Interactive Ypsilanti Map by A. Ruger

If you don’t know, the Library of Congress has the Ruger map of Ypsilanti Posted in super High Resolution so you can zoom in and move around.

Houses in Ypsilanti were moved around a lot. It must have been quite a task but obviously not as much as building a new one. The information of the moves I pointed out was passed down through some Ypsilanti old-timers to my Mother 30+ years ago and then she pointed out that information to me.

Book Notes 1899 Information on the River and Wells

I found this information interesting and I think the other Ypsilanti Historians would as well.  I was surprised to learn that the average depth of the river was only 1.5ft,  I had it in my head that the river would have been deeper in the early days.

 

Water Resources of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

By Alfred C. Lane

Washington Government Printing office 1899

 Condition 1 – The head is artificially obtained and the water is raised by pumping. In such cases the water acts merely as a distributor of power.  In this way water is used in many of the cities and towns, running motors for light machinery, especially for elevators.  The chief advantages are that it is ready at hand, quiet, noiseless, odorless, not dangerous, and convenient in every way.  There is, however, considerable loss of head in narrow and crooked pipes.

 Huron rivers main source of power is from Dexter to Ypsilanti

 Pg 38 (437) water power of Huron River.

The country is flat or rolling, with a glacial drift of clay, sand, and gravel, well adapted to raising of wheat, which is the staple and which gives work to many flouring mills.  The river was declared navigable by Congress.  Once a flatboat for freighting ran from Ypsilanti 30 miles to the mouth, but its use was discontinued on the advent of railroads.  There was too little water for navigation, and the dams interfered.

 The bulk of manufacturing is between Dexter and Ypsilanti, on the line of the MCRR.

 At Ypsilanti the average breadth is 100 feet, the average depth is 1.5 feet, and the maximum depth about 5 feet.  The ordinary low-water flow, calculated from the estimated horsepower, is 220 cubic feet per second, or .23 cubic foot per second per square mile of drainage are.  The available power under 10 feet head at ordinary low water is from 225 to 250 horsepower.  There is no difficulty from floating ice.  A mill using the full average power of the stream can run at full capacity ten months of the year, and during August and September at half capacity.  The river has no large tributaries below the lakes, and hence the power for a given fall is nearly the same in the upper and in the lower part

 Developed power

Most of the mills are between Dexter and Ypsilanti, a distance of 17 miles.  Above Dexter and below Portage Lake are the Hudson and the Dover Mills.  Below Ypsilanti are mills at Rawsonville, Belleville, etc.

            Three forms of dams are in use: 1 – The pile dam, a common form.  A typical specimen is one belonging to the Ypsilanti Paper Company.  Piles were driven 6 feet between centers, both across and down the stream, covering a strip 50 feet wide across the channel.  The ends were then cut, so that taken together their surface formed two planes, meeting at the center line of the dam, like a roof.  The space between the piles was filled in with stone and the top planked over.  A plank apron was built on the lower side.

2: The crib-work dam – ordinary timber cribs, filled with stone and planked over.

3 – the fram dam, used at the Dover mills.  A triangular fram was built and planked over and stone thrown under; a plank apron was built on the lower side, and gravel thrown in on the upper side.  So far as ascertained there have been no instances of the breaking away of dams.

 

Ypsilanti is the chief manufacturing center on the river.  There are three paper mills, two flouring mills, a woolen mill, and a small custom sawmill, also a low dam in connection with the city waterworks.  The banks are from 9 to 12 feet high and ponds do not spread.  There are three dams, about one-half to three-fourths of a mile apart, and no fall is wasted.  The bed is hard clay.  The MCRR runs up the valley from this point, and freight facilities are good.

