Hamtramck, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Hamtramck
is a city in Wayne County
of the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park
. Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean François Hamtramck
who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby
, the fortification at Detroit.
Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants flooded into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles
used to make up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2000 census, over 22% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish
origin; in 1970, it was 90% Polish.
Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East
(especially Yemen
) and South Asia
(especially Bangladesh
) have moved to the city. As of the 2000 census, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city (see more at Demographics below).
, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all land.
Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except a small common border with the city of Highland Park
, which is in turn surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border and I-94 runs near its southern border.
At the time of the 2000 census, Hamtramck was again experiencing considerable growth, with over 8,000 households and a population of almost 23,000.
In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid back blue-collar neighborhoods. And in May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg
in Brooklyn
, New York City
. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.
In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer
. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, ostensibly about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately, Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004 regulating all religious sounds.
Hamtramck Disneyland
, an art installation, is in the city.
(known locally as Pączki Day) by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki
. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment, some starting as early as 7 A.M.
. Similar festivals are held in Austin, Texas
(Sxsw) and Milwaukee, WI (Summerfest
). In 2011 almost 200 bands played the Blowout at 14 venues over four days.
' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produces the Chevrolet Volt
, the Cadillac DTS
, and the Buick Lucerne
.
Detroit Axle
maintains a plant there. However, in April, 2009, American Axle & Manufacturing announced that it planned to close it plant at the Hamtramck/Detroit border and move production to Mexico, resulting in the elimination of several hundred jobs.
The Polish Art Center, at 9539 Joseph Campau Street, is a local institution in Hamtramck. There, one can find many Polish art objects, books, foods, and art from other areas of Europe. The center's selection of Communist-era Polish theatrical and operatic posters is unusual.
The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is “to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans.”
For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.
Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding
was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, and particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.
of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density
was 10900.5 /sqmi, making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4219.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% white (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races
, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
In the 2000 census
, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:
3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview
, North Carolina
.
There were 8,033 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples
living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 the population of Hamtramck was 22,423. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 53.0% Non-Hispanic white, 19.3% black or African-American, 0.3% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.3% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 4.7% reporting two or more races and 1.5% Hispanic or Latino.
of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately, and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager
, who becomes the city's chief administrative
officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.
In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested of the State of Michigan to be allowed to declare bankruptcy
which was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears
.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Hamtramck Post Office at 2933 Caniff Street. The post office annex is located at 14600 Dequindre Street in the City of Detroit
.
. Hamtramck High School
is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy
, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, and Bridge Academy, are all charter schools, in Hamtramck.
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
. The city also housed St. Florian High School
, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods
merged to form Trinity Catholic High School
in Harper Woods. At that point St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.
In 1910 Hamtramck, then a village, had 3,559 residents. Between 1910 and 1920 Hamtramck's population grew by 1,266 percent. The growth of Hamtramck and neighboring Highland Park
broke records for increases of population; both municipalities withstood annexation efforts from Detroit.
is a city in Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
. Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean François Hamtramck
Jean François Hamtramck
Jean-François Hamtramck was a French-Canadian from Quebec who joined the Continental Army and became a decorated officer in the American Revolutionary War....
who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby
Fort Shelby (Michigan)
Fort Shelby was a military fort in Detroit, Michigan that played a significant role in the War of 1812. It was built by the British in 1779 as Fort Lernoult, and was ceded to the United States by the Jay Treaty in 1796. It was renamed Fort Detroit by Secretary of War Henry Dearborn in 1805...
, the fortification at Detroit.
Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants flooded into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
used to make up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2000 census, over 22% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
origin; in 1970, it was 90% Polish.
Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
(especially Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
) and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
(especially Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
) have moved to the city. As of the 2000 census, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city (see more at Demographics below).
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all land.
Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except a small common border with the city of Highland Park
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
, which is in turn surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border and I-94 runs near its southern border.
Culture
Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Polish, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A recent survey found 26 native languages spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. The city's motto was "A League of Nations".At the time of the 2000 census, Hamtramck was again experiencing considerable growth, with over 8,000 households and a population of almost 23,000.
In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid back blue-collar neighborhoods. And in May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.
In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, ostensibly about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately, Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004 regulating all religious sounds.
Hamtramck Disneyland
Hamtramck Disneyland
Hamtramck Disneyland is a yard art folk art located in Hamtramck, Michigan owned by a man named Dmytro Szylak. Hamtramck Disneyland was started in 1992 and came to be finished in 1999. It is built on a 30 foot backyard on top of two adjacent garages. Dmytro was born in Ukraine, and also once lived...
