Rob Ewing, the principal realtor at Ewing Professionals, wants people to know that he’s focused on celebrating, not just selling, Ann Arbor. He is producing a video series to share the spirit of the community.
The latest video in the series, “Along the Banks of the Huron”, features breathtaking imagery of the Ann Arbor parks system as well as interviews with Colin Smith, Manager of the City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department, and Al Gallup, the son of famed Ann Arbor Parks Superintendent Eli Gallup.
The video was produced in partnership with Ewings’s son Stephen’s production company, Digital Agent, Reinhart Realtors, City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation, and Ann Arbor State Bank.
“Some people would think, ‘why would I produce a video that isn’t about me?’ But this type of thing (covering the spirit of the community) is relevant to many more people,” said Stephen Ewing.
People in Ann Arbor truly care about their parks system, but how familiar are they with the history that took place right here? With spring around the corner, here’s a little test about the history of Ann Arbor parks. It’s time to get excited about exploring the outdoors here in town.
Good luck!
- A moraine is a collection of debris that was carried by a glacier (in this case, the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which used to blanket much of Canada and Michigan) and left over when the glacier retreated.Can you name one of the two moraines in the Ann Arbor River Corridor?
- Approximately how many square feet of park space is there per citizen in Ann Arbor parks?
- Ann Arbor’s first board of park commissioners convened in 1905. Who was on the board?
- What was Ann Arbor’s first park and when was it opened?
- What famous landscape architecture firm came to Ann Arbor in 1920 to lay out a plan for the city’s parks?
- What University of Michigan alum was the first superintendent of Ann Arbor parks?
- What was Burns Park originally used for?
- Why was the ring of elm trees planted at Burns Park?
- “The Rock” at Washington park was erected by WPA workers from a quarry that is now what modern park?
- At which park can you find a marked Native American Trail that once traversed the entire river valley?
The quiz questions were compiled by Stephen. His production company, Digital Agent, produced the “Discover Ann Arbor” and “Along the Banks of the Huron” videos, with Stephen doing all of the filming, interviewing, and general legwork.
Answers: 1.) Ann Arbor’s two moraines are the Defiance moraine and the Fort Wayne moraine. 2.)Approximately 1,400 square feet of park space per citizen 3.) Royal Copeland, George Burns, David Allmendinger, H.W. Douglas, and Levi Wines 4.) Hanover Park 5.) The Olmsted Brothers company, formed by John and Frederick Olmsted Jr. The brothers helped form the National Park Service and designed many well-known parks and campuses, including the University of Notre Dame. Their father, Frederick Olmsted Sr., along with his partners, designed Central Park in New York. 6.) Eli Gallup 7.) Burns Park used to be the site of the old County Fairgrounds. 8.) At a memorial to the race track that once stood in its place 9.) “The Rock” is a chunk of Canadian limestone from Olson Park. It was originally placed in 1932 in celebration of George Washington’s 200th birthday. 10.) West Park