            The lower pond has 7 feet available fall and 175 available horsepower.  There is a pile dam 190 feet long.  The average breadth of the pond is about 150 feet and the length half a mile.  The power is utilized by the Ypsilanti paper company’s mill.  The middle pond has ? feet available head and 125 available horsepower.  The only mill at the power is the Huron flouring mill, which uses on the average 75 horsepower.  There is a pile dam 5 to 6 feet high and 100 feet long.   The pond is from 150 to 200 feet broad and half a mile long.  The upper pond is owned by the City flouring mill and the woolen mill and feeds them and also a small sawmill fed from the race of the flouring mill.  The fall at the dam is 8 feet and the available power is 225 horsepower.  The dam is from 120 to 130 feet long, the area of the pond 35 acres, and the depth 5 or 6 feet; the dam does not spread much.  The woolen mill uses 42 horsepower.  The flouring mill situated on a race, has 1 foot additional fall, making a total fall 9 feet; it uses 100 horsepower.  The sawmill, when running, uses about 10 horsepower.

            The mills of the Peninsula Paper Company are situated at a pond a short distance above Ypsilanti, and have 300 available horsepower. 

            The largest power on the river is at Lowell, and it is used by the Ypsilanti Paper Company.  The available head is 16 feet and 400 horsepower is available.   The pile dam has been described; its length is 166 feet.  The area of the pond is 30 or 35 acres.

            At Ann Arbor 7 or 8 miles above Ypsilanti, there is a level with a head of 10 feet and 250 available horsepower.  The dam is a pile dam 200 feet long, which is utilized by the Ypsilanti Paper Company’s Mill. 

 There are a few undeveloped powers.  Three miles below Ypsilanti of 300 horsepower, which has not been used, because the pond spread over valuable farming lands and because the location is …at the railroad.  

 Economic Value of Mineral Waters – Medicinal Properties (pg531)

The various inorganic impurities which unfit water for domestic and ordinary uses may be of value from a medicinal point of view.  The moorman well at Ypsilanti is concentrated to throw down the lime salts and then diluted and charged with CO2.  Other table waters also seem to be diluted salines.  The main horizon for bathing purposes developed at Ypsilanti, Mount Clemens, Alma, Benton Harbor, etc., is that of limestones immediately underlying the Devonian black shales.  From these waters the salts can be extracted for medicinal purposes, as at Ypsilanti, Alma, and Big Rapids, or for their general value. 58.1 degrees

 Ypsilanti Mineral Well

1866 Ypsilanti Commercial Notes

Dates are the date of the paper not necessarily the date of the event. Things in italics are my comments. If you have any information on any of the houses mentioned or news items please comment.

1866 Ypsilanti Commercial
Jan 13

Improvement – Mr J.F. Smith added another story on house corner of Congress & Normal replaced frame addition with one of brick moved frame to adjoining lot built another house suggest Mr. Klock ‘go and do likewise.’

Jan 20

Mr. S. Post owner of building with post office revised post office. 2 Entrances one Dimick & Lay’s Store & Dwight’s Jewelry store. One side Smith & Bros Book & ? store on the other. 36’ x 40’ indebted to postmaster D.B. Greene who spent $600.00 of own funds government wouldn’t assist.

Boys grabbing wheels & sticking wagons, throwing snow balls at teams of horses

Circuit court – 15 criminal cases 6 divorces  — Divorces aren’t a modern thing, of course Ypsilanti was known as a city of drunks which might be why there were so many divorces.

Jan 27

Letter Protesting Havilands defense for her actions and protecting John Leonard’s reputation.

John Leonard late husband to Mrs. Haviland now of battle creek. She left and he kept the kids. She killed kids (poison) on account of their showing propensities which she says they inherited from their father and she expected they would lead them to commit crimes like their father.

C.L. Yost house and lot on Oak to John Drake $2600

Jun 22

Council – James Arnold petition to erect a blacksmith shop on River south of Congress

Feb 10

Real estate-

Mrs Caroline Whittemore to Wells Burt Esq. House & Lot on River st. $10,000

Feb 17^th

Bank – Cornwell, Hemphill & Co Established banking office corner of congress & Huron “mormon block”

20 below zero - trains couldn’t run because of drifts and they couldn’t get water (frozen)

Feb 24

10 Yr old stole $10 he and other boys spent it getting drunk at Schades hotel gave $1.00 tip per round.  I wonder how much drinks were?

March 3

Corner cross & river “Norris Block” – Ypsilanti Wood Manufacturing Co. Mathews & Batchelder proprietors occupy 2 main rooms from the basement to the loft. 30HP engine in basement makes 8000 spokes a week, 1000 ax-helves, employ 12 export to Chicago, ohio, NY, Ind, and Penn.

New Sash and Blind Factory located nearly opposite wood manufacturing Co, bought building from John Kennedy? Long occupied by N. Philips as carriage & Wagon shop plan to enlarge it, Use a 4HP engine

March 10

Common Council - Ald Babbit reported O.E. Thomson would fit up a room under his shop on Cross sufficient to receive the Engine and Hook & Ladder truck for $80.00yr for 3 years (accepted)

O.E. Thompson owed $33.00 from city  for painting street labels

March 17

Wagon & Carriage establishment of Batchelder & McIntosh firm originally Rich & Ostrander – Ostrander & Shutts – Rich & McIntosh. Located on Washington 66’x99’ Ironing shop in back 14employees 115 Wagon & Carriages Year

Real Estate

John Gilbert 3 lots on Prospect to W.M. Heurtt? $750

March 24

Mr. David Coon – 20yrs engaged in chair & cabinet manufacturing business. 7yrs ago he purchased Cook Foundry & Machine Shop whole building. Machine shop, chair shop, cabinet shop, and pump factory carried on by son J.F. Coon 50’ x 90’

Produce 1500 chairs, $1000 worth of coffins along with bureaus, bedstands, what nots, lounges etc. Also produce 1000 pumps 12 employees

April 14^th

Article explains steps of wool in woolen mill read paper to understand all about the woolen mill.

May 5^th

McAndrews & Stanway furniture sellers southside of congress – furniture manufactured on Huron.

“Black Valley Railroad”

May 12

Mr Mason Hawkins accidentally shot by Mr. Gustavas Cross & killed

May 26

River st. leading to highland cemetery is being graded down, and a culvert has been put in at the deep gully, making it safe. Get a sidewalk up the street and nice shade trees on either side and it will become the most desirable location in town.   I like how things come true.  Those shade trees that grow along the fence of the old motor wheel parking lot certainly make it the most desirable location in town.

June 9^th

E.G. Boyce Boot & Shoe importer and manufacturer 8-12 employees

Baseball Match Defiance Base Ball Club from Ypsi against the University Nine from Ann Arbor, A2 won 43-16

Newell Block to be auctioned June 16

July 7

Resolved vacating of Summit St Cemetery, Repair Fence around Western Cemetery.

July 21

MI Central RR earned $301,070.94

Aug 4

Brick school house on River offered at Auction Highest bid $1125 by Mr. C. Woodruff

Aug 11

City Treasury exhausted issues warrant payable Jan 1, 1867.  City got rid of all Stands & Wagons selling all good from Huron & Congress  The Store owners were getting mad about people selling goods in the streets out of  stands and wagons.  

J.O. Cross retired company now in hands of Cornelius Cornwell.

Aug 18

Prof Estabrook resigned, now superintendent of public schools

Aug 25

W.M. Antisdel to Cutler & Williams the Follett house $12,000

John Cutler to Mr. Antisdel House & Lots on River st.

Mr. Antisdel to move to Detroit

Sept 8

President Johnson was in town with Generals Grant and Farragut. A fair turnout, Democratic president not really welcomed in Ypsilanti  Remember the papers were very politically biased so when a President or General are mentioned you can’t rely on the newspaper report.

Sept 15

“Birdseye View” map by Prof Ruger of Battle Creek $3.00

Hawkins House Mr. Bendle rented to Mr. A. Bently house worse for wear but still provides good meals and beds.

Sept 22

Vall & Hudson open an oyster room

Sept 29

Resolved Raise sum of $1260 (in addition to the $1500 already paid) to aid in finishing the Agricultural Museum building.

Nov 17

S.M. Loveridge sold his residence on Huron to J.S. Jenness for $9000. Jenness then sold to E.A. Clark for $9500 (on Nov 24)

Nov 24

Chas. Cady to Fletcher 30 Acres near Cemetery