Tubal Cain Owen and the In This Issue Healing Waters of ... · Tubal Cain Owen and the Healing Waters of Ypsilanti By Heidi Nielsen and Marcia Phillips Tubal Cain Owen (1843-1913)

Official publication of the Ypsilanti Historical Society, featuring historical articles and reminiscesof the people and places in the Ypsilanti area.

In This Issue...

Tubal Cain Owen and the HealingWaters of Ypsilanti _____________ 1Between 1880 and 1900, Ypsilanti became knownfar and wide for its mineral water enterprises.

EMU Intern AgreementImplemented __________________ 4An agreement between the Ypsilanti HistoricalSociety placing two graduate interns in theMuseum and Archives has now beenimplemented.

The Roman Catholic Church HereHas Almost No History _________ 5The Roman Catholic presence in Ypsilanti datesback to the early 1800s when LaSalle and theFrench fur trappers traversed Washtenaw Countywith the Jesuits.

Jacob Thumm – Indian ArtifactCollector of Ypsilanti ___________ 8Jacob was a first generation American and acollector of Indian artifacts that are now ondisplay in the YHS Museum.

Gleanings – Where Did That NameCome From? _________________ 12The “Ypsilanti-Every-Morning-Since-WWII-Coffee-Drinkers-Group” comes up with someinformation about where the word “Gleanings”came from.

Ypsilanti High School Boys Band andthe Ypsilanti Community Band __ 14The Ypsilanti High School Boys Band dates backto 1925 when Professor John F. Barnhill visitedYpsilanti High School and recruited “any boy whocan whistle.”

Company Coins From the 1800’s _ 15Company coins were used widely as a medium ofexchange during and immediately after the Civil War.

Society Briefs:From the President’s Desk ________ 2Society Board Members _________ 2Society Web Page ______________ 2Museum & Archive Hours ______ 12Fletcher White Archives ________ 13Advertising/Sponsor Application _ 13Acquisitions _________________ 15Museum Advisory Board Report _ 20Membership Application _______ 28

FALL 2006

continued on page 3

Tubal Cain Owen and theHealing Waters of YpsilantiBy Heidi Nielsen and Marcia Phillips

Tubal Cain Owen (1843-1913) wasnamed for the Biblical character in Gen-esis 4:22 who was a pioneer in metal-lurgy. Perhaps these high expectationswere the motivation that led him to tryhis hand at several business enterprises(including attempting tobuild a flying machine)before pursuing the mar-keting of mineral water.Often described as “flam-boyant,” “cocky,” and evena “bit peculiar,” he marriedAnna Foote, the daughterof Normal College musicprofessor E.M. Foote. Hebought property on WestForest Avenue where hebuilt a pagoda-shapedhouse, and later woulddrop a well.

Between 1880 and 1900,Ypsilanti became known farand wide for its mineralwater enterprises. In 1882the Ypsilanti Paper Com-pany bored a well, seekingpure water but found whatwas then perceived andmarketed as medicinal min-eral water. Various sanitari-ums sprang up in a vigorous rivalry.Tubal Cain Owen jumped into the fraywhen he sank an 808 feet deep well in1884 at 360 feet north of Forest Avenue,behind his house (presently near thenorthwest corner of the east wing of theRoosevelt Building on the Eastern Michi-

gan University campus). He named thewell “Atlantis” and by 1885, acquiredpatent number 13127 for his trade markfor Ypsilanti Mineral Water. He founddarker, even murkier water than his com-petitors, which at that time was believed

to be more beneficial. It was reddishbrown and described as having an “odorthat sent strong men reeling toward thesaloon,” yet was sold as far as Boston andwith great popularity particularly in Chi-cago. The water’s chief ingredient was bro-

Tubal Cain Owen (1843-1913).

2Ypsilanti Gleanings • Fall 2006

From the President’s DeskBy Alvin E. Rudisill

Board of Trustees:Virginia Davis-BrownWard FreemanKathryn HowardGerald JenningsJack LivisayKaren NickelsMaxe ObermeyerJohn PappasAlvin RudisillDiane SchickBob Southgate

Museum Advisory Board:Virginia Davis-BrownKathleen CampbellGrace CornishMidge FahndrichKathryn HowardDorothy HumphreyJack LivisayKaren NickelsJoy ShulkeBob SouthgateNancy Wheeler

Archives Advisory Board:Margaret BestMorrell BooneMaria DavisGerald JenningsJohn PappasGerry PetyMarcia PhillipsHank PrebysJane SchmiedekiLisa Walters

Endowment FundAdvisory Board:Peter FletcherWard FreemanPaul KuwikDan MaloneyJack MinzeyKaren NickelsMaxe ObermeyerSteve PierceJohn SalcauSusan RinkAlvin Rudisill

Ypsilanti Historical Society220 North Huron StreetYpsilanti, Michigan 48197Telephone: 734-482-4990www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org

We have reached a verbal agreementwith the City of Ypsilanti to purchasethe property at 220 North Huron Streetwhere the Museum and Archives are lo-cated. At their meeting on Tuesday, Au-gust 1, 2006 the City Council agreed inprincipal with our offer to purchase theproperty for $250,000. $125,000 willbe paid immediately and the balance of$125,000 will be due in no more than10 years. The mortgage to the City willnot accrue interest as long as the Societyuses the property for a Museum and/orArchives. Lawyers for the City and theSociety were asked to write up the agree-ment. Once the agreement has beensigned the Society will launch afundraising campaign to raise the$125,000.

The Graduate Intern Agreement betweenthe Society and Eastern Michigan Uni-versity has been implemented and JessicaWilliams and Laurie Turkawski havestarted working 20 hours per week in theMuseum and Archives (see article in thisissue of the Gleanings). They are bothbusy organizing and packing artifacts inthe basement of the Museum so renova-tion work can begin when the Societyassumes ownership of the property. Newstorage shelving and storage boxes have

been purchased so maximum use can bemade of available storage space.

Please put the following dates on your cal-endar: September 15: Annual MembershipMeeting; September 28 to October 15:Quilt Exhibit; December 3: QuarterlyMembership Meeting and ChristmasOpen House; and December 31: NewYear’s Eve Jubilee. Ted Ligibel, Director ofthe Graduate Program in Historical Preser-vation at Eastern Michigan University willbe our speaker for the September 15th An-nual Membership Meeting.

We are still in need of volunteers withvarious skills (carpentry, lawn care, com-puter data entry, painting, etc.) for main-tenance projects in the Museum andArchives. If you are willing to do volun-teer work for a few hours each monthplease call me at 734-484-3023 or emailme at [email protected] and we will get youstarted. Also, if you have writing skillsand are interested in researching articlesfor future issues of the Gleanings wewould like to get you involved.

We are receiving many favorable com-ments about the expansion of “The Glean-ings” publication. Our sincere thanks tothe authors who are writing the storiesthat make this expansion possible. ■

3www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org • Fall 2006

Tubal Cain Owen and theHealing Waters of Ypsilanti -continued from front page

mine and was sold for $8 a barrel underthe labels of “Atlantis” and “Paragon,”the labels becoming works of art inthemselves.

The Owen home and connected out-buildings began to draw visitors to themany promised healing activities that in-cluded bathing as well as drinking.Owen’s promotional material stated thatthe water was marketed “to fulfill its er-rand of mercy,” even if the effect was notalways merciful. For instance, the instruc-tions for the treatment of cancer includedthat “the water must be taken freely, threeor four glasses a day, no matter how nau-seating it may be.” (Ironically, all three ofOwen’s children would die of cancer.)Eventually, the water was also packaged assoap, bathing salts and ointments andlater used to make ginger ale.

The following introduction was pub-lished in a promotional book used topublicize the Ypsilanti Mineral Water:

On the beautiful banks of the HuronRiver, some thirty miles west of Detroit,and a very short distance below the city ofYpsilanti, in Michigan, are located the oldPaper Mills of the Ypsilanti Paper Com-pany, and also the Ypsilanti MineralSpring. That company owning, in thatregion, paper and pulp mills some six innumber, has for over twenty-five years sup-plied white paper to various newspapers ofthe land, among others the Chicago Times.

By a mere chance, the Company bored forpure water at a point a few rods across theroad from the old Mill. The drilling wasfor a deep, or artesian well, which it washoped would reach an unfailing supply ofpure water, needed in the processes of papermaking. The Company desired a waterdifferent from that found in the prettyriver which turns the wheels of the PaperMill. Such an artesian well had been longcontemplated, and it was at last com-menced by experienced borers, broughtfrom the oil regions of Pennsylvania. The

The Ypsilanti Sanitarium was located on the west banks of the Huron River.

Envelope ad for Ypsilanti Mineral Water.

Artist’s sketch of the Atlantis Owen Well.continued on page 25


Archives InternLaurie Turkawski is serving as the intern for the YHS Archives. Laurie has a Bachelor’s of ScienceDegree in Finance from Oakland University and a Master of Science Degree in Finance and Eco-nomics from Walsh College in Michigan. After working for over 15 years in the accounting andfinance field, she has completed 28 credit hours toward the Master of Science Degree in HistoricalPreservation at Eastern Michigan University in order to change her career. She has a currentgraduate grade point average of 4.0 and expects to graduate in the spring of 2007. Laurie looksforward to a career in cultural resource management.

Laurie just completed a “Simmons Internship” at The Henry Ford (Henry Ford Museum andGreenfield Village) in Dearborn, a program which was designed to give work experience to graduatestudents pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, or related fields. She conducted historicaland architectural research and building condition assessments, resulting in a historic structures reportsfor the Grimm Jewelry Store in Greenfield Village. She is continuing on at The Henry Ford as a volun-teer to document the recent restoration of the Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop, also in Greenfield Village,as well as other projects. Laurie has also performed Michigan Historic and Architectural Field Surveyswithin the City of Ypsilanti to help update the documentation of the city’s historic districts.

In 2003 & 2004 Laurie served as a volunteer for Preservation Wayne in Detroit, where she par-ticipated in the organization of the archives, researched historic buildings for the Cultural CenterTour Route, and assisted tour guides for the Cultural Center Tour, Freer House, and CenturyClub and Gem Theater. ■

Museum InternJessica Williams is serving as the intern for the YHS Museum. Jessica has an Associate of AppliedScience Degree from Belmont Technical College in St. Clairsville, Ohio with a concentration inBuilding and Restoration Technology. Her Bachelor’s Degree is in Business Administration withconcentrations in Economics and East Asia Studies from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Jessica served as a 2005 summer intern at the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) inWashington, D.C. During her service as an intern at NTHP she worked for the Kellogg FoundationGrant for the NTHP Rural Heritage Initiative Study where she researched rural preservation projectsin relation to grassroots preservation efforts. In the summer of 2006 she served as a summer intern atThe Center for Historic Preservation at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. On this internshipshe completed the existing conditions assessment and appropriateness of building materials for a his-toric structures report for the State of Indiana on the Old State Bank in Vincennes, Indiana.

