AADL Talks To: Bob and Patty Creal, Lifelong Ann Arborites and Washtenaw County History Society Board Members

Fri, 04/04/2025 - 12:42pm

Robert and Patty Creal, married 63 years this summer, are both board members for the Washtenaw County Historical Society with deep family roots in the Ann Arbor area. In this wide-ranging interview, Bob, a retired lawyer, and Patty, a former teacher, talk about their parents' and grandparents' Ann Arbor. They also paint a vivid portrait of Ann Arbor during the 1940s and 1950s with stories of growing up on opposite sides of town during the World War II era of rationing and Victory Gardens to a courtship involving no less than two iconic Ann Arbor institutions. Bob also discusses the signal achievements of his father, Cecil O. Creal, who served as mayor of Ann Arbor from 1959-1965.

There Went The Neighborhood - Studio Interview: Shirley Beckley

Wed, 08/07/2024 - 1:48pm

Shirley Beckley attended Jones School from 1948 to 1950, and she became involved with the Ann Arbor Public Schools in the 1960s as a parent and ombudsman. She witnessed racism against her children and other students, including a race riot at Pioneer High School.

This interview was filmed during the making of the documentary film There Went The Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School, produced by the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio. More interviews are available in the There Went The Neighborhood Interview Archive.

There Went The Neighborhood - Studio Interview: Roger Brown

Wed, 08/07/2024 - 1:47pm

Roger Brown grew up in “The Old Neighborhood” and has vivid memories of playing in Summit Park next to a junkyard and slaughterhouse. He attended Jones School from 1963 to 1965, and he remembers his friends being bused to several different schools after its closure.

This interview was filmed during the making of the documentary film There Went The Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School, produced by the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio. More interviews are available in the There Went The Neighborhood Interview Archive.

AADL Talks To: Steve Adams, Longtime Borders Books & Music Employee

Sun, 02/25/2024 - 6:09pm

Steve Adams was born, raised -- and still lives -- in Ann Arbor, and he can trace his family's local roots back to the Civil War. In this episode, Steve recalls growing up in the historic Black neighborhood near Mack Elementary School, and a progressive teacher at that time, Allene Green, whom he credits with having a major influence on his life. Steve recounts his connection to several iconic Ann Arbor institutions: Pioneer High School during the school's division into Ann Arbor's second high school, Huron High; the Del Rio restaurant and other local music clubs and venues; the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festivals; and, in particular, Border's Book Shop, where he worked for 32 years, from 1974-2006.

AACHM Oral History: Alice Brennan-Key

Thu, 06/29/2023 - 4:34pm

Alice Brennan-Key was born in Ann Arbor in 1953. Her parents met in Florida after her father immigrated from the Bahamas, and they moved to Ann Arbor in the 1940s. Brennan-Key grew up on Gott Street, next door to her current residence. She has seen the neighborhood change over the years due to gentrification. She went to Michigan State University as an undergraduate and received her master’s in social work from the University of Michigan. She spent most of her career working with developmentally disabled and mentally ill residents of Washtenaw County. She raised her daughter Khyla in Ann Arbor.

View historical materials.