Ann Arbor, Michigan the 1960s and 1970s, the city gained other hand, Ann Arbor has
other hand, Ann Arbor has increas-
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state
of Michigan and the county seat of
Washtenaw County. It is the state's
seventh largest city with a population
of 114,024 as of the 2000 Census, of
which 36,892 (32%) are university or
college students. The city, which is part
of the Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI
CSA, is named after the spouses of the
city's founders and for the stands of
trees in the area.
Ann Arbor was founded in January
1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rum-
sey, both of whom were land specula-
tors. On May 25, 1824, the town plot
was registered with Wayne County as
"Annarbour". The city became the seat
of Washtenaw County in 1827, and
was incorporated as a village in 1833.
The town became a regional transpor-
tation hub in 1839 with the arrival of
the Michigan Central Railroad, and
was chartered as a city in 1851. During
a reputation as a center for liberal
politics. During the 20th century, the
economy of Ann Arbor underwent
a gradual shift from a manufacturing
base to a service and technology base,
which accelerated in the 1970s and
1980s.
Ann Arbor is home to the University
of Michigan, established in 1837. As
the dominant institution of higher
learning in the city and one of the top
public universities in the world, the
university provides Ann Arbor with
a distinct college-town atmosphere.
The university shapes Ann Arbor's
economy significantly as it employs
about 30,000 workers, including
about 7,500 in the medical center.
The city's economy is also centered
on high-technology, with several
companies drawn to the area by the
university's research and development
money, and by its graduates. On the
ingly found itself grappling with the
effects of sharply rising land values
and gentrification, as well as urban
sprawl stretching far into the outlying
countryside.
Many Ann Arbor cultural attractions
and events are sponsored by the Uni-
versity of Michigan. Several perform-
ing arts groups and facilities are on
the university's campus, as are mu-
seums dedicated to art, archaeology,
and natural history and sciences (see
Museums at the University of Michi-
gan). Regional and local performing
arts groups not associated with the
university include the Ann Arbor Civ-
ic Theatre; the Arbor Opera Theater;
the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra;
the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater; the
Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established
in 1954 as Michigan's first chartered
ballet company); and Performance
 Sunday Morning by Carl Milles in
Ann Arbor

Customer Service
Center(Located diagonally across
the street from City Hall)

City Center Building, 1st Floor

220 East Huron
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 994-2700
Fax: (734) 994-1765
Network, which operates a downtown E-mail: customerservice@a2gov.
theater frequently offering new or org
nontraditional plays.The Ann Arbor
Hands-On Museum, located in a reno-
vated and expanded historic downtown
fire station, contains more than 250
interactive exhibits featuring science
and technology. Multiple art galleries
exist in the city, notably in the down-
town area and around the University of
Michigan campus. Aside from a large
restaurant scene in the Main Street,
South State Street, and South Univer-
sity Avenue areas, Ann Arbor ranks
first among U.S. cities in the number of
booksellers and books sold per capita.
The Ann Arbor District Library main-
tains four branch outlets in addition to
its main downtown building; in 2008
a new branch building replaced the
branch located in Plymouth Mall. This
new branch is called the Traverwood
Branch, and opened on June 30, 2008.
Ann Arbor
The city is also home to the Gerald R.
Ford Presidential Library. Michigan