In the future, Jessica visualizes herself within a hands-on work environment. She might be foundat a historical site, or perhaps at an architectural firm working on preservation projects. Otheroptions might be working as a consultant in restoration/revitalization efforts for rural or smalltown historic districts or you may find her researching city or regional planning regarding demo-graphics relative to economic feasibility and funding sources at the local, state, or federal levels. Inthe meantime, Jessica is looking forward to her internship at the Ypsilanti Historical Society andto her pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Historical Preservation from Eastern Michigan University.

EMU/YHS Intern Agreement ImplementedThe five year agreement between the Ypsilanti Historical Society and Eastern Michigan University is now in operation.Two interns from the graduate program in Historical Preservation started working in the Museum and Archives on August7th. Each intern will work 20 hours per week on projects assigned by YHS officers. Eventually, it is expected that the in-tern program will allow the Society to keep the Museum and Archives open to the public for up to 24 hours per week.

Jessica Williams

Laurie Turkawski


“The RomanCatholicChurch HereHas AlmostNo History”By Dennis Zimmer

So asserted the Rev. G. I. Foster in 1857and, measured by tangible resources, onemight well agree. Twenty years after theincorporation of Ypsilanti, the Catholicparish of St. John the Baptist was barely130 families whose place of worship wasopen timbers without a roof. It wouldtake another year to complete it – andeven then would still lack doors, pewsand steps, “the entrance formed by aninclined plank (Mann, 27).”

But there has been a Roman Catholic pres-ence in Ypsilanti from the first. LaSalleand the French fur trappers almost cer-tainly were the first Europeans to traverseWashtenaw County, and where they went,the Jesuits were with them. The Parish ofSt. Anne was founded along with Detroitin 1701 and divided pastoral administra-tion of the lower peninsula with St. Ignace.The first permanent building inWashtenaw County was the trading postestablished in 1809 by Gabriel Godfroy,Francois Pepin and Romaine DaChambre,three Frenchmen from Detroit, who lo-cated on the Pottawatomie Trail at what isnow Ypsilanti. Born at Fort Ponchartrainin 1758, Col. Godfroy was a devoutCatholic and one of the leading men in theParish of St. Anne. Missionary priests arepresumed to have stopped at Godfroy’strading post from 1809 to its abandon-ment in 1818 (Beakes, pp. 539-40; 750);unfortunately, no church records survive tosubstantiate that any of the priests in theMichigan territory ever visited the post.

Irish immigrants began settling in whatwould become Ypsilanti as early as 1820,and missionary priests from Detroit con-tinued ministering to the needs of boththis new flock and the French and Native

American converts that remained. Theearliest recorded names of missionariesserving the Catholic community from De-troit are the Reverend Fathers Montardand Montcoq, although, again, therecords say little about their activity. Fa-ther Gabriel Richard, who was both pas-tor of St. Anne’s and Vicar General of theterritories around the Great Lakes, appearsto have given some thought to the chang-ing ethnicity of the mission congregation.In a letter from the summer of 1829 hewrites that Fr. Patrick O’Kelly, fromKilkenny, Ireland is working with him.

Father O’Kelly ministered to southeastMichigan until 1835 from a home base inNorthfield, where he also founded a par-ish. He was joined by Father Morriseywho also resided in Northville. By 1836,the year before Michigan became a state,Ypsilanti was a town of 1,000 inhabitants,50 of whom were Catholic.

The first resident priest of Ann Arbor wasthe Reverend Thomas Cullen, who cameto the city in 1839 or 1840. Fr. Cullenwas also an Irishman, native of Wexford,

St. John the Baptist Church, begun in 1855, completed in 1880. It was the second Catholicstructure on the corner of Cross and Hamilton, replacing the parish’s wooden first home.(photo taken after 1884 – the cupola of the brick school built in that year can be seenbehind the church roofline).

continued on page 6


who had come to America as a seminarianin the household of Edward DominicFenwick, Bishop of Cincinnati, of whichthe diocese Detroit was then a part. Heaccompanied Bishop Frederic Rese whenthe Diocese of Detroit was created in1833, was ordained in 1836 and receiveda missionary assignment in 1840 in whichhe was given the task of creating perma-nent parishes. His district extendedacross southern Michigan along the Ohioand Indiana borders and for the next tenyears he saw to the spiritual life of thevarious towns in the area. In 1848, Fr.Cullen was joined by Fr. James Hennessywho worked with him founding churchesin the surrounding communities, includ-ing Dexter, Jackson and Marshall. AnnArbor’s first St. Thomas Church was builtin 1843 and Fr. Cullen remained pastorthere until his death on September 7,1862. The parish of St. John the Baptistin Ypsilanti was founded by Fr. Cullen thefollowing year, 1844. Names of the origi-nal parishioners – Cosgrove, Kirk,Keegan, Casey, Kelley, Boyle – attest tothe predominantly Irish makeup ofYpsilanti’s early Catholic community.

There is some confusion regarding thefirst Catholic place of worship in Yp-silanti. Initial arrangements were tempo-rary, with services occurring in privatehomes. Sources describe a small woodframe chapel built in1839 on BallardStreet, possibly by Fr. Cullen, but there isno information as to its location (Weber).It was not the site of the present church,as records agree that Fr. Cullen (or, morecorrectly, Peter LeFevere, then Bishop ofDetroit) bought that lot on April 26,

1844 from one Charles W. Lane for fortydollars. The following year a frame struc-ture was built on it measuring 24 x 16feet. The poverty of the parish was suchthat at first they could not purchase win-dows, and blankets had to be hung inwinter to keep the wind from blowing outthe candles. Because of the missionarynature of the parish, services were heldonly once a month for the next thirteenyears (Colburn: p. 122; Mann: p. 27).

A Tastefully Planned EdificeBy the 1850’s St. John’s had outgrown itswood-frame church and in 1855 the par-ish approached Fr. Cullen about buildinga more fitting structure; he demurred,believing the burden of the cost would betoo great. A delegation then went toBishop Lefevere and, with his encourage-ment, $500 was pledged within two

weeks. The parish purchased an adjacentlot in 1856, and on May 25, the bishoplaid the cornerstone for a new brickchurch, an Italianate structure largeenough to seat 500 members. Work be-gan at once, but did not proceedsmoothly. “The walls and the timbers forthe roof were put up, and there the workhas rested,” Rev. Foster disparagingly re-ported the following fall. The reason forthe delay in construction is simple, how-ever: Bishop Lefevere’s support carriedthe stipulation that there would be noparish debt.

Progress was sufficiently along in 1858 todedicate the church to St. John the Bap-tist (see photo of church on page 5). Ac-cording to oral reports recorded 50 yearslater by Fr. Kennedy, the first mass, heldon the feast day of St. John the Baptist

Rectory built by Fr. Edward Van Paemel. Constructed in 1863, it remained in use until1932, when it was replaced by the present rectory.

“The Roman Catholic ChurchHere Has Almost No History” -continued from page 5


(June 23) also included the marriage ofJohn and Margaret Kennedy. On the oc-casion of this first mass, the church stillhad no doors, no pews and the bride wasobliged to enter from the back by way ofa plank. The church was completed forChristmas, 1858, fully paid for.

1858 also saw Father Charles Lamejienamed the first resident pastor. He servedfor 14 months and was succeeded by Fa-ther J. Kindekins, later Vicar General ofDetroit, from 1860 to 1862. Father VanJeniss of Dexter visited Ypsilanti once amonth in the interim.

Fr. Edward Van Paemel was appointedpastor in 1862. Belgian by birth, VanPaemel immigrated to Detroit while still aseminarian and was ordained by BishopLeFevere on May 27, 1853. He remainedpastor until 1871, adding considerably to

the physical plant of the parish during histenure. Shortly after his arrival in Yp-silanti, Van Paemel purchased the lot nextdoor to the church on Cross Street. Arectory was erected there the followingyear, 1863; it remained in use until 1932.

During the Civil War years, the parish ofSt. John under Van Paemel took uponthemselves the welfare of troops housed inthe Thompson Building. In gratitude the129 soldiers of the 14th Michigan Infantrysubscribed over five hundred dollars to-ward the improvement of church propertybefore leaving for the war. It is generallyunderstood that the money was used topurchase land for a Catholic cemetery inYpsilanti, the nearest Catholic burialgrounds until then being either inNorthfield or St. Thomas Cemetery inAnn Arbor. The St. John Cemetery

St. John’s School, 1884. Closed in 1895, it led a second life as the St. John Club Houseduring the first quarter of the 20th century. Extensive remodeling reverted it to a school(Needham Hall) in 1925. It remained in use until the end of parochial schooling at St.John’s in 1971 and was demolished in 1979.

continued on page 16


Jacob Thumm-Indian ArtifactCollector ofYpsilantiBy Margaret & Frank Freeman

Jacob A. Thumm was born in YpsilantiTownship, the son of George and Amelia(Grebe) Thumm. He was a first genera-tion American, his parents being of Ger-man descent, from Wurttemberg andPrussia, respectively. His father, GeorgeThumm, arrived in America as a veryyoung child with his parents, Adam andAnna (Schlecht) Thumm. They were pio-neer, immigrant settlers and farmers inSuperior Township, Washtenaw County.

In his youth, George Thumm worked onhis father’s farm on Prospect Road. By thesummer of 1870, he boarded and laboredon the farm of Charles Sweitzer at thesoutheast corner of Cherry Hill and Pros-pect in Superior Township.

On 20 December 1870, George A.Thumm married Amelia (Millie) Grebe inMt. Clemens, Michigan. They made theirhome in Ypsilanti. He continued in hisoccupation of farmer through the birth oftheir six children and throughout his life-time. Time passed and in November 1886,George purchased Lot #260 in Hunter’s

addition to the Village (now city) of Yp-silanti. Herein, he also became asaloonkeeper, the same being located onthe north side of Congress Street (Michi-gan Avenue), between Park and GroveStreets. As was the custom of the time, theresidence was also in this building. Georgesold this property in March 1890, but re-tained possession until May 1890 to allowsome transition time between residences.

Also in March 1890, George and Amelia(Millie) Thumm purchased a farm withland totaling 106 acres in Ypsilanti Town-ship, section 13, at the southwest cornerof Tyler and Rawsonville (County Line)Roads. Running through this farmlandwas the Willow Run Stream/Creek.

Jacob, or “Jake” as he was better known,was born on March 18, 1884 in Ypsilanti.He was the youngest of six children bornto George and Amelia. His three siblings,who lived to adulthood, were Frank(1873-1961), Louise (Anderson) (1874-

1962) and Lydia Ann (Freeman) (1876-1927), mother of Frank Freeman.