, an art installation, is in the city.
Pączki Day
Polish immigrants, residents of Hamtramck, and southeastern Michigan celebrate "Fat Tuesday"Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
(known locally as Pączki Day) by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki
Paczki
Pączki are pastries traditional to Polish cuisine . Pączki is the plural form of the Polish word pączek , though many English speakers use paczki as singular and paczkis as plural. In English, the common pronunciation imitates the Polish pronunciation, but some speakers pronounce the word or...
. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment, some starting as early as 7 A.M.
Hamtramck Blowout
The "Hamtramck Blowout" is an annual Indie music festival held in March in Hamtramck. It is currently sponsored by the Metro TimesMetro Times
The Metro Times is the largest circulating weekly newspaper in the metro Detroit area. Supported entirely by advertising, it is distributed free of charge every Wednesday in newsstands in businesses and libraries around the city and suburbs...
. Similar festivals are held in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
(Sxsw) and Milwaukee, WI (Summerfest
Summerfest
Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...
). In 2011 almost 200 bands played the Blowout at 14 venues over four days.
St. Florian Strawberry Festival
Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.Hamtramck Labor Day Festival
Held Labor Day weekend, ending with the Polish Day Parade on Labor Day. Live music on three stages, carnival area, beer, and food tents line a half-mile (1 km) stretch of Joseph Campau Street, from Caniff to Carpenter.Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck
Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.Economy
General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly is a General Motors automobile factory straddling the border between Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. It is located about three miles from corporate headquarters and has been used for production of Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac products.-History:The site...
plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produces the Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
, the Cadillac DTS
Cadillac DTS
The Cadillac DTS is a full-size luxury sedan produced by General Motors, an American automobile company. The DTS replaced the Cadillac DeVille as General Motors' largest luxury car for the 2006 model year...
, and the Buick Lucerne
Buick Lucerne
The Buick Lucerne is a full-size car sold by the Buick division of General Motors. Introduced at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show, the Lucerne replaced both the Park Avenue and the LeSabre for the 2006 model year, and was sold through the 2011 model year...
.
Detroit Axle
Detroit Axle
Detroit Axle is a Chrysler automobile factory in Detroit, Michigan and Hamtramck, Michigan. The factory opened in 1917 and was purchased by Chrysler in 1928...
maintains a plant there. However, in April, 2009, American Axle & Manufacturing announced that it planned to close it plant at the Hamtramck/Detroit border and move production to Mexico, resulting in the elimination of several hundred jobs.
The Polish Art Center, at 9539 Joseph Campau Street, is a local institution in Hamtramck. There, one can find many Polish art objects, books, foods, and art from other areas of Europe. The center's selection of Communist-era Polish theatrical and operatic posters is unusual.
The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is “to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans.”
For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.
Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding
Polish Wedding
Polish Wedding is a 1998 comedy/drama film written and directed by Theresa Connelly.It was screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 16, 1998 and at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 12...
was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, and particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 10900.5 /sqmi, making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4219.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% white (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
In the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:
- Polish 22.9%
- Black or African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
15.1% - YugoslavYugoslav AmericanYugoslav Americans are citizens of the United States of Yugoslav descent. In the census of 2000, Yugoslav Americans made up a total of 328,547 or 0.1% of total U.S. population.-External links:...
10.5% - ArabArab AmericanAn Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World...
(Excluding Iraqi and Lebanese) 8.2% - Asian IndianNon-resident Indian and Person of Indian OriginA Non-Resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides permanently outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
5.4% - Ukrainian 3.2%
- GermanGerman AmericanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
2.9% - Albanian 2.8%
- BangladeshiBangladeshi AmericanBangladeshi Americans are Americans of Bangladeshi descent. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi Americans are Bengalis. Most of them have immigrated from Sylhet region with a long trading history. Bangladeshi immigrants arrived in the United States especially since the early 1990s to become...
2.7% - IrishIrish AmericanIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
2.2% - ItalianItalian AmericanAn Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
1.8% - RussiaRussian AmericanRussian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
1.4% - AmericanEnglish AmericanEnglish Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
1.1% - FrenchFrench AmericanFrench Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
(except Basque) 0.8% - Lebanese 0.7%
- ScottishScottish AmericanScottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
0.7% - MexicanMexican AmericanMexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
0.6% - PakistaniPakistani AmericanA Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
0.6% - Macedonian 0.5%
- IraqiIraqi AmericanIraqi Americans are Americans of Iraqi descent, including those who are expatriates in exile or permanent immigrants. The number of Iraqi Americans is around 140,000 according to the Arab American Institute....
