Ypsilanti Histories: A look back at the last fifty years
A print version of Ypsilanti Histories is available through the Ypsilanti Historical Society for $20. For more information, please go to: https://ypsihistory.org/contact-information/
Abstract
In commemoration of their city's bicentennial, the people of Ypsilanti look back on the dramatic changes that the last fifty years brought to this small town in southeastern Michigan. Drawing on archival research, published sources, and personal recollections, "Ypsilanti Histories" explores the government, educational institutions, businesses, community organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals that have defined Ypsilanti since 1973. As befits the rich diversity of the community, "Ypsilanti Histories" captures a range of experiences. It explores the controversies that have rocked the city from the university mascot to school consolidation, while also celebrating the city's oldest African American civic organization and the pioneering Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation. Beloved businesses like the Ypsilanti Food Coop and the Ypsilanti Thrift Shop are profiled here as are some other city's greatest heroes including a Medal of Honor recipient. The effects of deindustrialization are documented as are the challenges that this brought to Michigan Avenue, Depot Town, and various neighborhoods. Education has long been central to Ypsilanti's history, and "Ypsilanti Histories" examines changes at the city's high school and Eastern Michigan University. The authors of "Ypsilanti Histories" are amateur and professional historians who call Ypsilanti home. Many personally witnessed the events they describe, and some played a key role in the histories they tell. "Ypsilanti Histories: A Look Back at the Last Fifty Years" is edited by John McCurdy, Bill Nickels, Evan Milan, and Sarah Zawacki