Ann Arbor in the 19th Century: A Photographic History

By Grace Shackman

Ann Arbor has never been a typical college town, typical industrial town, or typical agricultural center. The city was founded in 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. Settlers from the Eastern U.S. of British origin were soon followed by Germans, who brought with them many practical skills. With the opening of the University of Michigan campus in 1841, still more people came from across the country to teach and learn. Ann Arbor in the 19th Century: A Photographic History, details the growth of the city, when residents built houses and businesses, organized a government, and established churches, schools, a university, and newspapers, in over 190 photographs. Early residents would recognize the photograph of Okemos, nephew of Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawa, who made regular visits to Ann Arbor, before the Native Americans were banished to Kansas by the federal government. Another fascinating photo shows Henry Otto's Band, whose family was responsible for much of the music at official events. However, much of 19th century Ann Arbor would still be recognizable to today's residents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2001
• ISBN: 9781439613306

Grace Shackman

In this companion to the best-selling Ann Arbor in the 19th Century, author Grace Shackman leads readers on a guided tour of a beloved home town. Shackman is a history columnist for the Ann Arbor Observer, and is a contributor to Old West Side News. She teaches local history classes at Washtenaw Community College and is a regular guest on the Ted Heusel Show on WAAM radio. She served as an elected Washtenaw County commissioner for eight years.

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INTRODUCTION

What was it like to live in the 19th century, specifically in Ann Arbor? In the days before modern utilities and electronic entertainment, life was different and in many ways simpler, but the real constant over time is the people. And what has made Ann Arbor unique from the beginning has been the mix of residents and their interactions. Ann Arbor has never been a typical college town, or a typical industrial town, or a typical agricultural center town, although it has elements of all these.

Ann Arbor was founded in 1824, by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. The first settlers, who quickly followed them, came from the Eastern United States, generally Yankees of British Isles origin who originally immigrated to New England and then moved to New York State. After the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, it was relatively easy to get to Ann Arbor via the canal to Buffalo and then cross Lake Erie to Detroit. The hardest part would be the overland trip by foot or horse to the wilderness that was Ann Arbor.

This group was soon joined by an influx of Germans from Swabia, who started coming in 1829, and continued arriving into the 20th century. Most of these Germans had gone through European apprenticeships and so brought an array of practical skills that helped build the town. Irish people, many fleeing the potato famine, were the other big immigrant group. Soon other ethnic and racial groups joined the growing population. The mix got even broader after 1841, when people from all around the country began coming to teach or study at the University of Michigan, which had opened for classes that year.

During the early years, Ann Arbor residents built houses and businesses, organized a government, and established churches, schools, and newspapers. After the Civil War, when the economy surged, wooden storefronts were replaced by brick structures, many of which still stand. Germans, with their practical skills, made up the majority of merchants and factory owners. In the pre-zoning and pre-automobile age, factories were scattered in residential areas. The line blurred between stores and industry since retail establishments often contained workshops, such as hardware stores that made tin products or shoe or clothing stores that produced their products on site. Divisions were further blurred by the fact that many merchants lived above their stores.

Ann Arbor was usually, if not on the forefront, fairly early in making what we today call infrastructure improvements, although worry about cost sometimes slowed them down as well as a penchant for having private companies bear the burden. The university community was often the main booster of these improvements. For instance, Silas Douglass, chemistry and medical school professor, organized the first gas company. Engineering Professor Charles Green was instrumental in establishing water and sewage systems.

Homes and recreation were where the variety in population was the most obvious. Nineteenth-century homes ranged from simple vernacular Greek Revival abodes to fancy architect-designed styles such as Octagon, Gothic Revival, and Italian Villa. Recreation ran the gamut from drinking clubs to the Browning Society.

People are basically social. In the pre-television and radio age they found their fun where they could: in their churches, which were usually also their support groups, or in recreation that took advantage of natural features such as skating on frozen ponds or picnicking at the newly developed Island Drive Park. Almost any event could serve as an excuse for a parade: the arrival of the train, buying a new piece of fire equipment, or even the opening of a new cemetery.

In choosing images, I have opted for photographs over drawings, only using the latter when that was all that was available. While I have tried to find photographs of good quality, I have made the final selections by the information they divulge. I have been lucky to find some rarely or never published photographs, many loaned to me by friends, although local history buffs will also recognize many of their old favorites.

The physical aspect of the town is better recorded than the people, but in choosing photographs, I have tried to find as many as I can that show people actually doing things to help readers travel back in time; which is the goal of this book.

Grace Shackman

Photo Credits

All references are to collections in the Bentley Historical Library unless otherwise noted.

Chapter One: Lithograph in Bentley Collection, John Allen Collection, Map Collection, Sturgis Collection, 1864 Atlas, Washtenaw County Historical Collection, Cornelius Papers, Ann Arbor Photo Collection,