Weighing in at 14 pounds at birth, Jakemaintained this size advantage into adult-hood, maturing at about the height of sixfeet two inches, and weighing over twohundred pounds.

Jake was baptized a Lutheran, at St.Emmanuels Evangelishe LutherisheGeminde, now Emmanuel LutheranChurch of Ypsilanti, which was estab-lished as a German Lutheran Congrega-tion in 1859. His grandfather, AdamThumm, was one of the sixteen chartermembers of this congregation. A plaqueon the wall of the church hall denotes thisfact. The hand written record of Jacob’sbaptism can still be found (1992) writtenin German, as one of the early entries inthe church records.

Little has been recorded or handed downconcerning Jake’s childhood, except thathe was raised and educated in the Yp-silanti area. The few remaining membersof the family, who were contacted, couldnot contribute any additional informa-tion. It is known that Jake began collect-ing Indian artifacts on his father’s farm onTyler Road, as a youngster of six years old.The area around the Willow Run Streamwas rich with Indian artifacts. Plowedfields on this farm were also an excellentsource of these buried remnants from thedaily lives of the inhabitants of the Yp-silanti area of long ago.

On Monday evening, 14 October 1918,Jacob Thumm married Elizabeth (Libbie)Sweitzer in Ypsilanti at the Baptist par-sonage with the Reverent Charles G.

The Jacob A. Thumm collectioncontains pieces dating from10,000-8000 B.C., the PaleoIndian era, to the present century...

George Thumm farm at Rawsonville and Tyler Road.

Jacob Thumm


Morse officiating. My parents, Archie andLydia Freeman served as witnesses. Thenewlyweds immediately moved into theirnew home at 312 Ballard Street, Ypsilanti.A joyous and boisterous shivaree was heldat their new residence. Dozens of theirfriends and family were present and agood time was had by all. Frank Freemanrecalls that his father, Archie Freeman,hung three sleigh bells from thenewlywed’s bedsprings.

Back in 1907, at the age of 23 years, Jakehad joined the Knights of Pythias, QueenCity Lodge #167, in Ypsilanti. He hadrapidly advanced from the rank of “Page”in January, to “Esquire” in February, andto “Knight” in May 1907. In 1909, Jakejoined the Odd Fellows Lodge, I.O.O.F.#548 of Ypsilanti, Michigan. After mar-riage, Libbie joined the Rebekahs. Theselodges were a source of fellowshipthroughout their lifetimes.

In those days, many folks would drive todowntown Ypsilanti, on Michigan Av-enue, to socialize. This was a favorite pas-time of Jake and Libbie. Manyafternoons were spent visiting and diningat the old Adam Thumm farm and at theSweitzer farm, both on Prospect Road inSuperior Township. Weekends were en-joyed at the Base Lake cottage of theFreemans in Dexter Township.

Also in 1911, at the age of 28 years, Jakehad purchased 26.5 acres of land nearAshland, Virginia. It was from this areathat approximately 118 Indian artifactswere added to Jake’s collection. Thesepoints are distinguished from those foundin the Great Lakes area, being made ofclear glasslike to snow white coloredquartz. This acreage was retainedthroughout Jake’s lifetime. Jake andLibbie made several visits to this land inVirginia. And, through the years, manyvisits were made to the Thumms, in Yp-silanti, by their Virginia friends.

Jake had spent some time in Kansas. Thedates of this have not been established.But, 26 Kansas type Indian artifacts wereadded to his collection.

By 1917, Jake was employed by the JuliusWeinberg Auto Finishing Company in

George Thumm farm at Rawsonville and Tyler Road.

The George Thumm family, (back row) Frank, George & Jacob, (front row) Lydia,Amelia & Louise.

Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Thumm. Archie and Frank Freeman and LibbieThumm at Freeman’s cottage on Base Lakein Dexter Township. continued on page 10


Ann Arbor, Michigan. He retained thisposition of detailing paint stripes on auto-mobiles for 15 years. It was incongruousthat such a large man should become aprofessional auto striper. This delicate, art-ful occupation eventually took its toll onJake’s health. He became sensitized to cer-tain metal oxides in the paints. This al-lergy became so severe that even eatingfoods prepared in aluminum utensils, elic-ited a serious reaction. Therefore, Jakewithdrew from painting in order to avoidcontact with lead based painting materials.

Experience was then obtained in severalfields before Jake found an occupation tohis liking. Among the trial activities, hewas, at one time or another, a policemanat the Ypsilanti Normal College, a nightwatchman at the Huron Motor Companyin Wayne, Michigan and a manager of arefinishing company in Ypsilanti.

Finally, in 1934, Jake became a custodianat the Ypsilanti Central ElementarySchool. This position seemed to satisfyhis need for fulfillment. He took greatpride in providing the teachers and thestudents with clean comfortable class-rooms. His proximity to the childrenmay have provided a satisfaction that hadbeen missed in a childless marriage. Con-tact with several teachers and other custo-dians provided social interests, bothreassuring and stimulating.

A recent interview (March 1992), with aformer Ypsilanti Central elementary gradeschool teacher, whose room had been caredfor by Jake Thumm, elicited this state-ment, “Jake was the most wonderful custo-dian we ever had. He not only swept thefloors meticulously, but he cleaned thedesks, the woodwork, black boards andwashed the windows, all without beingasked. He worked spontaneously and de-rived much pleasure from a job well done.”

Jake’s retirement in 1959, at the age of 75years, left an opening that was difficult tofill, for want of caring and the compul-sion to do a good job pleasantly. Jacob A.Views of the Jacob A. Thumm collection of Indian artifacts in the YHS Museum.

Jacob Thumm - Indian ArtifactCollector of Ypsilanti -continued from page 9


Thumm passed away in Beyer MemorialHospital at 10:05 A.M. on April 5, 1965,shortly after suffering a heart attack indowntown Ypsilanti. Funeral serviceswere held in the Moore Funeral Homewith Reverent Paul T. Pretzlaff, pastor ofEmmanuel Lutheran Church, officiating.Burial was in Highland Cemetery, Yp-silanti, Michigan.

In the dining room of their home at 312Ballard Street sat the china cabinet withthe curved glass door. Inside could still beseen the precious collection of Indian arti-facts that had been gathered by Jake,throughout his lifetime. In keeping withMr. Thumm’s wishes, this collection wasgiven to the Ypsilanti Historical Society in1966, by Mrs. Elizabeth Thumm. It isdisplayed in the Ypsilanti Museum for theeducational pleasure and interests of theschool children and all who pass throughthe museum.

In over fifty years of our association, UncleJake was never heard to curse. He did notdrink or smoke. His shy, mild and quietmanner belied his enormous energy. Hewas a very hard working, fastidious personwho knew right from wrong and madesure that things were done right.

Jacob A. Thumm’s hobby was the collec-tion of Indian artifacts. His total collec-tion contained approximately 600 pieces.About 118 pieces were from the Ashland,

Virginia area, and 26 pieces were identi-fied as artifacts from Kansas. The remain-der of the collection came from in andaround Washtenaw County, Michigan.Many pieces no doubt came from theGeorge A. Thumm Farm on Section 13 atTyler and Rawsonville Road.

As a matter of interest, it can be noted inthe History of Washtenaw County byChapman (1881), that in 1875, at thesecond annual meeting of the Pioneer So-ciety of Washtenaw County, A. B. Covertand others presented 400 Indian relicsand curiosities to the society. A. B. Co-vert, my paternal great grandfather, alongwith his brother, Ralph, had owned theentire northern half of section 13 since1834. Possibly, many of those artifactsalso came from section 13.

The Jacob A. Thumm collection containspieces dating from 10,000-8000 B.C., thePaleo Indian era, to the present century. In1991 and 1902, specific identification, asto type and age of the Indian artifacts inthis collection was directed by ProfessorJames Payne of the University of Michigan,Department of Anthropology. The Paleo-Indian pieces in the collection have been ofspecial interest and detailed drawings weremade of these particular arrow points bythe department at the university.

The collection includes Indian artifactsconsisting of ornaments, small stone tools,pecked and ground stone tools and projec-tile points and knives. Stone chert sourcesfrom the Great Lakes area are identified asto particular source location. Other educa-tional material relating to this subject isalso displayed in the Ypsilanti museum.

The lives of Jacob and Elizabeth Thummwere very closely entwined, almost as one.They planned together, worked togetherand lived for each other. The finale ofeither life could not occur until both hadmade their passage. Elizabeth (Sweitzer)Thumm passed away December 28,1969, four years after Jake. Honoringtheir previous agreement, substantial por-tions of the Thumm estate were left toEmmanuel Lutheran church of Ypsilantiand to the Odd Fellows-Rebekah Homein Jackson, Michigan. ■

Home of Jake and Libbie Thumm at 312Ballard Street in Ypsilanti.


Regular “Gleanings” readers at the “Yp-silanti-every-morning-since-WWII-coffee-drinkers-group” asked SocietyPresident Al Rudisill, “What’s themeaning of our publication’s name?What are gleanings, anyway?” Paterfa-milias Barney Hughes looked it up:

Gleanings:“Things – especially facts– that are gathered fromvarious sources ratherthan acquired as a whole.”

Historical:“Grain or other producethat is gathered after aharvest.”

19th century realism painter JeanFrancois Millet may have popularizedthe term with his 1857 painting, TheGleaners, we remember seeing in many

Jean Francois Millet’s “The Gleaners”painted in 1857.

Jean Francois Millet’s “Angélus”painted in 1858-1859.

Modern-day plywood cut-out “yardart” version of suburban gleaners.

Ypsilanti Historical SocietyMuseum & Archive HoursThe Museum, located at 220 North Huron Street, is owned by the City of Ypsilantiand is operated and maintained by volunteer workers in the public interest of theYpsilanti Historical Society. The Museum and Archives are open to the public at no charge.

Museum Hours: Archives Hours:Thursday ________ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Monday ________ 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

Saturday _________ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Wednesday ______ 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

Sunday __________ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Sunday _________ 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm

Note: The Museum is closed during the month of January

Gleanings – Where Did ThatName Come From?By Tom Dodd

of our elementary school classroomsalongside Lincoln, Washington, andWashington Crossing the Delaware. TheFrench artist depicted peasants scroungingfor leftovers in an already-harvested field.After the harvest, landowners permittedpoor local families to scour the fields forwhatever they could save (glean) for theirown humble larders.

A leader in the Barbizon School of realis-tic painting, Millet was the first painter toendow rural life with a dignity and monu-mentality that transcended realism, mak-ing the peasant an almost heroic figure.Between 1858 -1859 Millet produced thefamous Angélus. Both works are now inthe Musée d’Orsay. This enormouslypopular painting, showing farm workerspausing for evening vespers was sold fortyyears later for the sensational price of553,000 francs. Angélus reprints also ap-peared on the classroom and SundaySchool walls of our youth.

