1856 Plat - 2005-03-11 22:54:48
None of the roads appear on this map. Catherine dead-ends at the river and farmland is to the south.
The land west of Catherine and in the bend of the river (modern-day Waterworks Park) is owned by a H. W. Larzelere.
A WOOLEN MILL (red dot) appears just west of the spot where Catherine ends at the river. * * * * * * * * * * * *
A short piece of Harriet (red line) and all of Factory Street (dead-ends on Prospect) appear on this map. The woolen mill is gone. A PAPER MILL (blue dot) appears south of Factory, just east of the river. The land just north of Harriet is owned by a W. H. Larzelere.* * * * * * * * * * * * 1874 Plat - 2005-03-11 23:03:36
The paper mill (blue dot) is here labeled "Cornwell's Paper Mill." Harriet is extended west to its present-day length. Mrs. H. W. Larzelere is still hanging on to the present-day Waterworks Park land...and I'm guessing she's the Harriet in Harriet Street. Factory now dead-ends on Prospect.* * * * * * * * * * * * 1895 Plat - 2005-03-11 23:10:56
A GERMAN AID WORKING ASSOCIATION building appears between Prospect and Grove (yellow dot). At the same time, VOLKENING'S SUBDIVISION (pink box) appears, and for the first time Maus Street (not Mause Street, as incorrectly noted above) appears.
The erstwhile paper mill (blue dot) is now labeled WATERWORKS AND ELECTRIC LIGHT. FOERSTER BREWERY (orange dot) appears. A new CITY WELL (white dot) appears. The YPSILANTI DAIRY (green dot) appears. * * * * * * * * * * * * 1915 Plat - 2005-03-11 23:30:43
The dairy (green dot) is now labeled the Creamery. The well (white dot) still exists--and Ypsidixit is guessing that this spring is what gave rise to the name Spring Street.
Ecorse, the youngest of these 5 streets, is nowhere to be seen. At one point, between 1915 and the time when Henry Ford built Willow Run and diverted numerous streets in that area, Ecorse ran all the way out to the downriver town of Ecorse.
Ecorse was named "River Aux Echorches" by its 18th-century French settlers. The name means "River of the Barks," since the Native Americans gathered there, by the Ecorse River, to strip bark for their canoes.
So, the 5 names of this bit of Ypsi street are due to a wealthy landowner, a city well, a paper factory, an apparently German-owned subdivision, and bark-harvesting canoe builders. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-03-12 00:34:00
Presumably, anyways. Maybe the Creamery owner was named Spring. Perhaps H. W. Larzelere wasn't "Harriet." These are just semi-educated guesses.* * * * * * * * * * * * add your comment: