Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Winter 2005,
Winter 2005

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Board of Trustees:

Virginia Davis-Brown
Ward Freeman
Kathryn Howard
Gerald Jennings
Karen Nickels
John Pappas
Alvin Rudisill
Diane Schick
Bob Southgate

Museum Advisory Board:

Virginia Davis-Brown
Kathleen Campbell
Joan Carpenter
Grace Cornish
Midge Fahndrich
Kathryn Howard
Dorothy Humphrey
Jack Livisay
Karen Nickels
Joy Shulke
Bob Southgate

Archives Advisory Board:

Margaret Best
Morrell Boone
Maria Davis
Gerald Jennings
John Pappas
Marcia Phillips
Hank Prebys
Jane Schmiedeke
Lisa Walters

Endowment Fund Advisory Board:

Peter Fletcher
Ward Freeman
Mike James
Paul Kuwik
Dan Maloney
Jack Minzey
Karen Nickels
Steve Pierce
John Salcau
Martha Spencer
Alvin Rudisill

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Fall 2005,
Fall 2005

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Author: Virginia Davis-Brown

Now that the leaves are starting to change and even a few are falling, we at the museum are looking forward to the next few months and planning for an exciting fall and winter season.
We hope that you have enjoyed the “Lost Ypsilanti Speaks!” exhibit. Many have told us how much they enjoyed the exhibit as it brings back many memories of the past or they speak of what is there now and really didn't have any idea of the previous business.
September 29 thru October 16 will be our third annual “Quilt Exhibit.” During the last two years we have exhibited over 100 quilts. Some were made in the 1800's and some are the work of people today. If you thought only women made quilts you would be wrong. Last year we had several that were made by a man and they were very unique. If you missed the previous ones why not start thinking about getting together with a friend or two, have lunch somewhere downtown, then come in and see that quilts are works of art and are not just for keeping someone warm. Make an afternoon of it. You are entitled to a day out once in a while.
The “Underground Railroad Exhibit” is still up and will remain for awhile. We also still have the quilt that the children, from the Ann Arbor Child Development Center, made as a class project telling of the flight from slavery.
August 21, 2005, was an exciting day as we gathered to pay homage to a wonderful man who made significant contributions to the YHS Museum and to efforts to keep the history of Ypsilanti alive. One room that Dr. William P. Edmunds was especially fond of was dedicated to his memory. Our Ypsilanti Room will be known as the “Dr. William P. Edmunds Ypsilanti Room.”

We are always in need of volunteers, docents and people who would like to help us keep the museum maintained the way it has been. It takes a lot of tender loving care to see that things are done. If you think you might like to help please give me a call at 484–0080 and we can talk. Remember that, with the holidays coming up, we still have our GIFT SHOP, and we have several interesting books about the city.
Our regular hours are Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Most of our special exhibits also include Fridays. If you need more information please call 482–4990. Why not plan on coming in to see us and say Hi.

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Fall 2005,
Fall 2005

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By Alvin E. Rudisill

This is the third issue of the Ypsilanti Gleanings in our new format. We hope you will support our advertisers who make this new format possible. Visit the back page of the Gleanings to view a list of advertisers in this issue.

We were very proud and pleased to honor Dr. William P. Edmunds who provided decades of leadership to the Ypsilanti Historical Society and to the City of Ypsilanti. He was a mentor to many of us and his significant contributions to the preservation of Ypsilanti historical artifacts will benefit future generations. We hope everyone will visit the Dr. William P. Edmunds Ypsilanti Room and see the picture and plaque placed there in his honor.

The “Lost Ypsilanti Speaks!” exhibit was a great success. We plan to feature one location that was included in the exhibit in each future issue of the Gleanings. This issue features One South Huron Street where our City Hall is located. It is interesting and enlightening to read about the history of various sites in our city and the original City Hall building was certainly a magnificent structure.

This issue also features the first in a series of articles on churches in Ypsilanti. The “One Hundred Eighty One Years of Methodism in Ypsilanti” article was assembled from a series of historical articles from the First United Methodist Church. We hope those of you who are serving as historians for other churches in Ypsilanti will assist us in gathering materials and writing articles.

