| In addition to handling a broom with versatile skill,
Mary Ann must have handled a ladle in the same way. Consider the account
that was written about the first public ball held in Ann Arbor: neighbors
from Ypsilanti had joined in celebrating New Year's Eve with a dance and
dinner at the Washtenaw Coffee House, Ann Arbor's first hotel, which was
run by the Rumseys. The account appears in the archival volume, History
of Washtenaw County, Michigan which states: |
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A lasting impression was left on the guests from Ypsilanti,
that Mrs. Rumsey was an excellent landlady and cook, and that Mr. Rumsey
was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and that he knew how to keep
a hotel" (1102).3
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| Another account quotes John Allen saying Mrs. Rumsey
"was always ready with good humor and a good supper" (267).4 It seems that
everyone loved Mrs. Rumsey's cooking, and since good food and good moral
often go hand-in hand, perhaps her culinary talent was one of the key elements
that helped Ann Arbor flourish. |
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