The Ypsilanti Historical Society encour-ages readers to scour the field for stories ofthe community’s past. Look for stories of“dignity and monumentality that tran-scend” local history and submit them forpublication in the “Gleanings.” ■


News from theFletcher WhiteArchivesBy Gerry Pety

The costs of air fare and gasoline havetaken a perceptible toll on the number ofout of town guests that visit our archives.We have not had as many out of state visi-tors and people who fly in for a one ortwo day visit as in the past. Some of myfavorite visitors who did show up this yearwere the Sprague family from the greatstate of Oregon. After a two year hiatusRichard and wife Polly have come backfor a visit with Richard’s mom, RitaSprague who runs the YHS museum giftshop. Besides general information theyalso did some more research on Polly’sfamily, the Coochs. Thanks for comingand don’t stay away so long!

My two interns this year are MakotoIkegaya who is here from EMU’s out-standing Historic Preservation Program

and Andrew Callam, a history major,from Emory University in Georgia. Thesetwo gentlemen are helping us organize thearchives. What a job they are doing! Someof the things they have found are amazingand will greatly add to our collections.Thank you, and one more reason to comeon down to the greatest little archive inMichigan. So strap on you Avia, Pro-literunning shoes and streak on down here.

More big news is that our 1890 YpsilantiHeritage Maps are at the printers andshould be available when you read this.The maps are full size reproductions of theoriginal 1890 Ypsilanti Map with improve-ments that make it easier to locate itemsnoted on the legend. They are 24 inches by36 inches in size and printed on off white,acid-free paper and come in a protectivetube for storage. We are hoping to sell 100of these maps on a first come, first servebasis. The proceeds will be used for repro-ducing our Ypsilanti City Directories. Ifyou have seen our fully restored and pre-served 1890 map in the archives, the mapis absolutely stunning in detail and, shouldbecause of its restoration, last for manygenerations. If you wish to reserve a copy,

call me at home at 572-0437 or mailyour request with check or money orderto the Ypsilanti Historical Society at 220N. Huron St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Thecost is $37.50 each if picked up at thearchives. If you want it shipped firstclass USPS, the cost for postage and in-surance is $6.35 each.

As I have noted before, the directoriesare really beginning to show their ageand we truly need to do something topreserve the information they contain.They are our most used resource andcontain much more information than aphone book of the era.

We have also received from StandardPrinting the much smaller version ofthe 1890 map that measures 11 by 17inches. These are available for $3.50and there is a vast clarity improvementover the earlier rendition that we oncesold. This map will be available at boththe museum gift shop and here in thearchives. We have no way to ship thesmaller maps without folding them inhalf. Postage is $1.41 each uninsured ifyou want it shipped. ■


Professor John F. Barnhill, Head of theMichigan State Normal College Math De-partment, came to Ypsilanti High Schoolon his Wednesday afternoons off in 1925to organize a Boys Band. He believed that“any boy who can whistle can play in aband.” He taught the fundamentals ofvarious instruments and drilled the boys inprecision marching. They played in allYpsilanti parades and major paradesthroughout Michigan, and as early as1927, gave Summer Band Concerts inProspect Park. A very memorable occasion

After the interruption caused by WorldWar II, the band resumed SummerConcerts in the Park under several dif-ferent conductors including AllanTownsend, Don Racine, and GeorgeCavendar. In 1979 Lynn Cooper wasConductor and it became known as theYpsilanti Community Band. Later PaulStanifer and Charles Lee served for ashort period of time, then Ken Bow-man was Conductor for a few years.

was playing in a massed band perfor-mance under the direction of John PhillipSousa in Flint. In the 30’s, new uniformswere ordered from the Craddock Com-pany in Kansas City, MO. They werenavy blue with gold trim & braid. Redepaulets and black leather belts set off theuniforms. Summer Concerts in the Parkcontinued to be popular in the 1930s un-til Professor Barnhill died in May, 1941.After his death, The Barnhill MemorialBand was organized with help from ErnestChappelle and the Ypsilanti Kiwanis.Harold Goodsman was appointed the newDirector of the band.

Some of the young bandsmen still re-membered in Ypsilanti today are: Ber-nard Baer, Willard Clawson, LionelFulton, Harry Gillett, Clarence &Harold Goodsman, Lavern Howard,Rernard Hughes, Lorne Kennedy,George Moorman, Ed Morhous, ArtSmith, Don Stadler, Ralph Stitt, BobTaber, Edmund Terrall, & Ken Thayer.

When Jerry Robbins came to EMU in1991, he joined the band as a trom-bone player and was Assistant Directorfrom 1993 ‘til he became Director in1998. He remains in that position to-day. The Community Band performsabout eight concerts a year includingthe Memorial Day Concert at TheYankee Air Force, The Ypsilanti Heri-tage Festival at Riverside Park, TheChristmas Concert at WashtenawCommunity College, and others atWCC and Recreation Park.

Some of the longtime members stillactive in the YCB today are HaroldGoodsman, Lorne Kennedy, WayneJahnke, and Tom Warner. ■

Ypsilanti High School BoysBand and the YpsilantiCommunity BandBy Lois Katon

Professor John F. Barnhill

Professor John F. Barnhill ...Hebelieved that “any boy who canwhistle can play in a band.”


AcquisitionsBy Grace Cornish

New acquisitions for the Museum have come in at a steady space in 2006. Recentdonations include a 1941 satin wedding gown with lace trim. Mrs. Norton gave ustwo long muslin petticoats with wide embroidered bottoms. These are used under ourfull Victorian dresses. Mrs. Wheeler donated numerous toddler garments including 8short dresses, 2 jackets, sun suits, overalls, underwear with garters, bonnets, a bathingsuit, small blankets and many infant items. She also donated a Hawk Eye folding cam-era. The museum has many beautiful christening dresses but few short infant dresses.

Other recent acquisitions include a leather finger-holder instrument and a RoloHarmonica from Cheryl Farmer. Donna Emerson brought in “A La Greeque FoodFor Palates” cook from the 1965 Ypsilanti Greek Theater. Mary Adams gave us apicture of Dr. Edward Shutte George from the plaque that hung in the GeorgeSchool. Numerous items have been given to the Archives. The Museum needs early20th century children’s clothes, especially boy’s and men’s clothes. Items should bein good shape and if not duplicates of what is here, the acquisitions committee willwelcome them. Call 482-2108 if you have questions. ■

CompanyCoins Fromthe 1800’sBy Gerry Pety, Archivist

Sometimes people donate items to our ar-chives that at first do not seem to fit ourmission at the archives. That mission beingto accumulate the written history and thecollective memory of entire Ypsilanti com-munity through written information andpictures that relate to that history. Thistime that item is neither, it is in reality acoin or token having been issued by theHewitt Brothers Dry Goods Company in1864, right here in Ypsilanti (see image be-low). While this cent-sized coin is wonder-

ful to look at, in itself it does not impartany knowledge except to stimulate the curi-osity of the viewer. Ah, but beneath itssimple appearance is a peek at the problemsof commerce during the Civil War in Yp-silanti and throughout the United Statesduring that perilous time.

According to Gresham’s Law, bad or inferiormoney drives good money out of circulation.Unlike the “fiat” money of today, the “real”money of the 1860’s had an intrinsic valuebased on its metallic content. Money in circu-lation then was composed primarily of theregal metals of gold, silver and the base metalcopper for “inferior” coins below ten cents.Money was REAL in every sense and peopledid not like paper money after the experienceof “wildcat” or “fraudulent bank notes” whichI have written about in previous issues of theYpsilanti Gleanings. The people of Ypsilanti

Token issued in1864 by HewittBrothers DryGoods Companylocated on thecorner ofCongress(MichiganAvenue) andWashingtonStreets.



In the Roman Catholic Church,the year 1892 witnessed the be-ginning of the long and notablepastorate of Reverend FatherFrank Kennedy, during whichthe congregation was to morethan double. Father Kennedy,during the long years of his min-istry, held a unique place in theaffections of Ypsilantians. Hewas deeply concerned in all thebest interests of the town andfound friends in many circles.(Colburn, p. 261-562)

grounds were located at the foot of St.John Street, north of West Forest Avenue.The cemetery included a watch house, aneight foot square structure used by familymembers to guard at night against bodysnatchers who had an active trade with theUniversity of Michigan medical school.

Fr. Van Paemel opened the first parochialschool. On May 30, 1867, he purchasedtwo lots on Florence Street from PatrickKelley, and either remodeled the Kelleyhome or - more likely - constructed a newbuilding to house a school. This was aone room frame structure, spartanly fur-nished with long wooden benches and abox stove. Instruction was confined toelementary courses (it being customaryfor most children to leave school by theage of twelve), and judging from the pre-dominantly Irish ancestry – Sarah Foy,Elizabeth Foy, Maggie Murphy, BridgetMonaghan and Michael Morin - theteachers seem to have been drawn fromamong the parishioners.

The parish grew to 136 families by 1868.One of Fr. Van Paemel ‘s final improve-ments was to enlarge the church to accom-modate this growth by extending the front(north) entrance to the street in 1870.

Fr. Marcius Pieter Uyt Willigan was pas-tor for one year, 1871-1872, followed byFr. Patrick B. Murray for the next three.He was replaced in 1876 by Father Will-iam DeBever. “Father DeBever, a Hol-lander by birth, was a devoted pastor,strict in his standards of living and churchobservance and stern in his rebuke of lax-ity, yet genial and kindly. He was a famil-iar figure driving about the town with hisphaeton and fat black pony ‘Fanny’ pre-sented to him by his congregation(Colburn, p. 216).” Part of the reason forthe carriage was that, as earlier pastors haddone for the nascent parish of St. John,Fr. DeBever acted as visiting pastor forcommunities in Milan and Whittaker.The parish of St. Joseph in Whittaker wasestablished June, 1889, but continued to

Fr. Frank Kennedy (1866-1922). Thefirst native-born and longest servingpastor at St. John.


function as a mission of St. John’s untilRev. John F. Needham was assigned astheir first resident priest in1904; untilthat time the fourteen mile trip had tomade regularly by priests from Ypsilanti.

During the early pastorate of Fr. DeBever,renovations to the interior of the churchwere completed, including the addition ofa small chapel and installation of an or-gan. As William Beake describes it, “theinterior with its frescoes, candelabra, stat-ues, organ and beautiful altar will com-pare favorably with any church in theState. This building is a great credit tothe small congregation and even to thecitizens (1170).”

