MAY 2009 WASHTENAW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER • FOUNDED 1857 RICHARD L GALANT, PhD Officers Richard L. Galant, PhD President President's Letter I Ralph P. Beebe . I Vice-President Dear Members and Friends, recording new changes. THe board has Judith M. Chrisman Washtenaw County has long been been meeting to re-affirm its mission Recording Secretary associated with attracting a somewhat and define a new strategic) plan. This Immediate Past President transient population due to the scholarly activity, along with a change in Pauline V. Walters lifestyle of the University of Michigan. leadership, promises to brihg new and Corresponding Secretary However those who have lived here, better accomplishments fo ~ the Society Leslie L. Loomans whether for a short period of time or Treasurer and its members. I more permanently, have brought this For me, this is the lastl letter as Directors area many riches to its culture and board president. I wish to thank each Rosemarion A. Blake history. The current exhibit, Coming to board member that I have/ served with Patricia W. Creal Ann DeFreytas Washtenaw County: 1820 to 2009, tells and the many different residents I have Tom Freeman the story of immigration and how the met during my tenure on the board. Karen L. Jania ethnic groups have changed over the You have enriched my life. both Michelle L. McClellan, PhD years. I hope you have the opportunity historically and personally. Susan Nenadic M. Joanne Nesbit to come to visit this exhibit at the With best wishes to y6u all, Jay Snyder Museum on Main Street before it is Jan E. Tripp retired on July 1. Richard L. Galant Susan Cee Wineberg Like the current exhibit, happenings WCHS Board President Cynthia Yao I at the Washtenaw Historical Society are Directors-at-Large Hon. Julie A. Creal Mary Florida Wayne Florida Dean Greb Susan Kosky weHS Annual Meeting Donald Cameron Smith, MD Advisors to be Held in Milan Ina Hanel-Gerdenich David LaMoreaux Thomas F. Mich, PhD Sara Ford, president bf Milan's Louisa Pieper Wednesday, May 20, 6 to 9 pm Historical Society, is the The Washtenaw County The Washtenaw County Historical featured speaker at the 7:30 Historical SOCiety is a Society will hold its 2009 annual program. She will show 501(c)(3) organization. meeting and pot luck supper at the MILAN AT THE MOVIES, Information Milan Senior and Community Activity a collection of movies Published Seven Times A Year Center, 45 Neckel Court, Milan, and slides about Milan From September-May. Michigan. The meeting begins at 6 pm, that have been copied Museum On Main Street in the Great Room of the center. Dining 500 N. Main Street at Beakes Street onto a DVD. is at 6:30 PM. Please bring a dish to Post Office Box 3336 Members of the pass. Dinnerware and beverages will be Ann Arbor, MI 48106-3336 Milan Historical supplied. The program, which will be Phone: 734.662.9092 Society have followed by WCHS's business meeting, Email: wchs-500(ii)ameritech.net been invited to Web Site: is scheduled for 7:30 pm. The Great the program. www.washtenawhistorv.org Room has large windows facing the Annual dues: January-December Saline River. Photos can be seen at individual, $15; couple/family $25; http://www.ci.milan.mi.us/ student or senior (60+) $10; senior community_ center.shtml couple $19; business/association $50; patron $100. WASHTENAW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IMPRESSIONS MAY 2009 DON FABER Michigan and Ohio: Birth of a Rivalry Don Faber brought the key roles in the controversy. He colorful history of Michigan illustrated how ownership of the to life as he entertained narrow strip of land became and enlightened the more intertwined with Michigan'S bid for than 75 people attending statehood and is an essential part the April 19 meeting of the of the state's history. He also Washtenaw County Histori­ provided attendees with stories cal Society, held at Glacier about the "battles," personalities Hills. Faber, former editor and chance events that are part of of the Ann Arbor News, the controversy. took attendees back to the Faber ended his talk by paying late 18th century and early tribute to the Northwest Ordi­ 19th century, before Michi­ nance, which had played such an gan hadwon statehood, to On the "front lines" of the Toledo War, Michigan's important role in the Toledo War. a controversy over a "boy governor" Stevens T. Mason, left, and Ohio The language, he said, still brings narrow strip of land that Gov. Robert Lucas an emotional "lump in my throat." would become known as In the preface to his book, he the "Toledo Strip." called it "one of the most impor­ The 1787 Northwest Ordinance had placed the strip, which was five tant documents in American miles wide at the Indiana border and eight miles wide at Lake Erie, in the history. It called for the orderly area that would become Michigan. The 1818 Fulton Survey agreed. development of land and estab­ However the Harris Survey, previously done in 1817, agreed with the lished government on