Historical Markers in
Washtenaw County, Michigan

107th Field Signal Battalion U.S.A. / World War Memorial 220 N. Huron 50 Years of Friendship A Corner Landmark on Huron and North Fourth A Former Bank and Estate on Ann Street A Landmark of Civic Pride on Courthouse Square A Meeting Place for Ann Arbor's Black Community A Second Shopping District Abolition and the Underground Railroad Acacia Agriculture, Water Power, and Transportation Alban Cemetery Alice Frances House•Library Allen Creek Valley Shapes the Town Ann Arbor High School Ann Arbor Streetcars Ann Arbor's New "Streamlined" Bus Depot Anson Brown and Early Lower Town Antislavery Society Architecture & Business on Courthouse Square At Home in the 19th Century Bethel Church Bethlehem Cemetery Bethlehem Cemetery Veterans Memorial Bethlehem United Church of Christ Blacksmith Shop Braman Hotel Bridgewater Town Hall Brown and Fuller's Addition—1832 Building New Around Old: The Construction of the Present Courthouse Business and Banking Campus Patterns of Residential Life Carnegie Library Carriage House Centers for Communications on Courthouse Square Central Title Service Building Changing Retail Patterns Charles Fox Chelsea / Chelsea Depot Cider Mill Commerce on the "Ann Street Block" Cook Family Cemetery / The Cook Family Courthouse Square: A Center of Civic Life Davenport House David McCollum's House Delhi Bridge Delta Sigma Delta Delta Upsilon Fraternity Departing Heroes and the Home Front Dexter Area Civil War Memorial Dexter Depot / Track Pans Dixboro United Methodist Church Douglass Houghton Downtown Movie Theaters Dry Goods Earhart Manor Early Days in Depot Town Early Power and Transportation East University Avenue Campus Boundary Eastern Michigan College Eating and Drinking in Ann Arbor Elijah McCoy Engineering at Michigan Essential City Services Everyone Loves a Parade Facing the Fire First City Hall First Congregational Church First Medical Buildings First Methodist Episcopal Church First National Building First Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church Cornerstone Food and Drink Forest Hill Forest Lawn Cemetery Fountain-Bessac House Four World Records Frederick Pelham: Bridge Engineer From Horses to Cars: Early Autos, Service and Parts From Industry to Parks From Interurbans to Buses From Liveries to Taxis Frontier Cozy FUMC's BSA Troop 4 Geddesburg Germans on Ashley Street Governor Alpheus Felch Grist Mill Hardware Harris Hall Highland Cemetery History of Mill Creek Dam Hog House Homes of Early Lower Town Settlers Hospitality on Courthouse Square How It Happened Hoyt Garrod Post and Family History Hudson Mills Hudsons & Friends Ice House Ideation Building In Loving Memory of Carpenters Post No. 180 In memory of all Veterans Indian Trails, Roads, and Trains Industry and Recreation on Allen Creek Jerusalem John Cassidy House John F. Kennedy Defines The Peace Corps John Wesley Conant House Joseph Whiting Kempf House L. C. Allen House Ladies' Literary Club House Law Quadrangle Log Cabin Lower Level of the Barn Lower Town's Flour Mills Main Street in the 1890s Main Street Shopping Expands Manchester Township Library / James A. Lynch House Manchester War Memorial Manufacturing History Manufacturing in Lower Town: The Ann Arbor Agricultural Works Martha Cook Building McDivitt-White Plaza Michigan Avenue Industry Michigan Becomes a State Michigan Central Freighthouse Michigan Central Railroad Depot Michigan Central Railroad Depot Michigan Central Railroad Gardens Michigan Chapter of the Scabbard and Blade Michigan Municipal League Michigan Summer Symposium in Theoretical Physics Michigan Union Michigan Union 75th Anniversary Michigan's First Jewish Cemetery Michigan's Interurbans Native American Trails New City Government, New Issues, and a New City Hall Nichols Arboretum North Lake Methodist Church Oak Grove Cemetery Oak Grove Cemetery Civil War Memorial Oak Grove Cemetery-Chelsea Park Street, East of Main Street Phi Delta Theta Fraternity House Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church Politics and Processions on Courthouse Square Power and Transportation Power on the River Prospect Park Pump House Rackham School of Graduate Studies Redbud Grove Residential Life in Mid-19th Century Ann Arbor Reverend John D. Pierce Rider House Riverbank Rescue Robert Brackett Memorial Saint Mary Church Salem Church Salem Township Veterans Memorial Saline Presbyterian Church Salt Springs / Saline Samuel Denton Schools and Churches Schools In Lower Town Shagbark Hickory Shopping on East Huron Street Simpson Memorial Institute Social and Political Change on South University South University and Forest Avenues Spanish-American War Memorial St. Andrew´s Episcopal Church St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church St. Joseph Catholic Church St. Patrick's Church St. Patrick's Civil War Memorial St. Thomas the Apostle Church Sutherland - Wilson Farm Tappan Hall The 19th-Century Neighborhood The Agricultural Works and Lower Town The Amazing Quarter Mile The Ann Arbor Railroad The Baptist Church and Meeting House The Barracks / Ypsilanti in the Civil War The Bomber Restaurant The Center of Power And Transportation The Central Forty and The Diag The Changing Face of North Fourth Avenue The Civil War and Lower Town The Corners of South University and East University Avenues The David R. Byrd Center The Denison Archway The German Church The Gristmill The Growth of City Services The James Foster House of Art The Jonathan and Almy Lund House The Last Deposit The Last Hudson Dealership The Main Street Shopping Experience The Making of a Great University The Michigan Ross Bur Oak The Michigan Union and the Peace Corps The Oliver House The Parker Family & Mill The Power of Fleming Creek The President's House The Professors' Monument The Real McCoy The Staeblers and the Germania/American Hotel The Streets Around Courthouse Square The Thompson Building The University Expands The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club The Washtenaw House and Lower Town Decline The Washtenaw House Hotel The Welfare Building Thomas Church / St. Thomas Cemetery Three Generations of Metzgers on Washington Street Ticknor-Campbell House Town and Gown: Entertainment and Changing Culture Town Hall School University of Michigan Campus 1907 Upper Level of the Barn Uptown Theaters Veteran's Memorial Village of Dixboro Washtenaw County War Memorial Webster Township Hall Webster United Church of Christ Weeping Japanese Cherry Welcome to the Parker Family Mills! West Engineering - West Hall White Willow William L. Clements Library Willow Run Wood Shed Xi Psi Phi Fraternity Ypsilanti Ypsilanti Ypsilanti Civil War Memorial Ypsilanti Water Tower Ypsilanti Woolen Mill Company Zion Lutheran Church
Michigan is the only state in the United States that consists of two peninsulas. The Upper Peninsula (UP) and Lower Peninsula (LP) are connected by the five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, which is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.
Washtenaw County, located in southeastern Michigan, has a rich and diverse history dating back thousands of years. The region was originally inhabited by indigenous tribes, particularly the Ojibwe and Potawatomi, who made use of the fertile land along the Huron River for farming and trade. The first European settlers arrived in the late 18th century, establishing a small community called Ann Arbor.

