life.

--July 18, 1895 Ypsilantian

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

A Look Inside

The Old Huckleberry Line

The old Huckleberry Line ran from Ypsi down to "Bankers," Michigan, 64 miles away. It's gone now...but not forgotten. Here is an affectionate portrait of the onetime railroad. Thanks, Chronicle! Below: 1875 map showing the Huckleberry.

When Kids Demanded Milk

I could be reading too much into this little cartoon from the January 22, 1951 Ypsilanti Daily Press but--oh, for the days when kids demanded milk.

I like the mini fridge and didn't realize fridges that small were made at one time. I also note that he freezer is sensibly on the bottom. Wonder why they switched it to the top. In addition, Mom is shopping in heels...urgh. Can't say I'm sorry I was born after that era.

203 Prospect is just north of Michigan Ave. and south of the crumbling railroad bridge. So in 1951 Ypsilanti had a hometown dairy, "owned and operated by Ypsilantians." It's also news to me that as late as 1951, 3-digit phone numbers apparently still existed.

"More milk, please, Mom!" Ah, if only...

Classified Ad WTSH (What the Sam Hill)

Okey-dokey. Here's a July 15, 1909 Ypsilanti Daily Press ad placed by someone who seeks to come personally to your house and collect your hair combings.

The nice long ones. Presumably you've saved them, right? Not cuttings--combings. This person pays cash! Cash on the barrelhead, ladies, for those combings of yours. After which this person will call on several other folks for their combings and then traipse right on home with a handful of different people's combings...

...to do WHAT?!

A Forgotten Ypsilanti Product

This is a photocopy of a bottle of a onetime Ypsi product: horseradish.

"D. Ballinger" probably refers to the man listed in the 1910 directory as David Ballinger, Ypsi gardener married to one Eva and living at 614 Congress. If so, David apparently grew, ground, and bottled his own horseradish!

Sadly "Ballinger's Horseradish" never became a household phrase.

Brought to Dusty D's attention by the bottle's owner, E.

Mystery Doodad

Here's a strange little device from an ad in the June 15, 1939 Ypsilanti Daily Press. Can you divine what it might be?

The item, as friend J. K. correctly guessed, is a vacuum brew coffee maker. He also sent a link to a modern-day version (only $209!) The one in the link uses a spirit lamp, neato. Here's a video of how one works. The vacuum brewer above uses electricity. It is one of the myriad electric doodads that the Detroit Edison Company trotted out early in local municipal electrification days, which began roughly three decades before this 1939 ad. They just wanted to make your life more convenient!

The ad below is for a public cooking class with a new electric roaster at the Masonic Temple (Riverside Arts Center) led by "well known home economist" Lillian Merson. The glass coffeemaker was one of the three door prizes for this event, the others being one of the roasters and a "toaster tray set."

Roaster cooking is true electric cooking--cool, clean, fast, healthful, convenient--and it costs only about 2 cents an hour!

The Ann Arbor Courier is kicking against the Michigan Central because the grounds at the depot in Ann Arbor are not kept in better condition. Of course they do look a little bare to one who has seen those at Ypsilanti, but then, they can't expect the Central to furnish a Laidlaw for every flag station along the line. --July 11, 1895 Ypsilantian

Postcards from the Archive

Postcards from the Archive

Pokagon Tipi at EMU

Today during volunteer time at the Archives I found this much better 1916 photo of the onetime Pokagon tipi at EMU. Wow. This is very similar to the photo that, cropped, appears in my copy of the 1918 EMU "Aurora" yearbook (and in the post below). I'm definitely putting this photo into my book "Hidden Ypsilanti." One chapter of "Hidden" deals with the splintery edges of immigrant assimilation or cultural clashes between peoples, and this definitely speaks to that theme. At any rate, you can see that the tipi once stood on the eastern edge of the modern-day Sherzer Hall, which was nearly lost to a fire in the late 80s. To its credit, EMU rebuilt this venerable old 1903 (?) lady instead of wrecking it. Second oldest building on today's campus I believe. Props to EMU!

Sherzer Hall (in 1918, the Science Building) with Pokagon Tipi

This photo from the 1918 "Aurora" yearbook from EMU has a hidden gem. Though it focuses on the Science Building, now called Sherzer Hall, take a look at the extreme right. That strange little structure is the onetime birchbark tipi that used to stand on campus. It was built by Simon Pokagon, and the story of its creation offers a thread back to the days of Potawatomi. The Potawatomi were onetime residents of Washtenaw County at one point in their migratory history, and later and today, continue to live in southwest Michigan (and areas in adjoining states as well as reservations out West).

Today of course the tipi is long gone. It stood on the east side of Sherzer.

Another view of the east side of Sherzer where the tipi once stood in its cage. You can see the north-south double walkway leading to the street to Halle.
Below is an early 20th-century picture postcard of the tipi. The story of this tipi and of its history and cultural background appears in my upcoming book Hidden Ypsilanti, which will be out this fall. I'm working hard on this book right now--it has summer deadlines, which is why blog posts have been a bit thin on the ground lately. Please bear with me as I try to make Hidden as good as I can, and stay tuned. Thanks for reading!

Postcards from the Archive

The front entrance to the onetime main building of the State Normal School.

The Coldwater Doll

When Michigan orphans, including one girl in Ypsi, became indentured servants.

Postcards from the Archive Collection

A onetime corner of the Michigan State Normal School campus.

A Sad Accident.
Mr. Walters in the employ of Cornwell & Co., at the paper mill, was caught in the shafting of the straw cutter last week, and the terrible result was the loss of his arm, which had to be amputated at the shoulder. He is just over from England, having been only two days in the service of the Messrs. Cornwell. --Item in the June 7, 1878 Ypsilanti Commercial