Kerrytown in Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Departing Heroes and the Home Front

Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 30, 2020

1. Departing Heroes and the Home Front Marker

Inscription.
Little more than four weeks after the sinking of the battleship Maine, volunteers in Company A of the Michigan National Guard posed on the courthouse steps on April 26, 1898, before leaving to fight in the Spanish-American War.

Although Company A saw no combat in Cuba, they were nonetheless greeted as heroes on their return to Ann Arbor in May 1899. Citizens raised $3000 toward the purchase of a local armory as a gift to them, and city council appropriated $300 to buy medals for all who had served in the war.

Like virtually every other American city, town, and village, Ann Arbor sponsored recycling campaigns during World War II to gather valuable materials for the war effort. Rubber tires, motor oil, and metal were just some of the materials gathered.

Months before the formal entry of the U.S. into the war in 1941, bins were erected on Courthouse Square for the collection of aluminum, a critically important resource in industrial war production.

Photos courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library & The Ann Arbor News

Erected by Ann Arbor Historical Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, Spanish-American • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is April 26, 1898.

Location. 42°

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16.899′ N, 83° 44.901′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in Kerrytown. Marker is at the intersection of North Main Street and East Huron Street, on the right when traveling north on North Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 East Huron Street, Ann Arbor MI 48104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Courthouse Square: A Center of Civic Life (here, next to this marker); Politics and Processions on Courthouse Square (here, next to this marker); Architecture & Business on Courthouse Square (a few steps from this marker); Hospitality on Courthouse Square (a few steps from this marker); Michigan Becomes a State (a few steps from this marker); Building New Around Old: The Construction of the Present Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The Last Deposit (within shouting distance of this marker); A Landmark of Civic Pride on Courthouse Square (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ann Arbor.

Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 30, 2020

2. Departing Heroes and the Home Front Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 133 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 12, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.