| If the first half of "Ann Arbor" almost surely came from
at least one wife's first name, the other half of the city's name, "Arbor"
is a little more troublesome. The theory
that it refers to a grape arbor where the women supposedly reclined
has been debunked by Professor Russel Bidlack as shown in his 1962 paper
on the founding of the city: |
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A number of writers have assumed that there must have
been an arbor of wild grape vines that served as a shelter for Allen and
the Rumseys while they built their cabins. The word arbor, however, was
commonly used in the 19th century simply to describe a grove or shady spot.4
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| The truth of the matter may never be known since no historical
evidence in the form of diaries or letters from the founding fathers or
those directly connected with them has been found that simply states how
the name came about. Apparently, Allen had thought of, then discarded,
other names for the village such as Annapolis or Allenville. But being
a man of ambition, he probably wanted an original name, and thus discarded
these choices, already in use elsewhere. In any case, the name Ann Arbor
is the only one like it throughout the world. Though the origin of the
name still provokes discussion and theorizing among Ann Arborites, the
originality of the title gives distinction to town and its citizens. 1. |
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