Ann Arbor Michigan History

The city was founded by a group of pioneers who passed through Detroit on a one-horse sleigh to begin their own frontier community. The name is thought to be a combination of two of two of the founding residents named Ann and the wealth of tree life that was in the area. The biggest year in the history of the city was in 1837, when the city was chosen as the site for the new state university. Since then, the economics and population of the city have been intertwined. With a population of more than one hundred thousand, more than half are involved with the university in some dimension. During the World Wars and Great depression, the University in fact was the town’s only hope. During World War II the city was chosen as the site of the notorious Willow Run Bomber plant and thousands of jobs were created, firmly planting the city on its feet for years to come. The city now has home prices and property taxes that stand well above the state average. A few interesting facts include John F. Kennedy first proposed the Peace Corps during a speech at the University, the original Borders Book Store was opened in the city, it is sometimes called Tree city USA, it is the world capital of lithography, it is consistently ranked as one of the most pleasant places to live in the country, and one of the best paces for women. Famous Natives include inventor William Hewlett and rocker Bob Seger.