Ferry Field, Ann Arbor Mich 1904, photo courtesy Library of Congress
The University of Michigan Wolverines will play their first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium this Saturday at 8 PM, so I figured it would be a good time to look back at UM’s stadium history. The Michigan Stadium story at the UM Bentley Library says that “student agitation” for better facilities and concerns over holding football games at the Ann Arbor Fairgrounds led to:
In October 1890 the Board of Regents authorized expenditure of $3,000 to acquire land for athletic uses. A ten acre parcel along South State street, approximately where Schembechler Hall now stands, was purchased in 1891. At their May 1891 meeting, the Regents appropriated $4,500 “for the purpose of fitting up the athletic field.”
Michigan christened the field on October 7, 1893 with a 6-0 victory over the Detroit Athletic Club. In 1902, Dexter Ferry donated land immediately north of Regents Field to the university and it was renamed Ferry Field.
Regents Field was home field for several of Michigan’s greatest teams and individual stars. Center William Cunningham was named Michigan’s first All-American in 1898. Neil Snow, end and fullback, was an All-American in 1901, four time All-Western, and star of the first Rose Bowl, also excelled on the Regents Field track and baseball diamond, earning 10 varsity letters. The incomparable halfback Willie Heston, twice an All-American, scored many of his school record 72 touchdowns at Regents Field.
Michigan compiled an overall record of 87 wins 2 losses and 3 ties at Regents/Ferry Field between 1893 and 1905. Fielding Yost’s great “point-a-minute” teams of 1901-1905 went 44-0 at Regents Field, outscoring their opponents 2821-42. Possibly the greatest victory at Regents Field came in the 1904 Chicago game. Michigan beat the previously undefeated team of Amos Alonzo Stagg 22-12 to win the Western Conference title and be proclaimed national champion.
By curious coincidence, that game (which appears in the photo above) was filmed by the Edison Company in one of the earliest successful attempts to film a football game! Click here to view the video!!
The UM v Chicago game was played November 12, 1904 and had an attendance of 13,500. The U of M/Notre Dame game is expected to draw over 111,000 people. You can see another view of Ferry Field at the Library of Congress.
Many more shots can be found at the Michigan Stadium entry and the Ferry Field entry on Wikipedia and more about the University of Michigan on Michigan in Pictures!
Kicking back on the Kalamazoo
September 5, 2011
The View From My Kayak “Hazy Day’s of Summer”, photo by Mark Workman
Mark says that he got to enjoy yet another summer sunset on Big Daily’s Bayou off the Kalamazoo River.
Check it out bigger and in Mark’s The View from My Kayak Slideshow.
Wave Goodbye to Summer!
September 3, 2011
Summer Fun……, photo by smiles7
Look out! The end of summer is crashing over the breakwall, and about 1.2 million Michiganders are hitting the road for Labor Day Weekend. If you’re one of them (or even if you’re not), you might want to check out Pure Michigan’s Labor Day Weekend page. Lots of fun stuff there from Arts, Beats & Eats in Royal Oak, the Detroit Jazz Festival to the Fat Tire Festival way up in Copper Harbor.
Of course there’s also the Mackinac Bridge Walk and numerous Labor Day parades and observances.
You don’t really need any plans of course, throw a cooler or tent in the car and get out and grab a little summer before it’s gone!
Check this photo out bigger and in Julie’s Charlevoix slideshow.
Morning’s Canvas
September 2, 2011
Sometimes, the sunrise is enough. Here’s hoping this morning and this weekend smile upon you…
Check this out bigger and in Wendy’s slideshow.
2011 Detroit Jazz Festival this weekend!
September 1, 2011
Detroit Jazz Fest receives $100,000 from Knight Foundation to support DJF’s Jazz Planet, photo by Knight Foundation.
“This weekend, for me and everyone I’ve spoken with was the epitome of how a jazz festival can feel, with an entire city and international audience bringing their love and positively together with an expansive family of musicians… and it was all real jazz.” ~Jazz pianist Benny Green
The annual Detroit Internations Jazz Festival was founded in 1980. It is completely free and starts tomorrow. They say:
Voted one of the top three jazz festivals in North America in national jazz publications this year, the 32nd Detroit Jazz Festival continues to demonstrate how much jazz shines as a symbol of freedom and democracy all over the world this Labor Day weekend, Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5.
Subtitled “We Bring You the World,” artists from Benin, Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Japan and the Netherlands will convene in Detroit at the world’s largest free jazz festival. Performers include: Toots Thielemans, Dave Holland, Luciana Souza, Gary Burton, Ivan Lins, Paquito D’Rivera, Angélique Kidjo, Kevin Eubanks, Vijay Iyer, Vinicius Cantuária, Joe Lovano, Mandrill, Chuck Jackson, Deacon Jones Blues Revue, Steve Wilson, U.S. Airforce Airmen of Note with Joe Locke, Anthony Wilson, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sammy Figueroa, Tony Monaco, Richie Goods, Rahsaan Patterson, Sean Jones, and Christian McBride with Ernie Andrews and the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, this year presented by MotorCity Casino Hotel.
While artists are visiting from across the globe, some of Detroit’s own jazz artists will be coming home. The Detroit-born Dianne Reeves, Geri Allen, Regina Carter, Curtis Fuller, Robert Hurst and Karriem Riggins will prove once again that, based on the talent that comes from southeast Michigan, there must be something in the water. The festival will also recognize Detroit’s big band tradition with a J.C. Heard tribute band led by Walt Szymanski, and the music of Detroit’s Jean Goldkette played by Josh Duffee & his Orchestra.
The Detroit News reports that Jazz Fest typically draws 250,000 people and their webcasts at www.livestream.com/jazzplanettv are seen by almost three times that many!
Speaking of DJF’s Jazz Planet, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to help the festival reach a global audience. Check this photo out bigger and if you’re near the D this weekend, definitely check out Jazz Fest!!
