The city of Ypsilanti was named after the great Greek patriot, General Demetrius Ypsilanti. The city is located on the old Sauk Indian trail, and became an area for camping and burial grounds. French explorers began to settle there in the 1800′s. Ypsilanti flourished with the creation of the federal highway, which went through the area. This highway was called Chicago Road and was finished in 1835. The area’s first train depot was constructed in 1838 and some of the original structures are still standing today. Depot Town is now an entertainment district with popular restaurants and bars.
The 20th Century put a hamper on the city’s manufacturing and mills, and gave way to the new auto industry. Ford Motor Company built the Willow Run Airport in 1941, which made B-24 bombers during the Second World War.
At a first glance, Ypsilanti looks like the type of town that Iggy Pop may have grown up in, and in fact, he did hail from one of the city’s trailer parks. Just outside of yuppie Ann Arbor, you will find no Abercrombie in Ypsilanti. You will however, find some cheap drinks and good rock n’ roll at joints such as the Elbow Room. Only a few miles down from the main campus of the University of Michigan, Ypsilanti is the home of Eastern Michigan University.