Walled Lake, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Walled Lake is a city in Oakland County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 6,999 at the 2010 census.
Indian tribes.
and Potowatamie people until about 1830. It appears that these people had relocated from an earlier village in the area that is today Southfield
.
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which 2.3 square miles (6 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), or 8.10%, is water.
of 2000, there were 6,713 people, 3,158 households, and 1,689 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,956.9 per square mile (1,141.8/km²). There were 3,390 housing units at an average density of 1,493.2 per square mile (576.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.34% White, 0.73% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.49% from other races
, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.68% of the population.
There were 3,158 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,386, and the median income for a family was $55,420. Males had a median income of $45,420 versus $31,021 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $24,199. About 2.9% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
, has been a resident of Walled Lake since 1954. In April 1968, he was elected to the City Council, becoming the youngest local elected official in Michigan and one of the youngest in the country. In 1973, he was elected Mayor and served until 1977, when he chose not to seek re-election. Roberts was elected to the Council in 1979 and re-elected in 1983. He served two terms as Mayor Pro-tem. In April 1986, Roberts's successor, Mayor Gaspre LaMarca, died and Roberts was appointed as Mayor. He was elected in Nov. 1986, and re-elected in 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2009. Roberts is a member of the Walled Lake Downtown Development Authority, and serves on its Executive Committee. In January 2002, he became dean
of municipal officials in Oakland County.
district contains three high schools: Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Central, and Walled Lake Northern. There are four middle schools, Clifford H. Smart, Sarah Banks, James R. Geisler (formerly known as Walled Lake Middle), and Walnut Creek. It also has 14 elementary schools: Commerce, Dublin, Glengary, Mary Helen Guest (formerly known as Decker), Hickory Woods, Keith, Loon Lake, Maple, Meadowbrook, Oakley Park, Pleasant Lake, Twin Beach, Walled Lake Elementary, and Wixom. Walled Lake Central is particularly known for their academics, as it was rated in the top 1,000 schools in the country, led by then principal David Barry. Walled Lake Western High School is known mostly for its football team, which earned two state titles in a span of four years from 1996 to 1999. As of this writing (2009) they were the last team from Oakland County to have a Division 1 state championship and the only team from Division 1 to go undefeated. They are one of fifty teams to have ten playoff appearances in the state of Michigan.
, where runaway slaves
could sleep and eat, were called "depot
s". One of these was the Foster Farmhouse (built in 1833) in Walled Lake, which served as a refuge for those making their way to freedom in Canada
. The Foster Farmhouse was located on Pontiac Trail near 15 mile road until 1997, when it was moved to Riley Park in downtown Walled Lake to avoid demolition.
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
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 6,999 at the 2010 census.
Origins of the name
The town's name is said to have been given by the first Euro-American settler, Walter Hewitt, in 1825. Upon his arrival, he noticed what appeared to be a stone wall along the lake's western bank, possibly constructed by earlier PotawatomiPotawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
Indian tribes.
History
Walled Lake was a village inhabited by OjibwaOjibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
and Potowatamie people until about 1830. It appears that these people had relocated from an earlier village in the area that is today Southfield
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
.
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 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which 2.3 square miles (6 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), or 8.10%, is water.
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 6,713 people, 3,158 households, and 1,689 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 2,956.9 per square mile (1,141.8/km²). There were 3,390 housing units at an average density of 1,493.2 per square mile (576.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.34% White, 0.73% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.49% 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 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.68% of the population.
There were 3,158 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% 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, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,386, and the median income for a family was $55,420. Males had a median income of $45,420 versus $31,021 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 $24,199. About 2.9% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Mayor
The mayor of Walled Lake is William T. Roberts. Mayor Roberts, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, has been a resident of Walled Lake since 1954. In April 1968, he was elected to the City Council, becoming the youngest local elected official in Michigan and one of the youngest in the country. In 1973, he was elected Mayor and served until 1977, when he chose not to seek re-election. Roberts was elected to the Council in 1979 and re-elected in 1983. He served two terms as Mayor Pro-tem. In April 1986, Roberts's successor, Mayor Gaspre LaMarca, died and Roberts was appointed as Mayor. He was elected in Nov. 1986, and re-elected in 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2009. Roberts is a member of the Walled Lake Downtown Development Authority, and serves on its Executive Committee. In January 2002, he became dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of municipal officials in Oakland County.
City Council
The Council consists of six members, including a mayor pro tem, elected to four-year terms. Current Council members include: Casey Ambrose, William Sturgeon, John Owsinek, Robert Robertson and Dennis Yesbick. The Mayor Pro Tem is Linda Ackley.Schools
The Walled Lake Consolidated SchoolsWalled Lake Consolidated Schools
The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is located in Oakland County, Michigan. The school district has 14 elementary schools, four middle schools and four high schools and serves over 15,000 children from the cities of Farmington Hills, Novi, Orchard Lake, Walled Lake and Wixom, the townships...
district contains three high schools: Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Central, and Walled Lake Northern. There are four middle schools, Clifford H. Smart, Sarah Banks, James R. Geisler (formerly known as Walled Lake Middle), and Walnut Creek. It also has 14 elementary schools: Commerce, Dublin, Glengary, Mary Helen Guest (formerly known as Decker), Hickory Woods, Keith, Loon Lake, Maple, Meadowbrook, Oakley Park, Pleasant Lake, Twin Beach, Walled Lake Elementary, and Wixom. Walled Lake Central is particularly known for their academics, as it was rated in the top 1,000 schools in the country, led by then principal David Barry. Walled Lake Western High School is known mostly for its football team, which earned two state titles in a span of four years from 1996 to 1999. As of this writing (2009) they were the last team from Oakland County to have a Division 1 state championship and the only team from Division 1 to go undefeated. They are one of fifty teams to have ten playoff appearances in the state of Michigan.
Underground Railroad
Resting spots along the Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, where runaway slaves
Fugitive slave
In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" were slaves who had escaped from their master to travel to a place where slavery was banned or illegal. Many went to northern territories including Pennsylvania and Massachusetts until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed...
could sleep and eat, were called "depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s". One of these was the Foster Farmhouse (built in 1833) in Walled Lake, which served as a refuge for those making their way to freedom in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Foster Farmhouse was located on Pontiac Trail near 15 mile road until 1997, when it was moved to Riley Park in downtown Walled Lake to avoid demolition.
External links
- City of Walled Lake
- Walled Lake Schools
- The Oakland County
- Lori Marshick: Extensive history and photos