As DetroitDvotion nears its 4th anniversary, Kris and I thought it would be fun to go back to one of the places we wrote about in the beginning. Today we are revisiting Ypsilanti, just 35 miles west of Detroit, 6 miles east of Ann Arbor, it’s a short drive and always makes for an interesting day. Ypsi is probably best known as the home of Eastern Michigan University, here are a few other notable facts: The B-24 Bomber Plant was located here at Willow Run, later, that same plant produced Kaiser Frazer automobiles, followed by production of a number of GM vehicles and their Hydramatic Division. In 1960 Tom Monaghan founded Domino’s Pizza as DomiNicks Pizza at 507 W Cross St. In 1929 Miller Motors Hudson opens, it is now the last remaining Hudson Dealership in the world and our first stop in town.
What used to be Miller Motors is now the National Hudson Motor Car Company Museum located within the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum; automobiles from each of Hudson’s five decades are on display. The museum tells the stories of Kaiser Frazer, Tucker, Hudson and General Motors Willow Run. You need not know anything about cars to enjoy this museum, between the beautiful automobiles, attractive displays and great stories, you’re sure to be entertained. Vintage signs hang from the ceiling, photos and drawings line the walls, engines and transmissions are on display, showcases are packed with memorabilia; the vehicles themselves are the star attractions. Hood ornaments are serious attention-getters, dashboards are gussied up with chrome details, Kaiser models look ready for a roadtrip, the cargo area is varnished wood.
A pale blue 1952 Hudson Hornet #92 is a visitor favorite; a NASCAR champion driven by Herb Thomas, his story is the inspiration for the 2006 Pixar film “Cars”. Hudson Hornets won 27 out of 34 NASCAR Stock Car races. We move through the decades from open carriage vehicles right through the 1970’s with a cool green 1974 GTO. One area features the Tucker story, Preston Tucker lived about 4 blocks from the museum, the home has been restored and you can drive by it and take photos. The 1946 Tucker touted safety features such as a rear engine, center headlight and pop-out windshield. There are great photos of the family and props from the movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
Up in the loft area we see a personal view of Ypsi; a showcase is filled with jackets, jerseys and trophies won by local sports teams sponsored by Hudson dealerships. Mechanic’s overalls, plaques, scale cars are all nestled into the small space. We overlook the main floor, a banner announces the new Terraplane, once popular names such as Rambler, Nash and Essex are recalled. back downstairs, there’s a sleek black Essex Terraplane 6, the 1929 Hudson Roadster in the Showroom is stunning. Throughout the space old gas pumps, neon signs and banners add to the atmosphere, a white 1954 Kaiser Darrin and a red Corvair are parked lengthwise against a row of Kaisers.
Hydramatic transmissions fill the front room, operations were moved to the Willow Run plant after fire destroyed GM’s Detroit Transmission Plant in Livonia. Hydramatic manufactured automatic transmissions for 11 automobile companies outside GM’s own divisions, including Rolls Royce. In 57 years, 82 million automatic transmissions were built there. During the Viet Nam War M16 Rifles and aircraft cannons were also manufactured at that site. Willow Run Assembly produced the Corvair from 1959-69, it also manufactured Nova, Ventura, Omega, the 1974 GTO and other models for Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet, I told you there was some amazing history here! On a sad note, after GM’s restructuring, the plant closed in 2010…..Ugh.
Over on West Michigan Ave we’re going to look at some more old stuff at Materials Unlimited, an architectural salvage store. I could wander around this place for hours. The selection of antique lighting is extraordinary; straight from mansions, ballrooms and historic homes, pieces run the gamut from humble to extravagant. Candle wall sconces, ceiling fixtures powered by gas or electricity and table lamps that range in style from Neoclassical, Victorian, French, Colonial Revival to Louis XVI. Materials are antique brass, wrought iron and cut crystal. I’m a fan of colored glass; blue opal, cranberry, rose and amber are just some of my favorites.
Everything in the store is beautiful! Items are neatly arranged and organized; individual pieces wear tags listing the origin, era and in some cases where it came out of, I stop and read every tag on the pieces I like the most. Glass shades are neatly arranged on shelves, brass door knobs and back plates are lined up in rows. Stained glass is displayed in the large front windows, one piece by Karl J Mueller has a price tag of $24,750.00. Crates of hardware seem endless; bronze mail slots, ice box hinges, pulls, knobs and door knockers can all be found here. Dining room sets feature enormously long tables, crystal wine glasses and decanters are lovely.
Some areas are set up as vignettes; fireplace mantels and surrounds are decorated with andirons, chenets and beveled mirrors. Bathroom furnishings such as sinks and toilets are available in an array of colors, doors and windows come in every shape and size. Standing, neck craned, reading a tag, Kris comes and finds me to show me a piece he knows I’ll love, a black and white, Italian marble, double sink and vanity that belonged to the Fisher family. The marble is exotic, the faucet and spigot, a work of art. It was purchased for their home in Palmer Woods, they took it when they moved out and now it’s here for sale in Ypsi, check out the photo.
All this browsing has made us hungry, just up the street we stop in at Dalat for a late lunch. Both of us like Vietnamese food, but are not necessarily big fans of Pho; the menu here is HUGE, so much more to offer than a big bowl of soup. Our server greeted us quickly with menus and asks us what we want to drink; she returns with a pot of tea, answers our questions and takes our lunch order. We start with a fresh roll served with a tasty peanut sauce. A short while later our entrée’s arrive, since I’m not fluent in Vietnamese I can’t tell you the exact name of the dishes we had, but, what I can tell you is the food was delightful, fresh and tasty. A noodle dish; chopped romaine lettuce, chunks of egg roll, tender strips of seasoned beef and shrimp over steamed noodles. The other was a large, crispy crepe of sorts, yellow in color it was stuffed with shrimp, chicken and stir-fried vegetables. Portions are big but prices are not, each entrée was about $7.
We drive around the city a little bit before heading home, Ypsi is loaded with beautiful architecture, there’s a quirky charm about Michigan Avenue, parts of it look like time has stood still—-I like that. Cities are like people, no two are exactly the same, each has its own personality and that’s what makes exploring them so much fun.
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