Comments:

Ypsidixit - 2007-08-15 13:07:15
"With improved rails and higher speeds, ambling cattle had less time to get out of the way. When Brooks and Joy bought the railroad, they didn't have to answer to the electors and refused to pay questionable claims, offering only partial payment for proven livestock losses. The farmers along the route began serious retaliation. They derailed locomotives, greased upgrades with tallow (purportedly from railway-slaughtered animals) and threw switches. Tracks were torn up near Ann Arbor, and trains and passengers were shot at. Trainmen were attacked and beaten. The worst of the actions took place east of Jackson, between Grass Lake and Michigan Center." Yikes!
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Flatwoods dad - 2007-08-16 07:54:27
I lived on River and Maple as a kid. I was able to shake Bert Lahr's (the cowardly lion) hand at depot. He came to Ypsi to take part in a Greek theater that the town was trying to launch. On the north side of the freight house was a swamp between Frog Island and the tracks. On the north side of depot was what we called a forest. The Thompson building was some sort of woodshop then. Kids would go there and the man would give us rides on the elevator. He would also give scraps of wood to us to use as swords. I spent many a day playing Robin Hood in the forest and swamp with friends. I guess this sounds pretty dangerous now but I don�t think our parents knew and the engineer would blow the whistle and wave as they went by.
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Lisele - 2007-08-16 08:48:47

Awwww, I thought you meant the Michigan Central Gardens! Disappointed!

Seriously, there is a project that I would like to see funded somehow. There certainly is plenty of concrete covered land in the vicinity. What about all that mess near the Corner Brewery? Acres of broken concrete surrounded by similarly dilapidated fence--get a small backhoe in there and it could be a lovely garden. With the possible advent of light rail, there might be some potential there. Just dreamin...
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Steve Pierce - 2007-08-16 09:05:46
Lisele, I think you are refering to the the Motor Wheel property across from the Corner. I beleive GM is still using that building and last I had heard from teh city, they were using the property or long term engine testing. So if they are still using it, I wonder if they could at least mow their parking lot.

Cheers!

- Steve
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Ypsidixit - 2007-08-16 09:14:15
Steve: You beat me to it. Yes, I understood it to be a GM testing building, too. I biked down there once, just out of curiosity, and the guardhouse guy kept his eye RIGHT on me. You really got the impression they did NOT want anyone in there.

The parking lot is an eyesore, though. At times I do see it filled up entirely with truckbeds full of mysterious parts. Looks to me like they use that lot as an occasional storage area for overflow parts.

Just to the west of this lot is a jungly trackside area, just north of Forest, that at one time was part of the area where hoboes used to congregate near the Ypsi trackyards. They were such an obvious feature of the landscape that some decades back Ypsilanti used to have a festival called "Hobo Days," until discontinuing it due to a perception of callousness.
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Lisele - 2007-08-16 09:25:50
No, I was actually referring to the mess north of the CB, between it and the cemetery. UGH. But across Norris from CB is also horrid.
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BrianR - 2007-08-16 09:44:22
At the most recent City Council meeting, I asked the City Manager why we don't enforce ordinances against the Motor Wheel property. I'll post an update when I receive the reasoning behind the lack of enforcement.
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Ypsidixit - 2007-08-16 21:16:43
Lisele: Oh, yes, of course, I know what you mean. Is that part of the Gm complex, too?
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Ypsidixit - 2007-08-16 21:17:17
BrianR: Thanks. I look forward to reading it.
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