In 1880 the membership of the parishnumbered around 500 (240 families), thechurch was valued at $18,000 dollars, andSt. John the Baptist Parish set aboutpreparations for the expansion of itsschool. Fr. DeBever secured six Sisters ofProvidence from Terre Haute, Indiana toteach, marking the start of formal paro-chial education at the parish. A squareframe house next to the school was pur-chased on November 4 as a residence forthe teaching sisters and the one roomschool-house continued to serve until1884, when it was replaced by a two

story, four classroom brick structure. Un-der the Sisters of Providence the curricu-lum was expanded to include high schoolclasses. Courses included algebra, chemis-try, geometry and botany as well as musicand needlework for the girls. The Sistersalso provided a dormitory of fourteenbeds for girls who attended from the sur-rounding townships. The first class - fivegirls - graduated in 1887.

The Panic of 1893 left the communitywith insufficient funds to retain the Sis-ters’ services. Lay teachers were againhired to provide elementary instruction atleast, but times were so bad that even thelower grades had to be discontinued. Theschool remained open only until 1895,when as Colburn so succinctly puts it,“owing to discouraging conditions it soonclosed.” (Colburn, p. 238)

Fr. Frank KennedyIn 1892, poor health made it necessaryfor Fr. DeBever to step down. His re-placement was a 28 year old native ofBrighton – the first American-born priestto serve at St. John - the Reverend FatherFrank Kennedy (1866-1922). Kennedywas intellectually precocious; havingpassed the state board teacher examina-tions at the age of 11 (the teaching certifi-


cate reluctantly awarded to him was neverused). In seminary at Assumption Col-lege, Sandwich, Ontario, he was twicepromoted for being first in class for tenconsecutive weeks. The rule which al-lowed these promotions was abolished toprevent Kennedy from finishing hiscoursework in a single year. Graduatingcum laude, he spent three years as a mem-ber of the diocesan college of St. Mary’s inMonroe before completing training forordination at St. Mary’s, Baltimore.Frank Kennedy received holy orders Au-gust 18, 1889 and served at parishes inNiles and Dearborn before being assignedto St. John the Baptist in Ypsilanti.

One of the first alterations Fr. Kennedymade to the parish grounds was a renova-

The school building stood empty for afew years, but with the growth of theNormal College, parishioners refurnishedone of the rooms and made it available tothe Catholic students and faculty formeetings of the Catholic Students Club.This drew interest from other social orga-nizations and the school soon was leadinga new life as St. John’s Club House, one ofthe most popular meeting and recreationspots in town. Besides the Catholic Stu-dents Club, the Young Ladies Sodality,the Ypsilanti Study Club, (an offshoot in1901 of the Ladies’ Literary Club), theKiwanis Club and the newly-formed Ro-tary Club all met at the Club House. Thesecond floor was refurbished for dancingand dinners and the Rotary Club held itsweekly luncheons there until the Huron


Hotel opened in 1923 and the clubmoved to the larger quarters the hotel of-fered. (Fr. Kennedy seems to have been asskilled a carpenter as he was an academic.He took an active role in the remodeling,laying flooring and rebuilding the stair-case. He had done similar labor on therectory, and built a pulpit for the churchwhose artistry was highly regarded by theparishioners.)

Aside from his work in the church, Fr.Kennedy was actively involved in the civiclife of Ypsilanti. A prominent member ofthe Ypsilanti Rotary Club, the CountryClub and the Knights of Columbus, Fr.Kennedy was a frequent and popularspeaker, and his support was sought out –and usually given – for most local publicundertakings.

St. John was involved in the Ypsilanti cul-tural scene to the point of producing atleast one theatrical production at the Yp-silanti Opera House: Daniel O’Conner by

tion of the rectory. It had been neglectedand needed repair, and had accumulatedseveral horse sheds at the rear of thebuilding which had become objection-able. But it was the cupola that appar-ently set Fr. Kennedy off – he consideredit unattractive and unnecessary and askedthat it be removed. This was the impetusfor a much larger remodeling campaignwhich added a kitchen and living room tothe rear of the house (the horse-shedscame down to make way). A recreationroom was created on the third floor and alibrary on the second. The rectory yardwas landscaped using dirt hauled from therecently evacuated cemetery. (Poor drain-age had made the Forest Street locationunsuitable and Fr. DeBever purchased thepresent location on River Street near theend of his pastorate.)

Normal College Catholic students werewelcomed by open houses at the rectoryin the autumn, and Fr. Kennedy’s tenureis remembered for outdoor socials whichincluded an orchestra on the front porchand dancing on the rectory lawn.

Normal College Catholic students were welcomed by open housesat the rectory in the autumn, and Fr. Kennedy’s tenure isremembered for outdoor socials which included an orchestra onthe front porch and dancing on the rectory lawn.


John Wilson Dodge, a musical melo-drama. (It should also be noted that theClub House was furnished in part withproceeds from a theatrical at the WeurthTheatre put on by the men of the parish.)

Fr. Kennedy was appointed Diocesan Su-perintendent of Schools for Detroit in1918, overseeing around 100 parishschools with an enrollment of 75,000children. His concern was to standardizethe parochial curriculum with public in-struction and raise the standards of paro-chial education in Detroit. Anti-foreignsentiments generated during World War Iand the Red Scare, which reached itsheight in 1919-20, translated into hostil-ity against the eastern and southern Euro-peans who were immigrating into the areain large numbers during the first decadesof the century. Many of these immigrantswere Catholic which fostered anti-Catho-lic sentiment as well. Attempts weremade in 1920 and 1924 to outlaw paro-chial school systems at the state level. Itwas in this climate that Fr. Kennedy wasstriving to turn out “good, educationallywell-equipped American citizens.”

Fr. Kennedy also had responsibility for theneeds of the scores of nuns who attended

the Normal School over the summer (asingle summer’s estimate of nuns requir-ing accommodations through the churchwas 150 from nine different orders), andan annual influx of about three hundredCatholic students placed additionalstrains on the parish staff. At the close ofthe summer session of 1921, Fr. Kennedysuffered a complete breakdown fromwhich he never recovered. He was treatedat St. Joseph’s sanitarium in Ann Arborand sent to convalesce in Arizona butfailed to improve. Fr. Kennedy returnedhome to Ypsilanti in December and diedFebruary 18, 1922.

The funeral of Frank Kennedy is probablythe largest in Ypsilanti’s history - or ratherfunerals, as there were three separate re-quiem masses held to accommodate thelarge number of mourners. DetroitBishop Michael J. Gallagher presided atthe requiem high mass on February 22,with over one hundred priests in atten-dance. Fr. Kennedy’s honorary pallbearersincluded two governors (Alex J.Groesbeck and Alfred Sleeper), three sena-tors, judges, mayors and the entire citycouncil. All stores in the city were closedthe morning of the funeral. The DailyYpsilantian reported nearly two hundredautomobiles in the funeral cortege, andthe church could not hold the crowds as-sembled to pay their last respects. “Idoubt,” said Bishop Edward Kelly of

Grand Rapids, who delivered the funeralsermon, “if any other man in the entirestate ever did more to break down reli-gious barriers than Fr. Kennedy.”

The Church has Not Ceasedto Foster True ArtThe early twenties were a period of pros-perity in Ypsilanti, and when the Rev.Dennis Needham arrived to replace Fr.Kennedy, he decided to utilize that pros-perity to rebuild the church. The growthof the parish under Fr. Kennedy com-bined with the increased student presencefrom the Normal College had made Fr.Van Paemel’s brick edifice insufficient,and a new building program was begun.Fr. Kennedy had himself considered a newchurch, and gone so far as to spend thesummer of 1914 abroad studying Catho-lic architecture and drawing some initialsketches. Although nothing concretecame of this work, friends of Fr. Kennedydid promise financial support to theproject providing the new church wasbuilt. These included Arthur D.McBernie, the Hon. Fred Green, latergovernor of Michigan (1927-1930), Hon,Fred Chapman, mayor of Ionia and Hon.John S. Haggerty, head of the WayneCounty Republican Party organizationand Secretary of State under Green.

Initial designs were produced by the firmof Van Leyen, Schilling, Keough &Reynolds of Detroit in 1923. These werefor a Spanish Rococo church seating 700and intended to be a cultural statementwithin the growing academic community –“a building reminding students comingfrom all parts of Michigan that the Churchhas not ceased to foster true art,” as theYpsilanti Press described it.. During therazing and initial phase of construction,mass was held first in the club house and,when that building was partially demol-ished, in the Wuerth Theatre. The base-ment was completed in March of 1924,and officially celebrated with a St. Patrick’sday banquet; services were held there untilthe project’s completion in 1932.

Unfortunately for the original designs, Fr.Needham also chose this time to reopenthe parish school. Van Leyen, SchillingKeough & Reynolds were again the archi-



tects and engineers. On November 8,1924 the cornerstone to the new schoolwas laid. The school was expanded tonine classrooms and the building wascompletely renovated, the interior beingpartly preserved, and the exterior strippedand refaced with new brick and stone ma-sonry. The Dominican Sisters of Adrianwere secured as teachers and the schoolreopened in 1925. The church again pur-chased property as a residence for the sis-ters; 309 N. Hamilton functioned as aconvent until the construction of the cur-rent school building. The renovation costapproximately $50,000, and the conventadded another $10,500. In order to ac-complish this, funds intended for thebuilding of the new church were used.Church construction halted, and for thenext ten years the home of St. John theBaptist Parish was their roofed over base-ment. Fr. Needham did not live to see thenew school open; he died July 10, 1925.The building was renamed Needham Hallin his honor.

Fr. Charles Linskey replaced Needham aspastor in September, 1925. Fr. Linskeywas the Detroit Diocesan Superintendentof Schools when appointed to St. John

and continued to hold that position inconjunction with pastoral work until1929. In poor health for most of his pas-torate, faced with mounting parish debt –the start of the Great Depression alsomarks his tenure - Fr. Linskey died of ill-ness following major surgery on October29, 1931, the third pastor to die at Yp-silanti in ten years.

Austere simplicityProspects for the parish were grim whenRev. G. (George) Warren Peek assumed thepastorate. The basement had proven to bepoorly designed and faulty in construction,the school debt had grown to $17,000, therectory was in such disrepair as to be con-sidered unsanitary and a discouraged con-gregation was facing the Great Depression.Fr. Peek appears to have been quite an op-timist; he believed the best course for theparish was that the church be completed assoon as possible - the construction wouldgive work to some of the unemployed andthe cost of labor and materials might notbe so low again for years.

