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Ypsilanti is located where an old Indian trail crossed the Huron River and was,
long before the coming of the white man, the camping and burial ground for
several native American tribes. In 1809, three French explorers built a log
structure on the west bank of an Indian trading post and was one of the
earliest structures in the vast, sparsely populated Michigan territory, whose
citizens, including soldiers in forts, numbered just 4,762.
Gabriel Godfrey, proprietor of the trading post, was followed in 1823 by
Benjamin Woodruff who, along with several companions, established a small
settlement on the river a mile south of the post and named it Woodruff's Grove,
the first settlement in Washtenaw County.
In 1824, Father Gabriel Richard, Representative in Congress for the Michigan
Territory, urged the building of a federal highway from Detroit to Chicago, to
be known as the Chicago Road. The surveying crew, following the Sauk Indian
trail, put the crossing of the Huron River nearly a mile north of Woodruff's
Grove.
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In 1825, three prominent settlers, Judge Augustus Woodward, John
Stewart and William Harwood, combined portions of their own land to form the
original plat for a new settlement at the crossing, which was named for the
Greek Patriot General Demetrius Ypsilanti. In the struggle of the Greek people
against Turkish tyranny appeared an outstanding heroic figure, Demetrius
Ypsilanti. He was admired by Americans for his part in a struggle for freedom
so like their own. When a fire destroyed the school at Woodruff's Grove, that
small settlement was abandoned in favor of Ypsilanti.
Travel from Detroit by stagecoach became possible in 1830, and by 1832 three
stage lines served Ypsilanti. In 1835, the military road to Chicago was
officially opened, with new towns springing up
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along its length. Three years later the railroad from Detroit
reached Ypsilanti. The first wood frame depot was built in 1838 then, two
decades later, a large brick masonry station was constructed.
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Adjacent to the depot, a small commercial district arose east of
the river known, then and now, as Depot Town. Most of the structures still
standing in Depot Town today were built within three decades following mid-19th
century.
A second business district developed shortly after Depot Town on the west side
of the river, along the Chicago Road (later called Congress Street, now
Michigan Avenue). Both business districts continued to develop and diversity,
resulting in a considerable rivalry between the two which still exists in some
extent today.
Over the years, Ypsilanti grew and flourished. The early development of the
community was influenced and enhanced by the presence of the river and its
abundant water power. As the
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years progressed, the river industries of the mid to late 19th
century yielded to manufacturing, and mills gave way to auto related commerce
which became a major economic force in the community.
In 1941, Ford Motor Company built a plant in Willow Run. That plant was quickly
converted to wartime production when the U.S. entered World War II. The famous
B-24 bombers rolled off the Willow Run assembly line one every 55 minutes.
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The rich array of historic architecture was approved as a Historic
District and, with growing pride, Ypsilanti works to protect and enjoy its
heritage. The historical walking tour takes you on a journey to the past.
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