Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 5, 2008



Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. It is the state's seventh-largest city with a population of 114,024 as of the 2000 census, of which 36,892 (32%) are college or graduate students. Believed to be named for the spouses of the city's founders and for the stands of trees in the area, Ann Arbor is the site of the main campus of the University of Michigan, which moved from Detroit in 1837. The city's economy is currently dominated by education, high tech, and biotechnology. Average home prices and property taxes are well above the state and national medians. The city is also known for its large number of restaurants and performance venues. Ann Arbor was founded in January 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey, both of whom were land speculators. On May 25, 1824, the town plot was registered with Wayne County as "Annarbour". The city became the seat of Washtenaw County in 1827, and was incorporated as a village in 1833. The town became a regional transportation hub in 1839 with the arrival of the Michigan Central Railroad, and was chartered as a city in 1851. During the 1960s and 1970s, the city gained a reputation as a center for liberal politics. (more...)

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