Rather than continuing with the originaldesigns, new plans were drawn by

McGrath and Dohman, Architects andEngineers, 2231 Park Avenue, Detroit.These follow the footprint already estab-lished by the basement’s construction, butthe elaborate Rococo traceries were aban-doned and a Romanesque design pro-posed in its place. The revised plansincluded a new rectory which would har-monize with the church exterior. Theconstruction firm of Bryant andDetweiler, Detroit, was retained in June

Below: Present St. John the Baptist Church,1933. The original designs included acampanile over the transept door onHamilton Street; the open porch above it isthe only part of the tower completed.

Inset: Original interior of the 1933 church.


of 1932 and work began at once, startingwith demolition of the rectory.

The cornerstone for the present churchwas laid by Bishop Gallagher on Septem-ber 11, 1932. In it was placed a copperbox with photographs of the church itreplaced and the four preceding pastorswho had built the parish to this point,then-current editions of the YpsilantiPress, Detroit Free Press and MichiganCatholic and a list of 320 parishioners“whose contribution . . . made the churchpossible.” The copper box also containsphotos of the four non-Catholic benefac-tors whose generosity in memory of Fr.Kennedy had made the building possible.

Construction was completed by the fol-lowing May and the new CatholicChurch of St. John the Baptist was dedi-cated Sunday, June 4, 1933, BishopGallagher again presiding. The date waschosen to honor Fr. Peek, marking hisfourteenth anniversary as a priest,

The church is a pure Romanesque designand early commentators were struck by itsdignity and “simplicity which is almostaustere.” The roof peak rises 61 feet

St. John the Baptist CatholicChurch may well have beenthe only building ofsignificance built insouthern Michigan duringthe early Depression


above the ground and is 53 feet above themain floor. The original layout was esti-mated to seat 1100 persons. The clere-story is open beamed and lit by a row ofstained glass windows, six to the side.The main processional entrance is domi-nated by a rose window and the chancelcontains a combination of three windows,each a memorial to the pastors LeBever,Needham and Lindskey. Stained glassmedallion windows in the nave illustratethe life of Christ. The main altar andmatching side altars were made in Italy ofBotticino marble. Their green and whitefacings contrasted with the black and

honey colored sanctuary floor, cut fromblocks imported from France, Belgiumand Italy, and with the communion rail ofbronze and Numidian red marble. Stonecarvings adorning the door frames andexterior of the building are the work ofParducci of Detroit.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church maywell have been the only building of signifi-cance built in southern Michigan duringthe early Depression The cost of construc-tion, including the rectory, is variouslygiven at $98,000 to $100,000; the ap-praised value of the buildings was placed at$252,000, according to the Free Press forNovember 4, 1933. At the time of itsdedication, the parish of St. John num-bered 360 families. That so much was ac-complished by such a small congregation

during the worst financial downturn of thetwentieth century is evidence of their dedi-cation, determination and faith.

The Continuing Costof EducationPeek remained pastor until 1940. He wassucceeded by Erwin Lefebvre from 1940to1943 and Rev. John Larkin for the fol-lowing ten years. The decorative paintingstill seen on the ceilings and exposedbeams were commissioned by Fr. Larkinin 1949, as well as mural work on theclerestory and within the chancel. The lotopposite the church at the corner of Crossand Hamilton was purchased in 1942 asthe site for a Shrine to the Virgin Mary.Fr. Larkin also eliminated the churchdebt, leaving a surplus toward expansion.

Report fromthe MuseumAdvisory BoardBy Virginia Davis-Brown

Wow, what a summer we have had so far, weather nearing the100 degree mark and humidity right along with it. Things areheating up at the museum also. Our tours have been outstand-ing. In June we had over 475 students and adults tour our mu-seum. I think that is the highest number we have had go throughin a month in just tours. It was a great job by the docents.

Flag Day found the museum in a party atmosphere, as wetried to show our appreciation to our Docents for all thework that they do, with a luncheon. There were 31 in atten-dance. Each received a small gift.

We will, again this year, be participating in the Heritage Cel-ebration. It will involve between 80 and 100 people for the 3days to act as docents. If you are in Ann Arbor near the AnnArbor Street Museum you might stop in and see their exhibitof the 1920 and 1930 era. They have borrowed 3 of ourdresses to show some of the clothing that was worn duringthat period.

This year we have a new “Lost Ypsilanti Speaks” exhibit.There is information on 15 sites, 3 families and a map show-ing where each had lived. If you didn’t see last years exhibitwe have that on the second floor which makes it a total of 34

different sites. Do you know which Mayor was a profes-sional baseball player and also the first African American, inYpsilanti, to be elected to that high position, or what churchburned almost to the ground right across from the fire de-partment? If you don’t, stop in and find out. If you haven’tbeen in yet plan on stopping in before September 5.

The museum now has an Intern working five days a week. Jes-sica Williams was born in West Virginia and is in the GraduateProgram at Eastern. She will be helping us in many areas.

Our 4th Annual Quilt Exhibit is now being planned. If youhave a quilt that you would like to exhibit, and it has notbeen shown before, please let me know and we will be gladto display it for you. The quilts will be different than thosethat have been shown before. It will open September 28 andrun until October 15. There will be a suggested donation of$3.00 this year. The hours will be Thursdays and Fridaysfrom 2:00 to 4:00 pm and Saturdays and Sundays fromnoon to 4:00 pm. There will be more information coming.

If you have any questions about any of these things please feelfree to call me at 484-0080. ■



This new construction once again focusedupon upgrading the school.

Needham Hall was adequate through theSecond World War, but post-war growth inthe Ypsilanti area and spreading populationfrom Detroit rapidly increased the size ofthe congregation to over a thousand fami-lies, and the Baby Boom taxed availableclassroom space. When Fr. WilliamMooney arrived in June, 1953, he immedi-ately accepted the charge to expand theparish’s educational program. An additionwas necessary to provide more classrooms;a new convent would also be required tohouse the additional nuns needed to teach.But even for a parish the size of St. John’sthe cost of two new construction projectswas prohibitive. The problem was resolvedby designing a combination building, atwo-story block with classrooms occupyingthe ground floor and basement, and a con-vent - complete with roof garden – on thesecond. This new building would tripleenrollment from 200 to over 600 studentsand the convent provided living quartersfor 16 sisters – twice the number crowdedinto 309 N. Hamilton. With cost reduc-tions from combining the projects the newschool/convent came to $300,000.Through pledges from approximately halfthe congregation, the $150,000 needed to

Despite this early optimism (Fr. Youngwas working on expansion of the highschool in the mid -60’s), rising operatingcosts and lack of funds forced the closureof the entire school system – the highschool in 1970 and the elementary schoolin 1971. The high school would eventu-ally be sold to Faithway Baptist Church.

Monsignor Lawrence Graven served aspastor from September, 1961 to January1965, his tenure spanning most of theSecond Vatican Council (final session,December 8, 1965.) His successor, Rev.

Benedict’s. At the end of the year, seeingthat his desire remained firm, his parentsconsented, aiding him in the cost of hiseducation. He attended Sacred HeartSeminary and concluded preparation forordination at St. John’s Seminary in Ply-mouth. His first assignment was St. Johnthe Baptist in Ypsilanti. Fr. Clark is con-sidered one of the founders of the NationalBlack Catholic Caucus.

Fr. Clark replaced Fr. Leo P. Broderick,who was actively involved in student min-istry at Eastern Michigan University, andhad been released to devote his full timeto that work. As chaplain of the NewmanClub, Fr. Broderick revitalized the Catho-lic student presence on campus and wouldbe instrumental in establishing the stu-dent parish of Holy Trinity, which wasdedicated September 18, 1965.

Two sister parishes were also created inthe sixties, St. Alexis and St. Ursula. St.Alexis had been a mission to the WillowRun Housing Project since 1943 whenassociate pastor Clare A. Murphy beganholding mass in the recreation hall. TheWillow Run mission continued to beserved by assistants from St. John’s untilJune, 1966 when it was raised to parishstatus. St. Ursula parish was formed inJune, 1960; its church dedicated July 8,1967. Both parishes were closed byBishop Kenneth J. Povish on January 8,1994 and merged that same day into thenewly established Transfiguration Parish.continued on page 22

Architect’s drawing of new school and convent completed in 1955.

This new building would triple enrollment from 200 to over600 students and the convent provided living quarters for 16sisters – twice the number crowded into 309 N. Hamilton.With cost reductions from combining the projects the new school/convent came to $300,000.

go forward was exceeded over a two yearperiod, and the new school was dedicatedin 1955. The two story structure stretchesalong Florence Street and was anchored onthe east to Needham Hall. The alley con-necting Cross and Florence was vacated toaccommodate the new construction. En-couraged by the success of the gradeschool, the parish decided to continue ex-panding and a high school was completedin 1961 on Packard Road. Fr. Mooneydied one month before its dedication.

Marvin Young, was pastor through Janu-ary, 1968.

In 1964 the Diocese of Detroit ordainedits first Black priest, Donald M. Clark. Fa-ther Clark, a native Detroiter, graduatedfrom Cass Technical High School.Brought up in the Second Baptist Church,Fr. Clark was a convert to Catholicism. Atabout age 14 he expressed a desire tochange denominations; his parents urgedhim to wait a year. He continued to attendSecond Baptist while also attending St.


In 1971 the Catholic Church hierarchy inthe state of Michigan was restructured.The new dioceses of Gaylord andKalamazoo were created and existing di-ocesan boundaries were redrawn. A con-sequence of this reconfiguration was thatWashtenaw County became part of theDiocese of Lansing, ending St. John’s 125year connection with Detroit.

The Second Vatican Council brought pro-found changes to the structure of theChurch and the form of its liturgy, andresponsibility to begin implementingthese reforms fell to Fr. William King(January, 1968 to April 2, 1973).Changes in the liturgy required structuralchanges in the layout of the church inte-rior, the most evident being the reposi-tioning of the altar to face the assembly.The original “shelf ” altar and reredos wereremoved and replaced by a freestandingaltar sited partly within the nave. To ac-commodate this new placement a rectan-gular wooden platform was constructed,extending the level of the main floor ofthe sanctuary. The altar rail was also re-moved (a portion of it served as a barrieracross the rear of the chancel, as the altarsteps remained in place but now led toempty space). The church also under-went some cosmetic updates, acquiringcarpeting and fresh paint (part of the mu-ral work was lost in the repainting).

Rev. David Harvey was appointed admin-istrator April 2, 1973 and became pastorMarch 8, 1974. Under his administrationthe elementary school was converted to aparish activities center and the churchbasement renovated for social functions; ithas been renamed Harvey Hall in hishonor. Parish council also decided to de-molish Needham Hall, as the space wasnot needed and repairs had become toocostly. This action was blocked by theHistoric District Commission as effortswere made to save the building, and re-mained at a halt for around three years –into the pastorate of Rev. Edwin Schoettle(appointed 16 July, 1979). Needham

Hall was demolished in June, 1980 underprotest of the Ypsilanti Historical Com-mission and the lot landscaped as a me-morial garden for the parish.

