The Era of Railroads and Mills: 1860-1910

In a classic story of nineteenth century industrial development, Ann Arbor accumulated wealth during the era of Railroads and Mills, profiting from the industries that were founded along the Huron River. Population grew as the mills, factories, and slaughterhouses in the Fourth Ward and Lower Town provided work for new immigrants. Money came back to Ann Arbor from manufactured goods that the railroad carried throughout the country. Yet the wealth took root in the uphill neighborhoods and University areas, which bloomed with culture and beauty, in contrast to the filthy and foul-smelling industrial neighborhoods downhill, along the river. Working people were subjected to factory pollution, slaughterhouse stenches, gases from the gasworks, and burning coal from the railroad. The site that becomes Broadway Park is at this time occupied by streets, row houses, and shacks.

The Argo Milling Company