Milan, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Milan is a city in Monroe
and Washtenaw
counties in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 4,775 at the 2000 census. About 60% of the city's area and 75% of its residents are located on the Washtenaw County side adjacent to York Township
in Washtenaw County; while 40% percent of the city's area and 25% of its residents are located on the Monroe County side adjacent to Milan Township
.
The city was founded in 1831 by John Marvin, who named it Tolanville after his son-in-law. Both Marvin and Tolan still have streets named for them, but the town was later renamed after the famous city of Milan
in Italy
. Milan was a village until 1967, when it was incorporated as a city.
, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), of which, 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (3.45%) is water. Milan is located 16 miles (25.7 km) southeast of Ann Arbor
and 37 miles (59.5 km) northwest of Toledo
.
of 2000, there were 4,775 people, 1,923 households, and 1,271 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,127.4 per square mile (823.1/km²). There were 1,999 housing units at an average density of 890.6 per square mile (344.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.30% White, 1.74% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races
, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.50% of the population.
There were 1,923 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,510, and the median income for a family was $57,596. Males had a median income of $45,409 versus $26,926 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $23,895. About 2.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Turn-of-the-century, two-story homes are prevalent. About one-quarter of the homes in Milan were built before World War II, and 21 percent built between 1940 and 1959. A symbol of the architecture is Community House, a two-story grist mill Henry Ford
purchased in 1935. Ford used the area now known as Wilson Park to run a coil manufacturing plant, and soybean-to-paint operation for the Model T autos. Area residents can utilize the Community House for small gatherings and it now houses the City Recreation Department dance studio.
Despite the increase in development, Milan is still equated with country living. It's not unusual to find a home with a barn and a kennel sitting on a couple of acres outside the city limits, and a hand-built wooden organ factory is housed in a relocated barn tucked along the Saline River. The small town began to develop its industrial base in the 1960s. Currently, a great deal of its tax base is from the Visteon facility. Downtown Milan boasts a place on the National Register of Historic Places with fine examples of Italianate, International, Art Modern, and other architectural styles. One corner features a fully restored Fire Barn once used as a library, jail and as city hall over the years. It now houses the Visitors Center and Chamber of Commerce offices.
Part of its present City Hall is the former Ford Power Plant used for the Village industries of the 1930s. It was rarely used for its hydraulic power despite the damming and creation of a man-made lake called Ford Lake. Instead, oil usually powered the enterprise.
operates the Milan Post Office.
A Federal Bureau of Prisons
prison
, the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan
(FCI), is in adjacent York Charter Township
. The prison was the site, in 1938, of the only execution conducted within Michigan by federal authorities acting within federal jurisdiction. The State of Michigan, which had abolished the death penalty in 1846, appealed unsuccessfully to the federal courts and to President Roosevelt to move the execution to another state.
.
Milan's own museum is the Hack House, built in "Victorian-era" 1888.
Home to one of the oldest third generation owned and operated Chrysler
, Dodge
, Jeep
Dealerships in Michigan
, http://www.schultzmotors.com Schultz Motors of Milan was Established in 1945. The original building still stands as the current Fire Station. Schultz Motors is the oldest continuously family-owned retail business in Milan, MI and since 1978 is now at the site of the old Bruckner Oldsmobile Dealership.
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
and Washtenaw
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
counties in 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"....
. The population was 4,775 at the 2000 census. About 60% of the city's area and 75% of its residents are located on the Washtenaw County side adjacent to York Township
York Charter Township, Michigan
York Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,392 at the 2000 census.Federal Correctional Institution, Milan and the Toyota Technical Center are located in the township...
in Washtenaw County; while 40% percent of the city's area and 25% of its residents are located on the Monroe County side adjacent to Milan Township
Milan Township, Michigan
Milan Township is a civil township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,670 at the 2000 census. The southern portion of the City of Milan bounds the township to the north, though the city and township have been completely separate jurisdictions since the former...
.
The city was founded in 1831 by John Marvin, who named it Tolanville after his son-in-law. Both Marvin and Tolan still have streets named for them, but the town was later renamed after the famous city of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Milan was a village until 1967, when it was incorporated as a city.
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 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), of which, 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (3.45%) is water. Milan is located 16 miles (25.7 km) southeast of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and 37 miles (59.5 km) northwest of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
.
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 4,775 people, 1,923 households, and 1,271 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 2,127.4 per square mile (823.1/km²). There were 1,999 housing units at an average density of 890.6 per square mile (344.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.30% White, 1.74% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.72% 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 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.50% of the population.
There were 1,923 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,510, and the median income for a family was $57,596. Males had a median income of $45,409 versus $26,926 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 $23,895. About 2.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Prevalent architecture
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
purchased in 1935. Ford used the area now known as Wilson Park to run a coil manufacturing plant, and soybean-to-paint operation for the Model T autos. Area residents can utilize the Community House for small gatherings and it now houses the City Recreation Department dance studio.
Despite the increase in development, Milan is still equated with country living. It's not unusual to find a home with a barn and a kennel sitting on a couple of acres outside the city limits, and a hand-built wooden organ factory is housed in a relocated barn tucked along the Saline River. The small town began to develop its industrial base in the 1960s. Currently, a great deal of its tax base is from the Visteon facility. Downtown Milan boasts a place on the National Register of Historic Places with fine examples of Italianate, International, Art Modern, and other architectural styles. One corner features a fully restored Fire Barn once used as a library, jail and as city hall over the years. It now houses the Visitors Center and Chamber of Commerce offices.
Part of its present City Hall is the former Ford Power Plant used for the Village industries of the 1930s. It was rarely used for its hydraulic power despite the damming and creation of a man-made lake called Ford Lake. Instead, oil usually powered the enterprise.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited 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 Milan Post Office.
A Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan
Federal Correctional Institution, Milan
The Federal Correctional Institution, Milan is a U.S. federal prison in York Charter Township, Michigan, near Milan.This prison is a low-security facility for male inmates. Its adjacent Federal Detention Center houses pretrial and holdover inmates...
(FCI), is in adjacent York Charter Township
York Charter Township, Michigan
York Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,392 at the 2000 census.Federal Correctional Institution, Milan and the Toyota Technical Center are located in the township...
. The prison was the site, in 1938, of the only execution conducted within Michigan by federal authorities acting within federal jurisdiction. The State of Michigan, which had abolished the death penalty in 1846, appealed unsuccessfully to the federal courts and to President Roosevelt to move the execution to another state.
Notable institutions
Milan is known regionally for its Automobile Drag racing venue, the Milan Dragway even though it is actually in London Township, MichiganLondon Township, Michigan
London Township is a civil township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,024 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...
.
Milan's own museum is the Hack House, built in "Victorian-era" 1888.
Home to one of the oldest third generation owned and operated Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
, Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
Dealerships in 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"....
, http://www.schultzmotors.com Schultz Motors of Milan was Established in 1945. The original building still stands as the current Fire Station. Schultz Motors is the oldest continuously family-owned retail business in Milan, MI and since 1978 is now at the site of the old Bruckner Oldsmobile Dealership.