| In the same way the record of Elisha Rumsey's life before
and after founding Ann Arbor is short and not particularly illuminating,
so is the record of his wife, Mary Ann Rumsey. She was the first woman
to arrive in Ann Arbor when she settled in the area with her
husband and John Allen in February of 1824. Information about Mary
Ann comes from a journal written in the mid-1800s. Godey's Magazine
and Lady's Book contains an article entitled, "The Pioneer Mothers
of Michigan." The essay was written by Mrs. Ellet, but it was prepared
by Miss Mary Clark, who ran the Clark Boarding School for Girls in Ann
Arbor. From Ellet's essay, it is evident that Mary Ann Rumsey was a
resistant pioneer who worked hard and cooked well. |