City Historians Report 1998
Any special activity in the city is reflected in the requests for material in the Archives, such as the Heritage Festival, the House Tour, Class Reunions, etc. We are fortunate to have the Ypsilanti High School year books as those from Roosevelt School and from E.M.U. for reference.
There have been researchers not only from many places in Michigan but also from the following states, Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, Florida, Virginia, Minnesota, New Hampshire and California. Also we have had correspondence with people in many other areas of the country. Besides many requests for Genealogy are requested for information on such topics as Willow Run, Depot Town, the Underground Railroad, the Library and theaters, to name a few. A variety of requests makes work in the Archives interesting and challenging.
A TV program for children, entitled “Around the World on a Heartbeat which is about Ypsilanti is being written by a student and AP Marshall. James Mann, who comes to the Archives each week is working on the project regarding the City's History.
The Ypsilanti Courier usually prints a picture that is a copy of one found at the Museum. Our collection of pictures has been enlarged this year due to the donation of some excellent photographs of local structures that were done by Catherine Newcomb.
Mary Liskow is continuing with the Oral History subject that was so capably done by Eileen Harrison.
Maria Schiede worked in the Archives Department for several months getting some of the material on the Internet. This project was made possible by a grant obtained and directed by the Ypsilanti District Library.
There are two queries on which I am continually searching this year. The first one is to substantiate the project “Rosie The Riveter” was so named by the Actor, Walter Pidgeon when he visited the Bomber Plant during World War II.
The second query is regarding a man by the name of Vickery(no first name listed) who, according to family records fought in the Revolunary War and was buried in an old cemetery in Ypsilanti where Prospect Park is located No first name is given there, either. With the information that has been found, so far I feel that further knowledge will be forth coming from the National Archives.
This year I have given a talk on the Church's early history to a group at the Presbyterian Church, a talk on the Archives to a local Sorority that met at the Museum and am scheduled to relate the organization's history to the Woman's Study Club.
I attended a meeting in Adrian that was conducted by the Museum of Michigan. It included a report of the work done on the survey of Stained Glass Windows in the state. We were also privileged to vist several churches to see the windows and to hear about them.
This Historian is a member of the following organizations: The Genealogical Society of Washtenaw county; The Friends of the Bentley Library. The State, County and Local Historical Societies. The Wayne Historical Society, The Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation, The Historical Society of Milan, Ohio.
Another successful year has ended.
City Historian 1998