0.5%
3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview
Fairview, North Carolina
Fairview is a census-designated place in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,733 in 2007. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The unincorporated CDP of Fairview should not be confused with the town of Fairview , which incorporated in 2001...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
There were 8,033 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 the population of Hamtramck was 22,423. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 53.0% Non-Hispanic white, 19.3% black or African-American, 0.3% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.3% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 4.7% reporting two or more races and 1.5% Hispanic or Latino.
Government
Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately, and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
, who becomes the city's chief administrative
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.
In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly is a General Motors automobile factory straddling the border between Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. It is located about three miles from corporate headquarters and has been used for production of Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac products.-History:The site...
plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested of the State of Michigan to be allowed to declare bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
which was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears
Arrears
Arrears is a legal term for the part of a debt that is overdue after missing one or more required payments. The amount of the arrears is the amount accrued from the date on which the first missed payment was due...
.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Hamtramck Post Office at 2933 Caniff Street. The post office annex is located at 14600 Dequindre Street in the City of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
Public schools
Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public SchoolsHamtramck Public Schools
Hamtramck Public Schools is a public school district based in the city of Hamtramck, Michigan .The district has the Schools of Choice program, which allows non-district students to enroll in district schools....
. Hamtramck High School
Hamtramck High School
Hamtramck High School is a public high school in Hamtramck, Michigan, United States, named after Colonel Jean François Hamtramck.-History:Hamtramck High School was originally located on Wyandotte and Hewitt Streets until 1970 when it was moved to the former Copernicus Junior Middle School.A...
is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy
Hanley International Academy
Hanley International Academy is a PreK-8 charter school in Hamtramck, Michigan. The school occupies two buildings. The school operates under a contract with Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Students are required to wear school uniforms....
, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, and Bridge Academy, are all charter schools, in Hamtramck.
Private schools
Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools. One of the buildings now used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School, a Catholic schoolCatholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...
. The city also housed St. Florian High School
St. Florian High School
St. Florian High School was a Catholic high school in Hamtramck, Michigan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. The school opened in 1940 and was located in the same building as St. Florian Elementary School....
, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods
Harper Woods, Michigan
Harper Woods is a city located on the eastside of suburban Detroit, Michigan, United States. The city is located in Wayne County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 14,236.- History :...
merged to form Trinity Catholic High School
Trinity Catholic High School (Michigan)
Trinity Catholic High School was a coeducational Roman Catholic high school in Harper Woods, Michigan, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit....
in Harper Woods. At that point St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.
Public libraries
Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956 and dedicated on July 1, 1956.Timeline
- 1796: Colonel Jean Francois HamtramckJean François HamtramckJean-François Hamtramck was a French-Canadian from Quebec who joined the Continental Army and became a decorated officer in the American Revolutionary War....
took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated. - 1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.
- 1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.
- 1908: Saint FlorianSaint FlorianFlorian lived in the time of the Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian, and was commander of the imperial army in the Roman province of Noricum. In addition to his military duties, he was also responsible for organizing firefighting brigades....
Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck. - 1910: Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company break ground for an automotive plant in Hamtramck; rapid influx of European immigrants begins.
- 1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.
- 1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.
- 1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built. It has a 1928 Austin OrganAustin Organs, Inc.Austin Organs, Inc. is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut. The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States...
Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks, which was newly refurbished in 2008. - 1959: Won Little League World SeriesLittle League World SeriesThe Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
of Baseball. Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and it is the only Michigan city to win that title. - 1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.
- 2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.
- 2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter
- 2007: Hamtramck emerges from state-mandated Emergency Financial Status.
- 2010: Hamtramck asked the state of MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
permission to file for bankruptcy protection.
In 1910 Hamtramck, then a village, had 3,559 residents. Between 1910 and 1920 Hamtramck's population grew by 1,266 percent. The growth of Hamtramck and neighboring Highland Park
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
broke records for increases of population; both municipalities withstood annexation efforts from Detroit.
