died in 1895. PersonYpsilantiPublic
Samuel W. Beakes, Past and Present in Washtenaw County, Michigan (Chicago: S. J. Clark, 1906), 109. As part of the biography of Burton G. Moorman.
... George Moorman was a pioneer settler of Washtenaw County, establishing his home within its borders when the work of upbuilding and improvement had scarcely been begun. He came to this region as a boy and having little capital to aid him as he started out in life on his own account he worked for others until he had obtained sufficient means to embark in business on his own account, when he established a grist mill at RawsonvilleRawsonvilleMiller. There he carried on business for sometime, but eventually traded that property for a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land four miles from Ypsilanti.Farmer
He lived in the city and "was widely recognized as a prominent business man." Chapman claims that Moorman was supportive and instrumental in the growth of Ypsilanti but gave no specifics.
Moorman married Sarah Osborn (d. 1894) and together they had four children: Mary (Harris), Carrie (who married F. W. Jewell?)1, Burton G. Moorman, Nellie (who married Horace Shutts).
On February 17, 1883, George Moorman has purchased the Follett House "as a speculation."Hotelier Then just three months later, Moorman started a second hostelry. On May 8, he and Clark Cornwell partnered with Issac N. Conklin?, Robert Lambie?, Daniel L. Quirk, and Charles King to purchase property on Huron Street and construct the Ypsilanti Sanitarium & Occidental Hotel. The Sanitarium was opened by mid-January 1884.2
George Moorman was a farmer in Ypsilanti Township. His largest parcel was in section 18, on the south side of the Chicago Road.3 This farm was previously owned by Orrin Olmsted, and abutted the farm of P. D. Martin?.4 Moorman's estate still owned the lots in 1915.5
Moorman had a large part of the Old French Claim #681 (the southernmost of the four). Owning the full width of the claim, between S. Huron Street (Whitaker Road) and the Huron River.6 This parcel was subdivided over time. By 1895, the northern part had been given (or sold) to Burton G. Moorman.7 George Moorman also bought a small holding on the west side of S. Huron street, a plot formerly owned by ______ Alexander.8 Of these lots, the northern one was sold to William T. Woolsey, and the other, combined with Burton G. Moorman's holding were combined in sale to Augustus Beyer.9
Moorman also owned at least two building lots in downtown Ypsilanti on the East side of North Huron Street just north of Congress. One of these was the Occidental Hotel. The other would be building 12(?) today.10 In 1874, he held just the southern building.11
In 1874, Moorman owned a city lot on the south side of Congress, just at the turn where the Chicago Road turned off.12 This lot appears to have been sold by 1895.
1. ⇑ Jewell was one half "of the firm of C. H. & F. W. Jewell, proprietors Gregory House, Ann Arbor. [He] was born in Stillwater, Minn., in Oct., 1856. He entered Hinkley's Military Academy, and graduated with the rank of Lieutenant. After coming to Ann Arbor, Mr. Jewell attended the law department of Michigan University, graduating in Feb., 1880." From History of Washtenaw County (Chicago: Chas. C. Chapman & Co., 1881), 1009. ⇑
2. ⇑ Ypsilanti Gleanings, No. 46 , p. 8. ⇑
3. ⇑ Standard atlas of Washtenaw County, Michigan: including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county ... farmers directory, reference business directory ... (Chicago : Geo. A. Ogle, 1895), p. 29. ⇑
4. ⇑ Map by Frank Krause, Combination atlas map of Washtenaw County, Michigan (Chicago, IL: Everts & Stewart, 1874), p. 68. Krause was a civil engineer (used the initials "C.E.") in Ann Arbor. ⇑
5. ⇑ Standard Atlas ... (1915), p. 57. ⇑
6. ⇑ Combination Atlas ... (1874), p. 68. ⇑
7. ⇑ Standard atlas ... (1895), p. 29. ⇑
8. ⇑ Combination Atlas ...'' (1874), p. 68. ⇑
9. ⇑ Standard Atlas ... (1915), p. 57. ⇑
10. ⇑ Standard Atlas ... (1895), p. 58. ⇑
11. ⇑ Map by Frank Krause, Combination Atlas... (1874), p. 115. ⇑
12. ⇑ Map by Frank Krause, Combination Atlas ... (1874), p. 118. ⇑
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