|
|
Perhaps most Ann Arborites experience the Huron River as a place for leisure and social gatherings. The parks that line the banks of the Huron today are the result of a long tradition that values the river for recreation, sociability, and meditation.
The river was a center of social life early in this century. Residents, students, families and friends gathered together along the banks to swim, canoe and escape the summer heat. Before TV, movies, and other forms of modern indoor entertainment, the river acted as magnet for those seeking entertainment or relaxation. It was the site of annual tug-of-war contests, picnics and band
concerts. The Boulevard, Cascade Glen, School Girls' Glen, Lover's Lane, and Picnic Island, were all familiar Huron nameplaces for the Ann Arbor community. C.V. Wurster, a resident of Ann Arbor in the early 20th century, bluntly pointed out the draw of the river:
Hundreds of people, whole families, would spend Sunday afternoons walking along the Michigan Central Railroad tracks along the Huron River. And then often they would often walk in the woods, too. There was nothing else to do. No entertainment...
Historical collections of personal materials which include scrapbooks, diaries, and letters can give us an interesting personal perspective what daily life was like in the past. Many of the personal collections of Ann Arbor residents are filled with photographs, letters, and diaries alluding to the river.
George Washington Pray, a student in the first graduating class of the university, mentions walks through the woods and along the river frequently in his diary. In one entry from July 23, 1844 he wrote,
In the evening I went walking with friend Perry. We went through my favorite wood among the hills and valleys about 1 1/2 miles to a beautiful place by the river. On the high bank we could stand and look far off into the surrounding country. The sun was just setting and it gilded every thing around with its golden beams. Before us was the river winding along its shady banks with soothing murmurs and far off stretched scenery diversified with hills and woods with houses and fields all glittering in the setting sun. After enjoying this a little we went down to the banks of the river stripped and went in. After a good play in the water we slowly returned to the University enjoying the cool breezes of the lovely evening.
Community recreation on the river was not always harmonious, however. Whenever groups of people gather together, they are bound to have disagreements about what is considered appropriate in a public setting. As one of the most popular sources of entertainment in the growing village, the Huron's banks drew increasing numbers of citizens in search of an escape from the summer heat. One such letter protesting public behavior was sent to the Ann Arbor Courier, a popular local newspaper, in the summer of 1889.
The Huron River served as artistic inspiration for area residents and visitors alike. Women's dance groups used the river as a focus for their "modern" dance early in the 20th century.