Notable residents
- Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies. - Albert M. BielawskiAlbert M. Bielawski-Biography:Bielawski was born on January 16, 1867 to Joseph and Teresa Bielawski in Poland. Eventually he would move to the United States, living in Cudahy, Wisconsin and Gary, Indiana before moving to Hamtramck, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
State Representative, lived in Hamtramck. - Art "Pinky" Deras, led Hamtramck to the Little LeagueLittle LeagueLittle League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
World Series championship in 1959 and the Pony League World Series championship in 1961, and considered to be the greatest Little Leaguer of all time. Only two cities have ever won both the Little League and Pony League Championships in the same year, the other being Marietta, GeorgiaMarietta, GeorgiaMarietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
. Deras will be inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame on June 23, 2011, in Troy, Michigan. - Bob FrankeBob FrankeBob Franke is an American folk singer/songwriter.-Biography:He began his career in 1965, while a student at the University of Michigan, and performed at The Ark, a coffeehouse in Ann Arbor....
, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck. - John HodiakJohn HodiakJohn Hodiak was an American actor who worked in radio and film.-Early life:He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Walter Hodiak and Anna Pogorzelec . He was of Ukrainian and Polish descent...
(1914–1955), actor, raised in Hamtramck. - Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player and coach inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of FameMichigan Sports Hall of FameThe Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...
in 1965. She and Jerry Hoxie (her husband) developed 16 singles champions in Class A and 13 doubles teams, winning state titles for the Hamtramck Cosmos. Their tightly disciplined program had a surprising 18 boys state championships between 1949 and 1969 in high school competition. Some great players fostered by their program were Ken Angyal, Chuck Brainard, Pancho Castillo, Jerry Dubie, Al Hetseck, Ted Jax, George Korol, Fred Kovaleski, John Lamerato, Tony Lamerato, Jerry Parchute, Bill Petrick, Dick Potter, and Ray Senkowski. Winning national honors, some girls included Peaches Bartkowicz, Elaine Lewicki, Joyce Pniewski, Stephanie Prychitko, and June Stack. The Hoxies contribution has been summarized as: "If asked to name the dominating force in Michigan tennis history, any person even remotely aware of our sport would undoubtedly arrive at the names of Jean and Jerry Hoxie. Indeed, the list of state and national junior champions produced from that most unlikely location, Hamtramck, is a testament to the true greatness of what these two astonishing people achieved." Hamtramck tennis was of such import that it has been treated in works of fiction. - Gail KobeGail KobeGail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
, actor, born and raised in Hamtramck. - Warith Deen Mohammed (1933–2008), son of Elijah MuhammadElijah MuhammadElijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
, leader of American Society of MuslimsAmerican Society of MuslimsThe American Society of Muslims was a predominantly African-American association of Muslims which was the direct descendent of the original Nation of Islam. It was created by Warith Deen Mohammed after he assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father Elijah Muhammad. Imam W...
, born in Hamtramck. - Tom PaciorekTom PaciorekThomas Marian Paciorek is a former Major League outfielder and first baseman for 18 seasons between 1970 and 1987...
, Major League Baseball star, played on the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship. Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. - Mitch RyderMitch RyderWilliam S. Levise, Jr , better known by his stage name Mitch Ryder, is an American musician who has recorded over two dozen albums in more than four decades.-Career:...
, singer, The Detroit WheelsThe Detroit WheelsThe Detroit Wheels were an American rock group from Detroit, Michigan. They served as Mitch Ryder's backup band from 1964–1967, and played on all his most successful records.Their original members were:* Jim McCarty...
, born in Hamtramck. - Rudy TomjanovichRudy TomjanovichRudolph Tomjanovich, Jr. , nicknamed Rudy T., is an American retired basketball player and coach who coached the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers.-Early life:...
, professional basketball player, coach "Rudy T" is enshrined into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. - Tom TylerTom TylerTom Tyler was an American actor in silent and sound motion pictures, best known for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the acclaimed 1941 movie serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.-Biography:...
(1903–1954), actor, retired to and died in Hamtramck. - Roger ZatkoffRoger ZatkoffRoger Zatkoff is a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1950 to 1952. He later played professional football for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions ....
(born 1931), NFL player for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
- Raymond ZussmanRaymond ZussmanRaymond Zussman was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
Jewish recipient of the Medal of Honor
Further reading
- Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open LibraryOpen LibraryOpen Library is an online project intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.-Books for the blind and...
. - Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1; ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.
- Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.
- St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open LibraryOpen LibraryOpen Library is an online project intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.-Books for the blind and...
. - Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.