Fr. Schoettle died unexpectedly on April8, 1981. Rev. Gerald Ploof, who hadserved as Associate Pastor at St. John in1975, was chosen as pastor following Fr.Schoettle’s death. Fr. Ploof was able toretire the school debt during his tenure, inpart through the sale of the high school.

Part of the administrative change broughtin by Vatican II was the implementationof pastoral teams, with separate agentsresponsible for overseeing Religious Edu-cation, Liturgy, Christian Service and soon. As yet there were few trained laity inthese fields and pastoral teams weremostly comprised of women religious.The presence of four nuns as Fr. Ploof ’spastoral team led to the reopening of theconvent to provide housing. Althoughmembers of the current pastoral team areall lay persons, the convent has remainedopen to religious working in the Ypsilant/Ann Arbor area. The present pastor, Rev.Edmond L. Ertzbischoff, was appointed 1July, 1988.

Renovation & RestorationSt. John’s celebrated its SesquicentennialYear in 1995; the desire to prepare forthat occasion, in part, prompted the mostrecent renovation. The church buildingwould be sixty years old and had, overtime, suffered from a certain amount ofbenign neglect. With the debt retired,capital improvements that had been de-layed might now be addressed. Liturgicalreforms were now twenty years along,with more definitive guidelines publishedby the National Council of Catholic Bish-ops as well as local Diocesan require-ments, and a more careful assessment ofthe worship space also seemed in order.Accordingly, a renovation committee wasformed in 1991. As the list of capital re-pairs grew and questions were raisedabout preserving the historic structurewhile embracing liturgical change, it be-came apparent that – even without newconstruction – St. John’s was facing a ma-jor undertaking, and what had begun asliturgical correction and “asset protection”



The renovated worship space does not de-viate greatly from the 1973 layout – anarched, oak floored platform approachedby a single step extending into the nave.This holds only the altar, an Italian marbletable supported by eight columned legs.The ambo, of matching material and de-continued on page 24

had grown to encompass needs from thefull spectrum of parish activity. Finally,an overarching concern of the renovationwas the issue of accessibility – a conceptthat neither Romanesque architecture or,1930’s building codes addressed.

After much deliberation and extensivelistening sessions with the parish, the so-lution to most of the stated needs thatemerged was to create a connecting struc-ture between the church and the formerschool. This correlated to a revived con-cept in church architecture, that of thegathering space. As detailed in the parishRestoration & Renovation newsletter forJune, 1997:

Discussion of a gathering space originallybegan in conjunction with the liturgical andfellowship needs of the parish. It progressedto its current scale when other unmet needswere under discussion: restrooms, elevator,storage, meeting rooms and parish offices.In new church construction projects, thegathering space is a transitional space fromparking lot to worship area. It affords aplace to celebrate the many rites of thechurch which take place outside the sanctu-ary, e.g. Palm Sunday, portions of the EasterVigil, wakes, etc.

The gathering space at St. John’s is de-signed to be an extension of the originalchurch architecture and care was taken tomatch as closely as possible the materials

and detailing (e.g., size and style of win-dows, doors and frames, copper down-spouts, roof tiles, brick and stonework).Similarly, the interior echoes the openbeams and columned supports of the naveand the triple chancel window. The addi-tion contains a full basement which is ser-viced by an elevator. Each level isapproximately 4200 square feet, of whichhalf is open gathering or multi-use space.Cost constraints curtailed much of thefinish work for the lower level, but it doesserve for meeting space and smaller socialgatherings. Connectors on both levelsallow free access to the Activities Center(former school building) and the lowerlevel is similarly linked to Harvey Hall.With this addition the entire publicphysical plant is now interconnected andbarrier free.

The north (chancel) wall was opened toaccommodate two doors into the gather-ing space – these now serve as main en-tries into the sanctuary. To make this abarrier free environment, ramps have beencut into the chancel floor along eitherwall to reach the nave (a third ramp is alsoprovided as a late entry). The chancelarea now functions as the baptistry; itcontains a cruciform font large enoughfor full immersion. The marble facingsfor the font were chosen to mirror thesmaller original, which has itself been re-worked as a column for the ambry (thecase used to contain sacramental oils).

Gathering Space, 2000. Present St. John the Baptist Church after 2000 renovation of worship space.


sign, is slightly behind the altar’s left,within the chancel arch. Portions of theoriginal altar have been incorporated intothe current furnishings – the ambo is facedwith its central, monogrammed panel, andside panels and support columns from ithave been reworked to form a pedestal forthe tabernacle.

Chapels for the sacrament of Reconcilia-tion and for reservation of the Eucharistwere created from the former vestry. Theside altars were removed and the arch onthe east side was opened so the tabernacleis visible and opens to the main body ofthe nave. (The western alcove currentlyhouses the ambry.) To properly display thestatues of Joseph and Mary which formerlyadorned the side altars, devotional alcoveswere created from the wall recesses that hadcontained the confessional booths.

The primary architectural firm on therenovation was Siler & Associates, Inc. ofAdrian, who brought in Lincoln Poley ofAnn Arbor as design architect for theproject. Mr. Poley’s firm is recognized forits work in preservation and adaptive re-use of existing buildings and he had re-cently completed a similar project for St.Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor.St. John’s also retained ChristineReinhard, liturgical design consultant, tofacilitate the process and aid in adheringto the diocesan and NCCB guidelines,and the contract was awarded to J. C.Beal Construction, Inc., of Ann Arbor.

Groundbreaking ceremonies occurred onDecember 20, 1998 when the parish atlarge was invited to shovel out the foot-print of the new addition, and 1999 foundthe communal spiritual life of the commu-nity once again housed in its church base-ment. The rite of dedication for the newaltar was celebrated on October 8. 2000,Bishop Carl Mengeling presiding and St.John Parish emerged into its renewed spacefor the beginning of a new millennium.

Fr. DeBever closes his 1876 account of thechurch’s history with a brief census: “The

number of faithful about this time is 135 or140 families, many of whom are from Ire-land and a few from Germany. All speakthe English language and live in peace.”

Today’s congregation numbers over 800families representing every continent anddozens of languages. And that is as itshould be, for the Church is a universalchurch and - more than ever in this thirdmillennium - she is a global church, onein which the Parish of St. John the Baptiststrives to participate fully. We may not beable to say with certainty that “all speak . .. English,” but it is our fervent prayer thatall live in peace. ■

Bibliography-. History of Washtenaw County, Michigan. Chi-

cago: Charles C. Chapman & Company, 1881.(Reprint: Genealogical Society of WashtenawCounty, Michigan, Inc. Mt. Vernon, IN:Windmill Publishing, Inc., 1990.)

- . “The Ypsilanti Savings Bank Presents. . . APart of Our Heritage.” Ypsilanti Press: July18, 1966.

Beakes, Samuel W. Past and Present of WashtenawCounty, Michigan. Chicago: The S. J. ClarkePublishing Company, 1906.

Bonadeo, Cathy. “Handful of Irishmen foundedSt. John’s.” The Ypsilanti Press: July 1, 1973

Canfield, F. X., Boyes, E. B. “Detroit, Archdio-cese of; “ New Catholic Encyclopedia, SecondEdition, Vol. 4, pp. 696-699. Washington,D.C.: The Catholic University of AmericaPress, 2003.

Colburn, Harvey C. The Story of Ypsilanti: Writ-ten for the centennial celebration of the foundingof the city in cooperation with the committee onhistory. April 10, 1923.

Dunbar, Willis F. and May, George S. Michigan:A History of the Wolverine State. Grand Rapids,MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Com-pany, 1965.

Foster, G. l. Past of Ypsilanti: A Discourse Deliv-ered on Leaving the Old Presbyterian ChurchEdifice, Lord’s Day, September 20th, 1857. De-troit: Fleming and Davis, Book Printers,1857.

Mann, Thomas James. Ypsilanti: A History inPictures. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2002.

Michalek, George C. Living in Joyful Hope: AHistory of the Diocese of Lansing. Strasbourg,France: Editions du Signe, 2003.

Robek, Mary F. “Then . . . History of St. Johnthe Baptist Parish.”

Schimel, Mrs. Frank. “The Story of St. JohnBaptist Church in Ypsilanti.” Serialized in TheYpsilanti Press.

Seifen, Fr. J. Edward. Commemorating andDedication of St. John the Baptist School andConvent, 1955.

Weber, Fr. Richard V. “St. Johns CatholicChurch.”


had been stung badly with the fraudulentBank of Ypsilanti notes some 30 years be-fore and other “funny” money issued byinsolvent banks. The U.S. Constitutionrequired that gold and silver be the onlymeans of payment allowed in the UnitedStates and there was just not enough ofthese metals available to facilitate tradewith all of the hoarding of “real” money.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861between the states, one of the first prob-lems was the vanishing supply of “real”money. Coins disappeared rapidly andthe exchange function of money wasdependent on the ingenuity of the mer-chants of the area. And that is what wehave here to behold some 143 yearslater! While the bulk of transactionscould be handled by checks, postagestamps and paper money and barter,how do you make change for a nickel ona three cent sale? Simple, you give thecustomer change in coins from yourown company! That is what HewittBrothers did from 1863 until the end ofthe war. These coins were good advertis-ing for the company concerned and itwas a necessary medium of exchange.The Hewitt Brothers Dry Goods Com-pany was located on the corner of Con-gress (Michigan Avenue) andWashington Streets and they existed as abusiness enterprise for many years. Theonly other company to circulate thesetypes of tokens in Ypsilanti wasShowerman & Brothers Company, alsopurveyors of dry goods, clothing andboots and shoes.

Oh yes, the U.S. Congress passed a law in1864 to make all private tokens illegal,but company coins circulated until wellafter the war when “real” money wasagain plentiful. Over 25 million companycoins were made in the North and manyof them are now in private collections.And yes, these coins are now worth muchmore than a cent a piece! ■

Note: Coins and some historical notes wereprovided by Jerry F. Gooding, past Chair-man of the Board of the National Bank ofYpsilanti. Digital pictures were providedby Mr. Mark Mueller, Photographer forthe Ypsilanti Courier.

Company Coins From the1800’s - continued from page 15


away and used in distant parts, withouteven the knowledge of the owners of the mill,until long afterwards reports of the cures incases never dreamed of by them came backto their notice. A remarkable case in NewYork City – a very wealthy lady (as it issaid) with cancer of the womb, a case inToledo, Ohio, one at Bay City; several casesof dyspepsia, kidney complaint, eczema, etc.in Chicago, followed in rapid succession.Demand for the water increased. Arrange-ments were made, circulars printed and sta-tionery prepared, jugs and casks werebrought by the hundreds, for shipping; andthe Mineral Water Department of the Yp-silanti Paper Company became an estab-lished fact. All this was literally withoutdesign or previous plan. It was forced on theproprietors by the simple merits of the water.