Please make sure you mark your calendars for the September 18th quarterly membership meeting and program. The antique roadshow and auction should be a lot of fun. Not only will you be able to have your own favorite antique evaluated but you will be able to listen in on the evaluations of antiques brought in by others. Again, mark your calendars now for September 18, 2005 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

Also coming up is our third annual “Quilt Show” from September 29 through October 16. Please read the ad for the quilt show and the comments about the quilt show in the Museum Advisory Board Report in this issue of the Gleanings.

I want to again remind all our members that the back page of the Gleanings includes a membership application. We hope each of you will share your issue of the Gleanings with friends and encourage them to join our Society. Most of our operating budget for the year comes from membership income and every dollar collected allows us to provide better service to the greater Ypsilanti area.

We have posted an additional 170 photographs from our photo archives collections on the Internet. You can access the site by going to the YHS site at “ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org” and then going to the archives section of the site. The site is searchable by keywords.

If you would like to get more involved in Society programs and activities please give me a call at 734–484–3023. We are always looking for volunteers to serve as docents in the Museum or to serve on one of the committees. Activities range from typing in information on a computer to helping with facility maintenance.

For Information about upcoming Society events, visit us on-line at:

www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Fall 2005,
Fall 2005

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Original Images:

The Ypsilanti Historical Society honored one of it's own during the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival when we dedicated the Ypsilanti Room in the museum in honor of Dr. William P. Edmunds. “Doc,” as he was affectionately known, was involved in the creation of the Society and provided leadership over several decades. The dedication program featured comments by Peter Fletcher and a proclamation by Mayor Cheryl Farmer from the City of Ypsilanti. Many of the guests at the dedication made comments related to their associations with Dr. Edmunds.

City of Ypsilanti PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, William P. Edmunds M.D. was a trusted and revered Ypsilanti family physician for many years. He practiced out of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, and out of Beyer Hospital where he also served as Chief of Staff, and

WHEREAS, Bill “Doc” Edmunds was as committed to his community as he was to his patients. He was a pioneer of the historic preservation movement in Ypsilanti, beginning with his tireless work to save the Octagon House in the 1960's. Bill also worked to save many other 19th century buildings in Ypsilanti which were at risk for destruction, and

WHEREAS, Bill Edmunds was one of the original organizers of the Ypsilanti Historical Society Museum, whose first home was the basement of the old Post Office, now the Down-town Branch of the Ypsilanti Library District. He served many terms as President of the Historical Museum Board. Bill was instrumental in securing the financial future of the current Museum building at 220 North Huron Street and in securing the use of the archival space at 222 North Huron Street, and

WHEREAS, Bill Edmunds passed away in 2004, after a valiant fight against a prolonged illness, just shy of his 80th birthday. His enthusiasm and skills are sorely missed by his many friends in the Ypsilanti community, who rightly wish to do something special to commemorate his meritorious life and many contributions. In this spirit a room in the Ypsilanti Historical Museum is being dedicated to our beloved friend at 2:00 PM today.

Now, Therefore, I Cheryl C. Farmer, Mayor of the City of Ypsilanti, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim Sunday August 21, 2005 as “Dr. William P. Edmunds Day” in the City of Ypsilanti, commend the Ypsilanti Historical Museum for honoring his memory with this dedication, and ask everyone who knew him to join me in praise of his accomplishments. Let his life of service be an example and an invitation to the rest of us to do what we can to step in and fill the big leadership gap left by his passing.

Given under my hand and seal of the City of Ypsilanti, August 21, 2005-Cheryl C. Farmer, Mayor.

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Summer 2005,
Summer 2005

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Author: Grace Cornish, Chair - Acquisitions Committee

All items in the Ypsilanti Museum and Archives were donated by people living in the area or purchased (such as newer items like rugs) with funds donated for use in the museum. Donations are always appreciated as they increase the value of the museum to the community. Regulations regarding donations are carefully spelled out. Contact the chair of the acquisition committee (Grace Cornish — 734–482–2108), or call the Museum or Archives (734–482–4990) for help if you wish to donate. Our storage space is very limited and the committee cannot accept items which do not fit the purpose of our “house” Museum or are duplicates of what is already there.

Some of the donations during the past year are listed below. Note the great variety of artifacts the Museum and Archives have received:

Ypsilanti Historical Society

220 North Huron Street

Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Permit No. 399

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Summer 2005,
Summer 2005

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Original Images:

Author: Gerry Petty

Well, after a false start for spring weather and periods of snow and ice that even Siberia rarely sees, it is my pleasure to announce that Summer 2005 is finally on its way! Yes, I have shoveled the snow from my sidewalk for the last time this spring in breathless anticipation of your arrival-you now have no ‘official' reason for not coming!

