SUMMER 2017 Ypsilanti Heritage Festival in This Issue
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Official publication of the Ypsilanti Historical Society, featuring articles and reminiscences of the people and places in the Ypsilanti area SUMMER 2017 Ypsilanti Heritage Festival In This Issue... The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival ........1 BY BILL NICKELS AND RICH BAIRD By Bill Nickels and Rich Baird lanning for the 2017 Ypsilanti Memorization ...................................6 Heritage Festival has been in- By Jack Minzey Ptensive and this year’s festival An Exceptional Envelope .................8 will feature a number of exciting By Janice Anschuetz events including hot air balloon and I Should Have Gotten helicopter rides in Frog Island Park. a Warranty ......................................12 An extensive array of musical pro- By Jack Minzey grams and children’s activities will also be featured. The current Chair Wow! It Seems Like Only of the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival Cor- Yesterday ........................................13 poration is Scott Virgo. Chairing this By Gerry Pety year’s Festival Planning Committee The Pear Family — is Les Heddle who has assembled a Coming to America ........................14 large group of volunteers to plan and By Peg Porter operate the festival. Michigan Charter Schools ..............18 It was during the early 1970s when By Jack Minzey several independent events occurred The Schade Building .......................23 that led up to our first Ypsilanti Her- By James Mann itage Festival that was held in 1979. Michigan State Normal College ....25 Ypsilanti’s sesquicentennial in 1973 By Jack Minzey featured a grand celebration that was several years in the planning. Amer- Poster for the 2017 Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. Society Briefs ica’s bicentennial celebration be- tion, was threatened. Inspired by the gan with the Broadway play 1776 in surge of interest in history, local citi- From the President’s Desk ................2 1969. Patriotic merchandise was sold zens led by Nathalie “Nat” Edmunds throughout 1975 and 1976. Television Society Board Members ..................2 and Jane Bird formed the Ypsilanti programing featured American his- Heritage Foundation dedicated to Museum Board Report ...................24 tory specials. Interest in our history saving the house. Michigan’s Local was awakened by both our local ses- GLEANINGS Sponsors ....................29 Historic District Act of 1969 enabled quicentennial and the national bicen- local governments to form histor- Advertising Application .................30 tennial. ic districts and enact ordinances to Membership Application ...............31 Seemingly unrelated, Michigan’s leg- protect those districts from inappro- islature passed the Accommodations priate change. In order to prevent Tax Act in 1974. The legislation per- the casual demolition of Ypsilanti’s mitted Michigan counties to impose historic resources, Nathalie and Jane and collect a tax on hotel/motel bills. took advantage of the enabling legis- The revenue collected could only be lation and led the creation of Ypsilan- spent on the promotion of tourist ti’s historic district in 1978. business in Michigan counties. Experiencing a high from the creation YpsilantiHISTORICAL SOCIETY During this time, the demolition of of Ypsilanti’s historic district, Jane, the Towner House, Ypsilanti’s oldest Nat, and others wanted to celebrate frame house on its original founda- Ypsilanti history in some way. When www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org From the PRESIDENT’S DESK BY ALVIN E. RUDISILL Ypsilanti HISTORICAL SOCIETY e are pleased to introduce our new Museum Intern, WSarah Reyes. Sarah replaces Board of Trustees: Michael Gute who graduated with his Jim Curran, Maria Davis, Master’s Degree in Historical Preser- Virginia Davis-Brown, vation and is now employed by the Pattie Harrington, Rick Katon, Gerald Jennings, Karen Nickels, Foundation at Wayne State Universi- Alvin Rudisill, Nancy Wheeler, ty. Sarah is enrolled in the graduate Bette Warren program in Historical Preservation at Museum Advisory Board: Eastern Michigan University and will Virginia Davis-Brown, hold the Internship position in the Kathleen Campbell, Jim Curran, Society for approximately two years. David Mongson, Louise Nagle, Fofie Pappas, John Stewart, Our Endowment Fund Advisory Nancy Wheeler, Daneen Zureich Board is working with the Ann Ar- Sarah Reyes is the new Museum Intern and will be with us for approximately two years. Archives Advisory Board: bor Community Foundation to pro- mote charitable gift annuities and Make sure you read the Museum Kelly Beattie, Kim Clarke, Maria Davis, Rick Katon, retirement beneficiary plans that will Board Report by Nancy Wheeler in Jerry Pety-ex officio, Hank Prebys, establish the long term financial sta- this issue of the Gleanings to learn Louise Schmaltz, Jane Schmiedeke, bility of the Ypsilanti Historical Soci- about the many new displays that Lisa Walters, Bette Warren ety. We are so fortunate to have so are now set up in the Museum. Our Endowment Fund Advisory Board: many loyal supporters that enable us