Fire, Smut and Disease in Manchester, Part Two of Four
By Ray Berg and Alan Dyer Manchester Mill Ownership in 1853-1868 Between 1820 and 1845, Michigan’s small, local water-powered mills were referred to as “custom mills”, designed to service the specific needs and output quantities of local farmers and purchasers of flour and other products. These mills earned considerable profits due to their high capacity […]
Deadline Approaches for Washtenaw County Broadband Survey
Editor's note: Also read this week's article What is "Broadband" Internet and Why Do I Need It? by James Miller in the Blog section. The Washtenaw County Broadband Initiative seeks to expand broadband Internet infrastructure in Washtenaw County, with an emphasis on the rural western areas of the county. This project, sponsored by Rep. Gretchen […]
Fire, Smut and Disease in Manchester, Part One of Four
By Ray Berg and Alan Dyer (Note: This article is an update of research previously published four years ago, with new information and findings included herein.) The history of Manchester offers several examples of natural occurrences and unfortunate decisions which affected the development of our village. Quite often, the perceived solution to one problem led […]
The Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge, Part Five of Five
Bridge #5 – The 1972 Concrete and Steel Bridge Replacement The long-term effects of a larger number of vehicles, heavier loads, heavier trucks, and weathering/salt damage rendered the 1929 bridge structurally deficient by 1971. The Village undertook replacement of the reinforced concrete bridge structural members and decking, sidewalks and railings in 1972 with Village […]
The Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge, Part Four of Five
Bridge #4 –The 1929 Concrete and Steel Bridge Mat Blosser was still editor of the Manchester Enterprise in 1928, to see technological change render his “forever” iron bridge obsolete. The mid-1920s saw a boom in automobile driving for pleasure, and families taking weekend trips in their cars to enjoy rural settings away from the […]
Kirk Park Community Project Progress Report
What is the Project? The Kirk Park Community Project is bringing together community service groups, local businesses and foundations, the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation through our local Manchester Wellness Coalition, and supporting residents of Manchester to make major repairs and upgrades to the Kirk Park baseball diamonds and playground in the Village of Manchester. The deteriorated […]
The Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge, Part Three of Five
Bridge #3 – The 1886 Iron Bridge On April 8, 1886, the Village Council inspected the Exchange Place bridge with a view to rebuilding or repairing it. Blosser again noted that an iron bridge would be just the thing. A special election for July 27, 1886 was called for. Highway Commissioner Case presented arguments for […]
The Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge, Part Two of Five
Editors Note: This is part 2 of a 5 part piece on the history of Manchester's Main Street bridge, by our local history writer, Ray Berg. If you missed part 1 last week, you can read it HERE. Bridge #2 – The 1876 Rebuilt Wood Bridge with New Planking The Village Council began serious bridge repair […]
The Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge, Part One of Five
Editors Note: The Manchester Mirror is excited to announce that Ray Berg has agreed to join us as our local history writer! Mr. Berg's precisely researched and eminently readable historical articles will, we hope, be a regular feature of the mirror. Because of their length and detail, we have decided to serialize them. This first […]