It has been a very busy time with all the dusting, cleaning and even some organization of the articles here. My one lonely volunteer, Marcia Phillips, has been busy dealing with a part-time job, being a pastor's wife, a mom with 3 children and finishing up another degree in Historic Preservation. (As you may or may not know, Marcia is trying to collect all of the knowledge in this sector of the Milky Way galaxy-hey, save a little knowledge for the rest of us!) Our regulars here at the archives also have been helping to fill in when needed with their knowledge and efforts-thanks!

Mrs. Irene Johnson, a YHS member, has contributed a great many pictures, postcards and some original 1913 and 1945 telephone books. The 1913 phone book really adds to our knowledge of the people and businesses in Ypsilanti and filled a need for this time period when city directories are not available. Thank you Irene for thinking of the YHS archives and contributing all of these wonderful resources!

Again, genealogy research is the most often stated reason for coming to the archives followed closely by historical research for news publications and other endeavors. I am sure that now that summer 2005 has been officially proclaimed that we will see a rush of people wanting to find out about the history of their recently acquired homes and/or businesses here in Ypsilanti. We are ready!

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Summer 2005,
Summer 2005

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Original Images:

Author: Virginia Davis-Brown

Have you been to the museum lately? If you haven't you are missing a wonderful exhibit. The Underground Railroad exhibit will be up until after the Heritage Festival. We are privileged to have, this year, a remarkable quilt made by the first and second grade students from The Ann Arbor Child Development Center in Ann Arbor. It shows the trials and problems that the slaves encountered on their trip to freedom. It is an amazing piece of art.

Our Annual Docent Luncheon will be June 15 at 12:30 P.M. This is our way of thanking the Docents and Volunteers for all the hours that they donate to guide the visitors and to keep the museum in the condition that you are accustomed to seeing it.

I can't believe that The Heritage Festival will be here so soon on August 19, 20 and 21. Every year we enjoy having visitors from all parts of the country visit us. We will need extra docents at that time. If you could volunteer a couple hours during this time it would be greatly appreciated. It is not hard as we have information in each room for you to refer to. Our hours during the Heritage Festival will be Friday-2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Saturday-11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sunday-12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Please call Joan Carpenter at 971–0536 if you are able to help.

A new exhibit, “‘The Lost Ypsilanti” will start on July 21 and run through Labor Day. The Lost Ypsilanti is an exhibit that will show the history of many businesses and buildings in the City of Ypsilanti, that are no longer there, and what has happened to them. This will bring back a lot of memories of what Ypsilanti used to be. There will also be some products that were made in the earlier days of the city. We also have a display of souvenir Ypsilanti spoons that Ernie Griffin has loaned us.

Plans are under way for our annual Quilt Show. We are in need of quilts to make it a success. Would you be willing to lend one or two of your contemporary or new quilts to be shown from September 29 to October 16th? If you like would to show your quilt please call me at 484–0080 and I will send you the information.

Thank you again for all your support.

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Summer 2005,
Summer 2005

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Original Images:

Author: Alvin E. Rudisill

We hope you enjoy this second issue of the Ypsilanti Gleanings in its newly designed format. Our sincere thanks go to Steve Pierce and Erik Pedersen for developing our feature articles. We are always looking for new authors so if you have an interest in publishing in the Gleanings please contact me. Also, please note that we have a number of new advertisers due to the efforts of Dan Maloney. We hope you will patronize these sponsors and express thanks to them for their support.

Our thanks to all those who donated items for the YHS Annual Yard Sale and to the many volunteers who assisted in the set-up and during the sale. A special thanks to Bill and Karen Nickels who hosted the event and spent many hours getting ready for the big day. The yard sale brought in just under $2,200 that will be put to good use in our collection and preservation efforts.

Under the direction and leadership of Martha Spencer we are embarking on a summer membership campaign to attract new members into the Society. We have established a goal of 500 members by the end of 2005 and 1,000 members by the end of 2006. Please note that the back of this issue of the Gleanings has a Membership Application and also a sticker with the words “Get a Friend” to join the YHS. We encourage each member to get at least one friend or neighbor to join our Society.

