You may have heard of the town of Ypsilanti, Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. It is a town with many historic structures, but it is also where you will find Depot Town.
It was the 1830’s. A railroad was built about a quarter mile from the town of Ypsilanti. A depot was built to serve the people of the town. Structures were built around the depot over time. It was named Depot Town for the depot, and it became the transportation and commercial center of Ypsilanti from what was once a farming community. It went through a fire in 1860 and the American Civil War, and it was also part of the Underground Railroad.
In the 1950’s, railroad traffic through Ypsilanti declined. Depot Town started to decline with it.
Today, Depot Town remains. Many of the structures now house retail stores and cafes. The old freight house remains, and an old New York Central caboose sits nearby. An old abandoned depot sits across the tracks. Along with the stores and cafes, there is also a riverfront park along the Huron River.
Ypsilanti, Michigan is east of Detroit on Interstate 94 or from Michigan Route 12. Depot Town is on the northeastern section of the town at the intersection of E Cross Street and N River Street.
The next time you are in Detroit, make you way to Ypsilanti. Make your way to Depot Town.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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