Ithaca’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Ithaca. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Along with the Native Americans, the first recorded settler in Ithaca was James J. Bush from Howell, Michigan in 1850. John Jeffery, from New York State, bought land in 1853, and permanently relocated on the land in 1855. He platted the area in 1856, assisted by Sidney S. Hastings, calling it Gratiot Center and laying out streets, lots, blocks, and even alleys. Gratiot Center was the name of its first post office, granted on November 16, 1855 with John Knight as the first postmaster. In 1856 the site was named as the county seat of Gratiot County. The settlement's name was changed on April 13, 1857 to Ithaca, after Ithaca, New York. Ithaca was incorporated as a village in 1869 and became a city in 1961.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Ithaca’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ithaca’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewGratiot County MI Courthouse c1908, c. 1908: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Ithaca
See all 7 →
Ithaca, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
the same place, years apart
⇆
c. 1908 · CommonsToday · Wikidata
Historic places
National Register · via Wikidata
From Wikimedia Commons (4) and the National Register (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.