I am pleased to announce that we have received a grant of $3,000 from the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries by and through the Michigan Historical Center. The grant requires $1,500 of matching funds and will focus on the expansion of the Photo Archive Program in conjunction with the University of Michigan Library System. Marcia Phillips, a member of our Archives Advisory Board and a student in the graduate program in Historical Preservation at EMU, will be working on this program throughout the summer. If anyone is interested in assisting as a volunteer on this program please contact Marcia. Volunteers will be used to research and write descriptions for photos in the archives.

In the past few weeks we have had fifteen groups from Southeast Michigan tour the museum. Our sincere thanks to Joan Carpenter and all the docents who assisted her in providing these groups with information about museum artifacts and the Ypsilanti area. One of the goals of the Society is to “…provide historical information and materials to interested parties” and our tour program is certainly fulfilling this goal.

We are looking forward to the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. The Museum hours during the Festival will be Friday, August 19th, 2:00p.m.-6:00p.m.; Saturday, August 20th, 11:00a.m.-6:00p.m.; and Sunday, August 21st, 12noon-4:00p.m. If the past is any indication we should have more than 400 visitors to the Museum during those three days.

If you would like to get more involved in Society programs and activities please give me a call at 734–484–3023. We are always looking for volunteers to serve as docents in the Museum or to serve on one of the committees. Activities range from typing in information on a computer to helping with facility maintenance.

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Summer 2005,
Summer 2005

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Original Images:

BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Virginia Davis-Brown

Ward Freeman

Kathryn Howard

Gerald Jennings

Karen Nickels

John Pappas

Alvin Rudisill

Diane Schick

Bob Southgate

MUSEUM ADVISORY BOARD:
Virginia Davis-Brown

Kathleen Campbell

Joan Carpenter

Grace Cornish

Midge Fahndrich

Kathryn Howard

Dorothy Humphrey
Jack Livisay

Karen Nickels
Joy Shulke

Bob Southgate

ARCHIVES ADVISORY BOARD:
Margaret Best

Morrell Boone

Marie Davis

Gerald Jennings

John Pappas

Marchia Phillips

Hank Prebys

Jane Schmideke

Lisa Walters

ENDOWMENT FUND ADVISORY BOARD:
Peter Fletcher

Ward Freeman

Mike James

Paul Kuwik

Dan Maloney

Jack Minzey

Karen Nickels

Steve Pierce

John Salcau
Martha Spencer

Alvin Rudisill

220 North Huron Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Telephone: 734–482–4990
www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org

Published In:
Ypsilanti Gleanings, Spring 2005,
Spring 2005

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Author: Alvin E. Rudisill

It is my pleasure and privilege to serve as the President of the Ypsilanti Historical Society. This is my first “From the President's Desk” article and I will try to bring you up-to-date on activities of the Society.

You may have noticed some changes in the layout and design of this issue of Ypsilanti Gleanings. We are indebted to Keith Bretzius, Publications Coordinator for UCI, a local Ann Arbor firm that provides management services for local, state and national non-profit organizations. Keith did the design and layout of this issue and, in addition, provided guidance to the staff involved in the reproduction, assembly and distribution.

The most notable change that has taken place in the Ypsilanti Historical Society is the approval by the membership of new Bylaws that call for significant changes in the administrative structure of the Society. The new administrative structure provides for three unique and distinct advisory boards for the Museum, Archives and Endowment Fund. This new structure will enable each Board to focus their efforts to improve and expand activities and programs in their specific area of responsibility.

Significant efforts will be made over the next couple of months to obtain grant funds to support the YHS Photo Archives Project. This project was initiated several months ago in cooperation with the University of Michigan Library System. When completed, the 5,000 photographs in the YHS museum and archives will be accessible world wide through the Internet. The photo database will be searchable via keywords and dates and printable versions of each photograph will be able to be downloaded and printed out on a local printer.

Upcoming YHS events include the Art Show from March 31 to April 17 sponsored by the Museum Advisory Board, the Board of Trustees meeting on April 14, the Archives, Endowment Fund and Archives Advisory Board meetings on May 12 and the Spring quarterly membership meeting on May 15.

We are indebted to all the volunteers whose efforts make the Ypsilanti Historical Society function on a day-to-day basis. It would be impossible to name each of them but they include our board members who, in addition to leadership efforts, serve as volunteers to keep our facilities clean and functioning, our docents who provide our visitors with valuable information about artifacts and historical events, and all of the other individuals who spend numerous hours each month.