2008
1893 image of Hawkins House after Cyclone — Nobody was killed
Built:
Original use was the Hawkins House Hotel. The Hotel was known as one of the finest hotels on the Chicago road. It replaced the old Hawkins House Hotel which was a wood frame structure located where the ‘union block’ was built at 200 west Michigan Avenue.
- 1893 – Building severely damaged by Cyclone (Tornado) that hit downtown Ypsilanti in April of that Year. “The most narrow escape was at the Hawkins House. A porter in the upper story of the destroyed part of the building fell with it and was pinned down so that he had to be released, but was found whole and only slightly bruised. One of the girls in the adjoining room at the time the walls fell in, Josie Coghill by name, was imprisioned in the room and although thus buried in the debris was not much injured. In rescuing her Frank Kirk had his eye injured by a brick striking him. A traveling man asleep in his room waked to find himself in the room below him but he was unhurt.” Pg 753 Past and Present of Washtenaw County Michigan.
Tags: 220, ave, hawkins, hotel, house, Michigan, West, Ypsilanti
