The choir of Brown AME, 1920s. Ypsilanti Historical Society.
This page contains original, scanned newspaper articles covering the period from 1865 until 1920 concerning Ypsilanti’s Brown Chapel AME Church. While many of these are simple announcements or seemingly mundane, taken together they paint a vivid picture of the life and activity of the church and the community it served.
Brown Chapel was among the most respected African American institutions and rarely subject to the public disrespect afforded too many blacks by the white press, however, the language and content of these stories, taken directly from period newspapers, is sometimes derisive and racist. Though the articles are presented without commentary, readers are asked to pay attention to how reporting in the local press changes as the years progress and the gains won in the Civil War era are overturned.
The newspapers were accessed through microfilm at various libraries and archives. The Ypsilanti Public Library, The Ypsilanti Historical Society, The Library of Michigan as well as Eastern Michigan University’s Halle Library all have Ypsilanti newspapers. They include:
Ypsilanti True Democrat, 1864-1865. Changed to Ypsilanti Commercial in 1865 and published, with some interruptions, until 1906.
Ypsilanti Sentinel published from the 1840s until it merged to form the above Commercial in 1865.
Ypsilanti Daily Press, published from 1905-1920.
The Ypsilantian, published from 1880-1912.
Ypsilanti Recorder, published from 1916-1920.
September 28, 1894. Commercial.
June 9, 1894. Commercial.
April 21, 1894. Commercial.
December 22, 1893. Commercial.
September 22, 1893. Commercial.
April 31, 1893. Commercial.
February 3, 1893. Commercial.
April 15, 1892. Commercial.
October 2, 1891. Commercial.
April 8, 1864. Commercial.
September 18, 1918. Daily Press.
August 3, 1918. Daily Press.
August 7, 1918. Daily Press.
July 27, 1917. Daily Press.
June 20, 1918. Daily Press.
June 17, 1918. Daily Press.
April 26, 1918. Daily Press.
April 5, 1918. Daily Press.
April 21, 1918. Daily Press.
April 16, 1918. Daily Press.
Novemebr 24, 1917. Daily Press.
Octiber 22, 1917. Daily Press.
October 18, 1917. Daily Press.
October 20, 1917. Daily Press.
Septeber 28, 1917. Daily Press.
October 5, 1917. Daily Press.
August 7, 1917. Daily Press.
July 31, 1917. Daily Press.
June 22, 1917. Daily Press.
May 10, 1917. Daily Press.
April 28, 1917. Daily Press.
February 13, 1917. Daily Press.
Decemebr 28, 1916. Daily Press.
Novemebr 22, 1917. Daily Press.
October 25, 1916. DailyPress.
September 18, 1916. Daily Press.
July 11, 1916. Daily Press.
July 12, 1916. Daily Press.
July 18, 1916. Daily Press.
July 7, 1916. Daily Press.
May 8, 1916. Daily Press.
June 10, 1916. Daily Press.
June 6, 1916. Daily Press.
May 22, 1916 Daily Press. Part One.
April 24, 1916. Daily Press.
Jany 26, 1916. Daily Press.
December 2, 1915. Daily Press.
December 3, 1915. Daily Press.
Novemebr 13, 1915. Daily Press.
Novemebr 14, 1915. Daily Press.
August 25, 1915. Daily Press.
August 2, 1915. Daily Press.
August 7, 1915. Daily Press.
July 27, 1915. Daily Press.
May 22, 1915. Daily Press.
May 24, 1915. Daily Press.
May 21, 1915. Daily Press.
May 11, 1915. Daily Press.
May 15, 1915. Daily Press.
March 1, 1915. Daily Press.
February, 6, 1902. Commercial.
October 13, 1914. Daily Press.
October 16, 1914. Daily Press.
June 27, 1914. Daily Press.
June 6, 1914. Daily Press.
June 10, 1914. Daily Press.
September 15, 1900. Commercial.
June 14, 1900. Commercial.
December 28, 1899. Commercial.
December 21, 1899. Commercial.
November 16, 1899. Commercial.
November 16, 1899. Commercial.
November 16, 1899. Commercial.
November 30, 1899. Commercial.
August 27, 1896. Ypsilantian.
May 22, 1914. Daily Press.
May 28, 1914. Daily Press.
May 17, 1914. Daily Press.
March 24, 1914. Daily Press.
April 16, 1913. Daily Press.
March 19, 1913. Daily Press.
May 23, 1874. Commercial.
April 4, 1874. Commercial.
March 7, 1874. Commercial.
January 24, 1874. Commercial.
Ocotber 4, 1873. Commercial.
Ocotber 25, 1873. Commercial.
May 5, 1873. Commercial.
June 7, 1873. Commercial.
May 10, 1873. Commercial.
May 31, 1873. Commercial.
March 1, 1873. Commercial.
April 19, 1873. Commercial.
March 23, 1872. Commercial.
April 15, 1871. Commercial.
July 30, 1871. Commercial.
January 31, 1913. Daily Press.
September 11, 1912. Commercial.
December 3, 1870. Commercial.
November 12, 1870. Commercial.
12 November 1870. Commercial.
August 6, 1870. Commercial.
Ocotber 27, 1870. Commercial.
May 15, 1870. Commercial.
August 14, 1869. Commercial.
August 14, 1869. Commercial.
September 1, 1892. Ypsilantian.
April 7, 1892. Ypsilantian.
February 18, 1891. Ypsilantian.
Ocotber 1, 1891. Ypsilantian.
August 20, 1891. Ypsilantian.
