Ann Arbor: Introduction
Murray Ave., Ann Arbor, Mich. (BL000322)
When John Allen and Elisha Rumsey established the town of "Annarbour" in 1824, the two land speculators named the settlement after their wives, both named Ann, and a grove of trees where the women preferred to meet.
From that bucolic beginning, Ann Arbor has grown into a city of more than 110,000 people. It is home to one of the nation's finest public universities, and has become a industrial hub for a variety of commercial enterprises, from automotive design to pizza.
Since its inception, the Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan has collected materials on the history of Ann Arbor and its residents. There are numerous collections that spotlight the city's culture, architecture, history, and a long tradition of social outreach.
This guide is designed to inform interested researchers of the existence of unique materials currently held by the Bentley Historical Library. Listed are manuscript collections and selected publications reflecting the life, history and culture of Ann Arbor. These materials are open to researchers for the study of the social, political, religious, and economic dimensions of this community.
This website was created by School of Information Graduate Students Rob Hoffman and Beth Myerowitz.