The Latest in Washing Machines

Hey, take a look at this: they have electric washing machines now.

Oh yeah? I still have that wooden crank tub at home. They keep talking about "rural electrification" but I'll believe it when I see it.

That won't happen till a decade from now, when President Roosevelt will create the rural electrification program in 1935.

Oh yeah? Great, another ten years of kerosene lamps. The hired boy almost burned the barn down last year. Sometimes I wish we'd move up into town to be closer to you and Mom.

Well, at least you're close enough to visit. Wanna go take a walk and check this out? It's over at Schaefer's.

Oh, we walked by there yesterday, didn't we? Over on, what street was that, Huron? By . . . Michigan Avenue.

Yep.

I remember--that was by that cigar shop, right? And across the street was that spa?

Yeah, let's go, it's nice out.

OK, I'll get my coat.

--ad from Ypsilanti Record, Jan 10, 1924

History of the Corner Health Center

This week's Courier story profiles one of the buildings on this Sunday's Historic Homes tour, the Corner Health Center. Its long and varied history includes serving as a butcher's home, two long-running groceries, and an S & H redemption shop. Grab a paper copy ot the Courier to check it out!

N. Huron Street Back in the Day

Here's a photo of the west side of N. Huron to accompany the dead frog story in YpsiNews.com. The photo is from a bit prior to 1909, I'm guessing, but is undated. Cooper's photo studio, and impromptu fishing-tackle factory, would have been at the southwest corner of Huron and Pearl, on the second story. I believe you can see Pearl where there is a gap between buildings, there; the squarish building to the north of all the others is, I take it, just north of Pearl.

The "Occidental," seen at right, was as you know a mineral-waters spa and hotel. It operated in the 1890s and 1900s.

The Photographer Who Inherited a Dead Frog

How would you feel if, at the reading of your beloved departed parent's will, you found that you had inherited a dead frog?

Ypsilanti photographer Charles Cooper had just such an experience. He set out to make the most of it.

Read all about it in today's YpsiNews.Com!

The Ferocious Senior Citizen

When an Ypsilanti retiree's car was stolen in 1925, he ended up sending a thief to the chair. That's today's story of criminal derring-do in the Citizen! (thanks, D.!)

Proposal to Rename Ypsilanti's Huron St.

Critics of bloggers often say bloggers whine but never offer solutions. Fine. Here's one solution that will help shovel some much-needed dough into city coffers. It costs almost nothing and it could be made into a festive community-pride event, with balloons and streamers and dignitaries. Simply rename Huron St. "Old Spice Swagger Street."

The antiperspirant company Old Spice (#1 antiperspirant preferred by historians) is holding publicity contests for cold hard cash. A kind of viral advertising. One contest, for thousands of prize money dollars, goes to the man or woman who successfully gets his community to rename any "public street, avenue, or boulevard" in his or her town to "Old Spice Swagger St." For maximum effect, Dusty Diary nominates the highly visible Huron St.
True, City Hall will have to get some new stationery, but think of the zesty new image they'll project when residents receive burdensome tax assessments and notices of major code violations emanating from "One Old Spice Swagger Street." The Museum will have to change things too, to "220 North Old Spice Swagger Street." That actually has a sort of mysterious historical ring to it, doesn't it? Like pirates. Huron River pirates. Could be the start of a profitable urban legend. Even a local Huron River Pirate Festival!

And even if the Mayor is a Dry Idea man, Dusty D knows that he is wise and generous enough to transcend personal deodorant preferences for Ypsi's financial salvation. So let's start putting up those street signs, like this one spotted at Cross and Huron, and--don't sweat it!