May 14, 1891. Ypsilantian.
February 27, 1891. Commercial.
June 13, 1890. Commercial.
May 31, 1889. Commercial.
August 26, 1912. Daily Press.
August 15, 1912. Daily Press.
July 8, 1912. Daily Press.
November 9, 1888. Commercial.
January 22, 1891. Ypsilantian.
August 17, 1888. Commercial.
July 20, 188. Commercial.
May 25, 1888. Commercial.
May 25, 1888. Commercial.
Ocotber 28, 1887. Commercial.
September 30, 1887. Commercial.
July 22, 1887. Commercial.
July 22m 1887. Commercial.
July 1, 1887. Commercial.
July 8, 1887. Commercial.
May 27, 1887. Commercial
May 27, 1887. Commercial.
April 11, 1887. Commercial.
Jany 7, 1887. Commercial.
December 24, 1886. Commercial.
December 3, 1886. Commercial.
November 29, 1886. Commercial.
September 10. 1886. Commercial.
September 17, 1886. Commercial.
October 22, 1886. Commercial.
August 27, 1886. Commercial.
Ocotber 29, 1886. COmmercial.
January 28, 1917. Daily Press.
April 9, 1886. Commercial.
December 26, 1911. Daily Press.
November 8, 1911. Daily Press.
August, 1885. Commercial.
September 17, 1885. Commercial.
April 25, 1885. Commercial.
November 22, 1884. Commercial.
Ocotber 11, 1884. Commercial.
August 23, 1884. Commercial.
July 19, 1884. Commercial.
May 17, 1884. Commercial.
May 17, 1884. Commercial.
December 15, 1883. Commercial.
December 22, 1883. Commercial.
Ocotber 13, 1883. Commercial.
August 4, 1883. Commercial.
July 21, 1883. Commercial.
July 28, 1883. Commercial.
June 23, 1883. Commercial.
June 23, 1883. Commercial.
Ocotber 21, 1882. Commercial.
July 8, 1882. Commercial.
July 22, 1882. Commercial.
May 27, 1882. Commercial.
April, 15, 1882. Commercial.
November 28, 1881. Commercial.
December 31, 1881. Commercial.
February 18, 1882. Commercial.
August 13, 1881. Commercial.
August 27, 1881. Commercial.
September 24, 1881. Commercial.
April 30, 1881. Commercial.
December 18, 1880. Commercial.
November 20, 1880. Commercial
August 21, 1880. Commercial.
June 12, 1880. Commercial.
June 26, 1880. Commercial.
May 1880, Commercial.
May 29,1880. Commercial.
February 13, 1879. COmmercial.
October 24, 1874. Commercial.
April 21, 1887. Commercial.
April 28, 1877. COmmercial.
July 21, 1877. COmmercial.
December 13, 1876. Commercial.
August 3, 1879.
August 19, 1877. COmmercial.
August 30, 1878. Commercial.
December 1877, Commercial.
December 29, 1877. Commercial.
July 28, 1877. Part Four. Commercial.
July 23, 1878. Commercial.
July 1877. Commercial.
July 13, 1878. COmmercial.
July 21, 1877. Commercial.
July 23, 1878. Commercial.
July 27, 1878. Commercial.
July 28, 1877. Part Two. Commercial.
July 28, 1877. Part One. Commercial.
July 28, 1877. Part Three Commercial.
June 12, 1878. Commercial.
May 25, 1878. Commercial.
November 3, 1877. Commercial.
November 9, 1878. Commercial.
November 20, 1878. Commercial.
September, 1877. Commercial.
September 8, 1877. Commercial.
September 22, 1877. Commercial.
March 19, 1910. Daily Press.
March 16, 1910. Daily Press.
February 20, 1910. Daily Press.
April 21, 1907. Daily Press.
August 22, 1906. Daily Press.
July, 1906. Commercial.
May 16, 1906. Daily Press.
February 3, 1906. Daily Press.
August 22, 1901. Commercial.
August 15, 1901. Commercial.
September 26, 1901. Commercial.
December 1901. Sentinal.
August 8, 1901. Commercial.
April 24, 1901. Commercial.
May, 1903. Commercial.
September 3, 1902. Commercial.
October 3, 1874. Commercial.
July 27, 1877. Commercial.
July 29, 1877. Commercial.
October 2, 1876. Commercial.
July 13, 1878. Commercial.
July 29, 1878. Commercial.
1917.
October 3, 1874. Commercial.
February 6, 1875. Commercial.
December 11, 1874. Commercial.
September 15, 1916. Daily Press.
July 13, 1916. Recorder.
June 15, 1916. Recorder.
June 15, 1916. Recorder.
January, 1891. Plaindealer.
June, 1892. Plaindealer.
August, 1890. Plaindealer.
October 1900. Plaindealer.
April 17, 1890. Commercial.
1904.
Ocotber 1, 1900. Commercial.
August 1, 1919. Daily Press.
August 2, 1919. Daily Press.
September 4, 1902. Commercial.
August 9, 1919. Daily Press.
Septmber 9, 1919. Recorder.
March 10, 1904. Commercial.
September 12, 1895. Ypsilantian
January 18, 1900. Ypsilantian.
August 21, 1919. Daily Press.
June 21, 1900. Ypsilantian.
August 23, 1899. Ypsilantian.
January 23, 1918. Daily Press.
May 23, 1895. Ypsilantian.
May 26, 1903. Commercial.
September 26, 1919. Daily Press.
January 2, 1919. Recorder.
South Adams Street @ 1900 