the frontier Ohio Constitution, which had placed the mouth of the Maumee River in while providing for the creation of Ohio. Since this was within the area in question, the seeds of the Toledo future states. The language of the War were planted. "Thirty years before the War between the states, as the Civil War was referred to in the South, there occurred another war between states," says Faber in the preface to his highly acclaimed book The Toledo War. "Not a war in the military sense, this conflict between two states had no fatalities, grand battle plans, or five-star generals plotting their places in history. But make no mistake, Michigan and Ohio, eyeball to eyeball, were at serious swords' points in 1835. Statehood and a disputed boundary were the two intertwined issues." Faber, who served on the staff of the Michigan Constitutional Conven­ tion , expertly wove together the story Don Faber, a former Ann Arbor News of the Toledo War with accounts of editor, served on the staff of the Michi­ gan Constitutional Convention. He won political rivalry between presidents, a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work governors, senators and even a in the Michigan Senate and was a future Civil War general. Well known speech writer for Michigan Governor leaders such as James Monroe, George Romney. Now retired, he lives James K. Polk, Andrew Jackson, in Ann Arbor with his wife Jeannette, Don Faber's book is available at the Mu- James Buchanan, John Quincy and indulges in his love of Michigan his­ seum on Main Street Gift Shop Adams and Robert E. Lee all had tory. • Page 2' WASHTENAW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IMPRESSIONS MAY 2009 Northwest Ordinance still reso­ JAY SNYDER AND CYNTHIA YAO nates today. It proclaims 'religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government Report of the Nominating and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of educa­ Committee tion shall forever be encouraged.' The need for education to illumi­ Proposed Slate nate the darkness is as compelling now as it was in frontier days. It is President: .. ............ ..... .. ..... .... ..... ... ... ......... ... .... ....... ....... Leslie L. Loomans a timeless message that is still the Vice President: ... ..... .. ... ....... .......... ... ........ ... .... ..... .. ....... .. ... Ralph P. Beebe best hope for humanity in a Treasurer: ... .. ......... .. ..... .. .... ........... ..... .. ... ...... .... ... ...... ...... Patricia W. Creal changing world." Recording Secretary: ............... ... .. .. .. .... .. ....... ........... .. .. Judith M. Chrisman .Corresponding Secretary: ....... ....... .... ... .. ....... ........ ....... Pauline V. Walters Directors: SUSAN NENADIC Three-Year term to 2012 Karen L. Jania * We Have Michelle L. McClellan * Jay Snyder Winners! (open / vacant) Endowment Committee When you visit the Museum David LaMoreaux on Main Street to see the current exhibit, Coming to Washtenaw *The two recently appointed directors filled vacancies made by the County: 1820-2009, you can test resignations of two board members whose terrTiSwould have expired this your knowledge about Washtenaw year. Both knew that they would stand for election at this year's annual County by participating in a unique meeting. contest. In March, Vera Sadrann Further nominations will be accepted from the floor. and Cornelius Hempel won $20 gift certificates for correctly identifying immigration patterns. Prue Heikkinen won a $10 gift PAULINE WALTERS certificate for correctly identifying a local landmark. April winners are Royce Disbrow, who won the sign Membership contest, and Matthew Mejia, a student, won the modern immigra­ In the April 2009 issue of ImpreSSions, we informed members and tion contest. donors that IRS rules now allow membership dues to be tax-deductible. The exhibit includes stories Therefore, we will be sending a tax receipt letter for all receipts of about the people who came to donations and membership monies. Our software can generate either a Washtenaw County: what they hard copy or an e-mail letter/receipt. Because of the May 11, 2009 brought with them, where they increase in first- class postage to 44 cents, WCHS will. e-mail letter/ came from and how they lived. receipts to those who have e-mail addresses and mail hard copies to The exhibit will be at the museum those who do not. To discuss this individually, please call me at until July 1. To help visitors 734 .662.9092, or e-mail [email protected] research their own roots, Genea­ logical Society of Washtenaw County will be on hand the first Sunday of May and June. Thank You! to The Ann Arbor News for donating seven months' worth of paper for our newsletter. • Page 3' WASHTENAW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IMPRESSIONS MAY 2009 U of M Students Experience History at MoMS less of how they may have learned history in high school, now we will be talking about interpreta­ tion and analysis, not just the rote memorization of facts.