The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, a city of Michigan, capital of Washtenaw county, lying on both sides of Huron river, in lat. 42° 15' N., lon. 83° 43' W., 38 m. by railroad W. of Detroit; pop. in 1870, 7,368. The Huron river, and a creek which empties into it from the south, supply valuable water power. There are within the limits of the township 2 woollen mills, 4 flour mills, 5 breweries, 2 factories of agricultural implements, 2 tanneries, 2 printing offices, numerous saw mills, planing mills, and workshops for wood and iron, 10 churches (2 Baptist, 2 Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal, Congregational, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Unitarian), and 6 school houses, one of which has accommodation for 1,000 pupils. There are numerous fruit gardens, and the streets are thickly planted with shade trees. Two railroads pass through the town, the Michigan Central, E. and W., and the Toledo and Saginaw, N. and S., and the city is the centre of a brisk inland traffic. There are five mineral springs in the city (over one of which has been erected a large water-cure establishment), an opera house, concert halls, and a ladies' library association. Of the resident inhabitants, about one quarter are of German descent, and the German language is taught in the schools. The most important interest of Ann Arbor is the Michigan university. (See Michigan University.) Ann Arbor was settled in 1824, and incorporated as a city in 1851.