The county was officially established in 1826 and was named after the Native American term for the river that runs through it, "Wash-ten-ong," meaning "faraway water." The area quickly grew in the 19th century, thanks to its proximity to Detroit and its favorable agricultural conditions. The construction of the Michigan Central Railroad in the 1830s further boosted the county's economic development, as it provided a direct connection to other major cities.

In the mid-19th century, education became a significant focus in Washtenaw County with the establishment of the University of Michigan in 1837. The university's presence brought intellectual and cultural wealth to the area, attracting scholars and professionals who contributed to the county's growth. Ann Arbor, the county seat, developed into a vibrant college town, known for its progressive thinking and innovative spirit.

Over the years, Washtenaw County has also played a significant role in American history. During the Civil War, it was a hub of anti-slavery sentiment and actively participated in the Underground Railroad. The county also witnessed activism during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Today, Washtenaw County continues to thrive as a hub of education, technology, and culture. Its cities and towns, including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Chelsea, are known for their vibrant arts scenes, outdoor recreational opportunities, and diverse communities. The county remains a key center for research, innovation, and higher education in Michigan.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Washtenaw County, Michigan.

  • 1822 - Initial settlement by European-Americans begins in Washtenaw County
  • 1826 - Ann Arbor established as the county seat
  • 1829 - University of Michigan founded in Ann Arbor
  • 1835 - Washtenaw County officially organized
  • 1843 - First railroad line constructed in the county
  • 1861 - Civil War begins, many residents from Washtenaw County enlist
  • 1896 - The first automobile in Washtenaw County is driven in Ann Arbor
  • 1959 - Willow Run Airport (now Willow Run Airport) opens
  • 1963 - The Beatles perform at the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium
  • 1970 - Student protests against the Vietnam War occur at the University of Michigan
  • 1983 - Washtenaw County Historical Society established to preserve local history
  • 1999 - Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission created to manage parks and trails