volunteers do an exceptional job of Lynda Hummel, Mike Kabat, to provide our archival services and designing and setting up many differ- Paul Kuwik, Don Loppnow, museum programs free of charge to ent displays in the Museum through- Jesus Medrigal, Karen Nickels, the public. out the year. Thanks to all those who Melanie Parker, Steve Pierce, are involved in setting up and taking Alvin Rudisill, Bette Warren We appreciate the support being pro- down these displays. vided by the Ypsilanti Ale House and • Haab’s Restaurant through fundrais- If you are not on our email listserv Ypsilanti Historical Society ing events at those establishments. please call the Museum at 734-482- 220 North Huron Street The fundraiser at the Ale House was 4990 and have your name added. We Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 held on June 20-22 and the fundraiser are using the listserv only for pro- Museum: 734.482.4990 at Haab’s will be held later in the fall. gram notifications and your email ad- Archives: 734.217.8236 When customers at those events pay dress will not be shared with others. www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org their tabs and mention the Ypsilanti Also, please check the Event Sched- • Historical Society a portion of the bill ule on our website for upcoming spe- is donated to the Society. cial programs and displays. GLEANINGS Staff Editor ...................................... Al Rudisill Assistant Editors .....................Peg Porter Fofie Pappas Design & Layout .........Pattie Harrington Advertising Director ............Sarah Reyes Finance Director ................Bette Warren Distribution ..........................Sarah Reyes If you have suggestions for articles or if you have questions, contact Al Rudisill at 734.476.6658 or [email protected]. 220 North Huron Street | Ypsilanti, MI 48197 Ypsilanti GLEANINGS is published 4 times a year by the Ypsilanti Historical MUSEUM ARCHIVES Society, 220 N. Huron Street, Ypsilanti, 734 482-4990 734 217-8236 MI 48197 [email protected] [email protected] 2 Ypsilanti GLEANINGS • SUMMER 2017 • www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org Ypsilanti Heritage Festival continued from page 1 Part of the huge crowds that are attracted to Ypsilanti to attend the Heritage Festival. Washtenaw County implemented the remembers that Nat was always one Accommodations Tax Act of 1974, to remind him of Ypsilanti’s history. both an Ann Arbor and a separate A week later, Rich learned that Ypsi- Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bu- lanti was awarded the $15,000 grant! reau were formed. Without local Yp- Nathalie Edmunds stepped forward silanti hotels to support, the Ypsilanti and became the event chairperson CVB was given the responsibility to with a band of volunteers, as remem- promote events. Rich Baird, young bered by Rich included Tom Dodd, and full of energy, was hired as the Carolyn McKeever, Marcia Harrison, CVB Executive Director in January of Sandy Hooker, Sue Jordan, Dutch 1978. He was ready to give a commu- Jordan, Ron Miller, Chet Jones, Bet- nity event the support it needed. Rich ty Jones, Charles Kettles, and others. informed Jane and Nat that the Travel Thanks to the wave of interest in our Bureau of the Michigan Department history, the founding of the Ypsilanti of Commerce had grant money rang- CVB dedicated to promoting events, ing from $1,000 to $15,000 available. and committed volunteers; 1979 was Jane remembers their first thought the year the Ypsilanti Heritage Festi- was to ask them for funds to print a val was set in motion. Thinking that booklet about Ypsilanti’s historic dis- the middle of August is a time when trict. The Travel Bureau did not have families are home from vacation and money for a booklet; their money was getting ready for school to start, the available for an event. Rich applied third weekend in August was picked for a $15,000 grant that would “high- for the event. light Ypsilanti’s historic roots.” After applying, Rich received a call from Existing annual Ypsilanti events the Bureau saying they were in Ann were promptly invited to take part. Arbor and would like to visit Ypsilanti Jane Bird was president of the Yp- to assess the worth of Ypsilanti’s “his- silanti Heritage Foundation which toric roots.” Rich called Nat and said sponsored their first annual Historic he needed her to join him with the Home Tour on Mother’s Day 1978. Travel Bureau on a tour of Ypsilanti’s For 1979, the home tour was moved historic roots. Just out of the shower, and became a center piece of the new she was ready in ten minutes. Rich Ypsilanti Yesteryear Heritage Festi- 3 www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org • SUMMER 2017 • Ypsilanti GLEANINGS Ypsilanti Heritage Festival continued from page 3 Huge crowds view the Rubber Ducky Race from the Cross Street Bridge and the Tridge connecting Riverside Park with Depot Town and Frog Island Park. val. The home tour expanded from seven homes in 1978 to for Festival. The Historical Museum immediately planned twenty-two homes in 1979. Some were open only on Sat- to be open all three days with craft displays and a treasure urday, some were open only on Sunday, and others were sale on both Saturday and Sunday.