Ypsilanti Water Tower

From ArborWiki

Most. Phallic. Building. Ever.

Located at the highest point of elevation of the city on Summit Street, the Ypsilanti Water Tower is no longer in practical use but remains an important local landmark. It is only open to the public one day a year during the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. For Christmas it is decorated with lights.
Long known locally for its suggestive shape, a recent article in Cabinet Magazine deemed it to be the World's Most Phallic Building. Many simply call it the "Ypsi Dick" or the "brick dick."
The text of the historical marker at the base of the tower, as given on MichMarkers.com:

Day laborers constructed this water tower which was completed in 1890 at a cost of $21,435.63. The tower and the city waterworks supplied 471 customers the first year. An ordinance passed on April 14, 1898, established a yearly rate schedule. Rates were based on the number of faucets in use, the type of business that customers operated and the livestock they owned. A residence with one tap was charged $5.00; a private bathtub cost an additional $2.00. Saloon keepers paid $7.00 for one faucet, $3.00 for each additional faucet and $1.00 for each billiard table. Each cow a person owned cost $1.00. People who failed to pay their bill were subject to a $50.00 and ninety days in the county jail. Until 1956 this structure was the only water tower in the Ypsilanti water system.

The Ypsilanti Water Tower was designed by William R. Coats and constructed as part of an elaborate city waterworks project that began in 1889. Located on the highest point in Ypsilanti, the tower was completed in 1890. It is 147 feet high and has an 85-foot base constructed of Joliet limestone. The substructure walls taper from a thickness of forty inches at the bottom to 24 inches at the top. The reservoir holds a 250,000-gallon steel tank. To protect themselves from injury, the builders made three stone crosses; one is visible over the west door. The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority has operated and maintained the structure since 1974. In 1975 this tower was designated by the American Water Works Association as an American Water Landmark. It was restored in 1976.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Strange Random Encounter Whilst Driving

I just had the strangest random encounter ever. The backstory is: I haven't gotten an oil change since I moved to my current city of Ypsilanti this past April. I've finally hit the number on my oil change place's sticker, so I guess I'm due. However, I don't want to drive 15 miles east to go to my old place. It was an independently owned business, and I'm not familiar with oil change places otherwise. I did a Google search but that didn't help much. I've passed an oil change place many times on Michigan Avenue, but didn't know the name of the place. So yea, I got dressed and drove over there just to find out what the place's name was. As an FYI, I tried the streetview on Google Maps and that didn't help.

Anyway, I was driving south on Hamilton, which is a one way road going south. I was in the right lane, but needed to get in the left lane to turn onto Michigan Avenue. There was a car next to me almost the whole way on Hamilton and matched me in speed, so I couldn't pass. As I was getting closer to Michigan Avenue, I quickly speeded up and cut in front of the car and got into the left turn lane. I then continued east from there through Downtown Ypsilanti.

As I was exiting Downtown, I turned my head to look at the car who had caught up at that point and was driving next to me. It was a guy named Chris who I'd gone to elementary and high school together! He was a pretty weird guy, but he wasn't a loner. I'm sure I had a "mind = blown" face on because it was an amazing coincidence that I'd see him out in Ypsilanti at 1am of all places and times. I'm sure I waved and kept driving.

As I passed the Dairy Queen, I realised the car was keeping pace with me. I glanced over and saw Chris motioning for me to roll my window down. The brief conversation went something like this, going 40mph and speaking loudly to speak over with the wind blowing past:

CHRIS: I knew it was you - YpsiGuy! Do you remember me?!

ME: Chris!

CHRIS: What are you doing out here?! Drinking?!

ME: No! I go to school out here!

CHRIS: Good!

As we continued east, there was traffic, so we didn't end up side-by-side at the next light. I passed the oil change place, but this got me distracted. I wanted to lose them, so I turned right as they continued straight... Well at the time, I lost track of which of the cars was theirs. A light-coloured car turned with me, so I made an unplanned turn into a Taco Bell and got a bean burrito. I made sure to check the name of the oil change place on the way back home.

It's "The Oil Exchange" by the way.