The following interviews, chosen at random,will, when read, give a fair idea, not at alloverdrawn, of what the waters are doing andwhat its patrons claim for it. The proprietorsmake no pretensions whatever in the matter;but the water is offered to the public on whatis said of it by those who have used it. Wher-ever it is introduced it makes its own way.

The promotional book includes a series oftestimonials regarding the healing qualities

spot chosen is a beautiful one in its generalsurroundings; the Mill, the river, and theCity, with trees and hills in the foregroundor beyond, make a pretty picture.

The pure water which was sought for, wasnever reached, but in its stead a far more pre-cious water was found. A healing water, richin mineral ingredients was struck by thedrills, below the rock of various kinds andthicknesses, at a total depth of 740 feet fromthe earth’s surface. That discovery was madeon the 14th day of December, 1882 and maybe well regarded by those acquainted with thesubject of healing waters, a remarkable event.Compared with the medicinal properties of itswaters, those of the celebrated Springs of Eu-rope and America are indeed mild. From theearliest antiquity till now nothing so valuablein the way of curative waters, has beenknown to man. Many valuable MineralSpirits existed, but none equal to this.

The Ypsilanti Mineral Water has conse-quently reached a success without parallel inthe history of Mineral Wells. The discoveryof the water was quickly followed by its gen-eral use in Ypsilanti and by cures so remark-able as to attract attention elsewhere, and tocreate a demand for shipment to variousparts of the country. That demand has been

increasing ever since, until now it is used inevery State in the Union. The well is stillowned by the Ypsilanti Paper Company, oneof the largest and most responsible papercompanies in the United States.

The discovery of the peculiar water and thedevelopment of the healing power it possesses,was entirely unexpected; and, indeed, theproprietors were the very last to give any seri-ous credit to the stories about relief and curesbrought to their office by those who came toprocure the water. Hence, at first no chargewas made for the water, but it was given outfreely to all who wished it. Strange to say,people came after it regularly and soon began

to cart off, not only in bottles and jugs,but in barrels and kegs.

The reports of relief and evencures, were numerous withina few weeks; but before sixmonths had passed therewas no doubt about it

whatever. The cases of Mr.Kimbel and Mr. Guild, currently

believed to be genuine cancer cases, -and scores of cases of rheumatism, dys-

pepsia and kidney troubles cured, set thetown of Ypsilanti in an uproar of interest,not to say excitement. Meantime friends hadinformed friends, and the water was shipped

Ad for Owen’sGinger Ale madefrom mineral water.

Ad for “A Delicious, Healthful,Invigorating Drink.”

Tubal Cain Owen and theHealing Waters of Ypsilanti -continued from page 3


Cover of book promoting YpsilantiMineral Water.


of the Ypsilanti Mineral Water. Here is thefirst testimonial from John J. Kimbel:

The following interview was had with thefirst person cured by the Ypsilanti waters. Thestatement here given was made at Ypsilantion August 12th, 1885, and is worth perusal:

“What is your fill name, your Residenceand your present occupation?” “My nameis John Jonas Kimbel, my residence is Yp-silanti, and I am in the express business; Idrive a dime express.” How long have youlived in Ypsilanti?” “Most 39 years. I wasborn and brought up here.” “How longhave you been in the express business?”“About a year and four months.” “Beforethat, what did you do?” “Working in thepaper mill.” “What paper mill?”“Cornwell’s – the Ypsilanti Paper Co.”“How long did you work for the PaperCo?” “Just three years.” “Were you work-ing for that Company when the YpsilantiMineral Spring was struck?” “Yes.”“When was it struck? What year?” “I can-not say. They have it down stairs though.”[December 14, 1882.]

“It is said you had a cancer when theYpsilanti well was struck; it that so?”“Yes sir. Four years. Well, it was six yearsa coming. It was from the time I firstnoticed it until they struck the water, sixyears.” “Did you use the Ypsilanti Waterfor your cancer?” “I did.” “How did youuse it, and what was the effect?” “Well, Ibathed my face, my nose, ten or fifteentimes a day. Then I drank the water asfree as I would pure spring water.” “Howmuch would you drink in a day?” “Well,I will tell you, - that would sound a littlebig to anybody – but the room that Iworked in was very warm and close, andI drank on an average about two quartsof the Ypsilanti water every day. I drankit before they knew the benefits of it.”“How long did you continue to drinkthat water in that way?” “Four months.”

“Please describe your trouble, - the condi-tion of your cancer at the time you com-menced to use the water?” “Well, it began Box of toilet soap made from Ypsilanti Mineral Water.

Tubal Cain Owen and theHealing Waters of Ypsilanti -continued from page 25

from an itching, the same as if needleswould be darting through my nose, -pricking like that, and through the sidesof my face.” “How did the sore look atthat time?” “Well, it was a dark spot, -considerable of a raise on the end of mynose, as large as a silver five-cent piece.”“Had it broken the surface of the skin onyour nose?” “Yes. Well, I will tell you. Ev-ery full moon, that would drop off, then itwould fester and come on larger.” “Was italways painful?” “Always, Mostly in thenight and when my blood would be alittle warm.” “ Did you consult any physi-cian as to your case?” “Yes sir, I did; I con-sulted ****** doctors in Detroit,Michigan. Also two other doctors in De-troit – I do not remember their names.Then there was one Indian Doctor fromToledo, Ohio, he heard about it and cameout to my house.” “What did those doctorstell you about your case, or their opinionsof it?” “Well, they pronounced it cancer,and all advised me to let them make anoperation on it, it would save me troublein time. But my conscience always told menot to meddle with it.” “Did you consultany physician here in Ypsilanti?” “Yes sir.Let me see, Dr. *****.” “What did Dr.***** say about it?” “He thought it wouldbe all right in a little while, - that is all

he said to me.” “Did he say whether itwas cancer or not?” “He did not say. Hewas doctoring my mother then, - she wasdying with a cancer then.”

“Do you mean to say your mother died ofcancer?” “Yes sir. In the stomach her can-cer was. “ “How do you know it was ac-tually a cancer in her stomach?” “Well,all the way I know it was by the way thedoctors all claimed.” “Now, coming backto your own case, please state what effectsthe Ypsilanti Mineral Water had uponyour nose, or in any other way.” “In twoweeks after bathing my face it showedsigns of coming off – the scab, - and itcame on again the same as it had before,but not quite so large, and then in fourweeks it came off and left a raw place,and it began healing up from the edgesto the center. And my body was coveredwith little boils from drinking the water.Then the prickling sensation and sorenessceased, and I have not been troubledwith it any since.”

“Have any other members of your familyhad cancer?” “My sister, - they claim, -taken the same as my mother.” “Did sheuse the Ypsilanti Water?” “She did.”“How long did she use it?” “She has used


Ad for Owen’s Mineral Water Toilet Soap.

The Ypsilanti Commercial inthe mid-1980s published thefollowing ballad touting thevalues of the water:

“If you are sad, with sickness worn,And have the headache every morn,Just come and drink a healing horn,Of Ypsilanti water.

There’s forty new baths agoing,And all the healing waters flowing,Better days and health bestowing,On many a weary one.

It’s true, it has a woeful smell,But if your stomache don’t rebel,It’s just the thing to make you well,And praise up Ypsilanti.”

it over a year.” “Is she now free of hertrouble?” “She claims she is.” “Pleasestate fully the present condition and ap-pearance of your nose, where the cancerwas located?” “In changes of weather itshows plainer where the cancer was lo-cated. My nose is perfectly smooth now.”“Do you ever have any pains now?” “No,only when I press there I can feel a littlepain. In the winter time when it is coldI have to keep my hand on the end of mynose, - it stings and burns.”

In the above case the Ypsilanti MineralSpring Water was used by simply bathingthe nose (and cancer) many times a day,and drinking the water freely. A perfectcure resulted.

In the same book promoting YpsilantiMineral Spring Water the Ypsilanti Sani-tarium contains and ad claiming:

“…This water is the MARVEL of the age inwhich we live for its CURATIVE andMEDICAL PROPERTIES. Also, NATU-RAL SPRING water of EXTRAORDINARYPURITY; both are NATURAL RESTOR-ERS to health and have performed MANYMIRACULOUS CURES. To these are addedELECTRICITY, AIR, STEAM, FURM,

MINERAL and SOFT WATER baths in thevaried forms and at ALL TEMPERATURESrequired; also the VIBRATORY EXER-CISER, WALKING and KNEADING ma-chine and BED-COUCH, with aJUDICIOUS use of MEDICINE, whichconstitute in part our MATERIA MEDICA.”

The promotion continues with “…ThisSANITARIUM is located on the west banksof the Huron River in a BEAUTIFULPART of the City of YPSILANTI, Michi-gan; with a surrounding country free fromthe low grounds and malaria breedingmarshes. – Also it is THOROUGHLYVENTILATED, with SEWERAGEGOOD; consequently it has had FORYEARS an INCREASING PATRONAGEfrom all parts of the UNITED STATESand CANADA, ITS PATRONS havingENJOYED the benefits of its UNRIVALEDfacilities for the TREATMENT of all formsof ACUTE and CHRONIC diseases.”

The healing waters business took a majorhit after the passing of the 1906 Pure Foodand Drug Act which required an accuratelisting of ingredients. Truth in advertisingwould have dictated that Owen’s water beundoubtedly described as “foul-smellingmuddy water.” Also, local residents com-plained of the yelling of the patients atOwen’s house of healing so the state con-demned the property, claiming that thesanitarium posed “a serious menace to thesocial life of the Normal College,” allowingit to then “acquire” the land for thecollege’s use. The Roosevelt Building wasconstructed on the site of the former Owenhome as a high school for teacher training.The March 10, 1904 issue of the YpsilantiDaily Press expressed the sentiment, “Onewonders whether the Michigan State NormalCollege will ever put the water to work.Since educators have tried everything for ju-venile delinquency - why not line up allyouthful offenders and see what Tubal CainOwen can do for them?” ■

Bibliography:John Knott and Keith Taylor, ed., The Huron

River, Voices From the Watershed, (Ann Arbor,MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2000).

Harvey C. Colburn, The Story of Ypsilanti, (Yp-silanti, MI: Ypsilanti Bicentennial Commis-sion, 1976). Knott and Taylor.

Healing Waters Found at Ypsilanti. YpsilantiPaper Company.


Documents

Tubal Cain Owen and the In This Issue Healing Waters of ... · Tubal Cain Owen and the Healing Waters of Ypsilanti By Heidi Nielsen and Marcia Phillips Tubal Cain Owen (1843-1913)