Visit the sites connected to Black Civil War veterans who called Washtenaw County home. Historians Deborah Meadows and Matthew Siegfried will lead visitors on a motorcoach and walking journey through Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti including historic Black neighborhoods, Depot Town, and Highland Cemetery, the final resting place of at least 19 Black Civil War soldiers.

This tour is presented in conjunction with the Frankel Detroit Observatory’s exhibit, “Fill the Ranks”: The Civil War and the University of Michigan, and is offered in partnership with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.

Free and open to the public. Limited availability; registration required.

Tour will depart from and return to intersection of Maynard and E. Jefferson Streets (near the Cube). Includes driving and walking portions, including at least one hour of walking and standing. Tour will be rescheduled only in the event of severe weather. Motorcoach transportation provided by Golden Limousine. Please indicate accessibility needs in registration.

Matthew Siegfried is a historian, writer and researcher. He has collaborated with schools, universities, libraries, and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. He has done extensive research on Ypsilanti’s historic African American neighborhood and communities, sharing his findings at the South Adams Street @ 1900 website.

Deborah Meadows is lead docent for the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.

Founded in 1993, the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County researches, collects, preserves, and exhibits cultural and historical materials about the life and work of African Americans in Washtenaw County.

This program is presented with support from the University of Michigan’s U.S. at 250 initiative and the Inclusive History Project.