Depot Town in Ypsilanti in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Barracks ⎯⎯⎯ Ypsilanti in the Civil War
Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 2, 2017
1. The Barracks Marker Side
Inscription.
The Barracks, also, Ypsilanti in the Civil War. .
The Barracks. When the Civil War began in 1861, this corner site housed a commercial building called the Norris Block. Its location across the street from the railroad station made it an ideal place for short-term lodging for enlistees waiting to be sent off to battle, and locals soon dubbed it "The Barracks." The Ypsilanti Light Guard, a local militia company that became Company H, First Michigan Infantry, stayed here in the spring of 1861. They mustered in Detroit on May 1 and arrived in Washington, D.C., on May 16. Recruits for the Fourteenth Michigan Infantry, including 129 men from Washtenaw County, spent six months here from September 1861 to February 1862 while the regiment's ranks were filled. The Fourteenth first saw action as part of the siege of Corinth, Mississippi.
Ypsilanti in the Civil War. More than 4,000 soldiers from Washtenaw County served during the Civil War. Hundreds bivouacked here, in the Norris Block, before mustering into service. More than thirty men who were students or graduates of the Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) joined Company E of the Seventeenth Michigan Infantry in 1862. Their first action was at South Mountain in Maryland. In December 1863, the First Michigan Colored Infantry stopped here as part of its state-wide recruiting drive. In 1902 veterans of the Twenty-Seventh Michigan Infantry held their reunion here. Since the 1880s this site has been known as the Thompson Block and has had a variety of commercial uses.
The Barracks
When the Civil War began in 1861, this corner site housed a commercial building called the Norris Block. Its location across the street from the railroad station made it an ideal place for short-term lodging for enlistees waiting to be sent off to battle, and locals soon dubbed it "The Barracks." The Ypsilanti Light Guard, a local militia company that became Company H, First Michigan Infantry, stayed here in the spring of 1861. They mustered in Detroit on May 1 and arrived in Washington, D.C., on May 16. Recruits for the Fourteenth Michigan Infantry, including 129 men from Washtenaw County, spent six months here from September 1861 to February 1862 while the regiment's ranks were filled. The Fourteenth first saw action as part of the siege of Corinth, Mississippi.
Ypsilanti in the Civil War
More than 4,000 soldiers from Washtenaw County served during the Civil War. Hundreds bivouacked here, in the Norris Block, before mustering into service. More than thirty men who were students or graduates of the Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) joined Company E of the Seventeenth Michigan
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Infantry in 1862. Their first action was at South Mountain in Maryland. In December 1863, the First Michigan Colored Infantry stopped here as part of its state-wide recruiting drive. In 1902 veterans of the Twenty-Seventh Michigan Infantry held their reunion here. Since the 1880s this site has been known as the Thompson Block and has had a variety of commercial uses.
Erected 2012 by Michigan Historical Commission-Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number S724.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1862.
Location. 42° 14.768′ N, 83° 36.508′ W. Marker is in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in Depot Town. It is at the intersection of North River Street and East Cross Street, on the right when traveling north on North River Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 North River Street, Ypsilanti MI 48198, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast
Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 2, 2017
2. Ypsilanti in the Civil War Marker Side
Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
3. Norris Block, "The Barracks," or Thompson Block building
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, June 10, 2025
4. The Barracks / Ypsilanti in the Civil War Marker
The marker has stayed in close proximity but the "barracks" have been converted into a restaurant.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 3, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 2,182 times since then and 142 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 3, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 4. submitted on June 26, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A clear photo of the marker's current location with the old Barracks building (now a restaurant) in context. • Can you help?
