History

Ann Arbor residents can now learn about the history of Allen Creek while going for a walk in town. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

The Webster Township Historical Society is working to digitize their archives before America’s 250th birthday next year. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

The University of Michigan’s Clements Library has recently made available a digital database of photo postcards that depict over 100 years of the state’s history. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The 2025 Thunder Over Michigan Air Show returns to Ypsilanti’s Willow Run Airport this weekend. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

The start of the Revolutionary War, or American War of Independence, can be traced to one manuscript. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor talks to University of Michigan William L. Clements Library curator, Cheney Joshua Schopieray about the original draft orders of British Army officer Thomas Gage and the escalating tensions preceding the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.

Washtenaw County officials are in the process of possibly classifying Groves Farm in Northfield Township as a local historic district. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Women played a vital role in ensuring the survival of early pioneers who settled in what would become Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more as part of Women’s History Month.

Michigan students would start learning about Black, Asian, Latin and other American minority cultural history under bills introduced this week in the Michigan Senate. Colin Jackson has more.

Bev Willis, Washtenaw County Historical Society administrator, has a passion for history. She grew up in Washington, D.C. in a family deeply ensconced in the Civil Rights Movement. Her family’s role and record of the movement is our nation’s history. In this summer marking the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act becoming law, Bev tells her story when she joins Deb Polich on this edition of WEMU’s "creative:impact."

Capturing 200 years of history is a daunting task, but the Ann Arbor District Library’s archive manager, Andrew MacLaren, is up to the challenge. He is leading the Ann Arbor 200 project—200 digital releases throughout the bicentennial year that explore Ann Arbor's history from a 2024 point of view. Listen in to hear all about it when Andrew joins Deb Polich on this edition of WEMU’s "creative:impact."