Wyandotte, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Wyandotte is a city in Wayne County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 25,883 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 7.6% from 2000. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) south of Detroit on the Detroit River
, and is part of the collection of communities known as Downriver
. Wyandotte is bounded by Southgate
(west), Lincoln Park
(northwest), Riverview
(south) and Ecorse
(north).
Wyandotte is a sister city to Komaki, Japan
, and each year delegates from Komaki come to Wyandotte to tour the city.
tribe was known as the Wyandot or Wendat, and were part of the Huron nation originally from the Georgian Bay
area of Canada. It was from near here, along the banks of Ecorse Creek, now a northern boundary of the present-day city, that Chief Pontiac
plotted his failed attack against the British garrisoned Fort of Detroit, in 1763. The center of the village was nearly parallel to Biddle Avenue between Oak and Eureka streets near the river and its sandy beach, which was a welcome feature to the local tribesmen, as their main mode of transportation to the fort in Detroit was by birch bark
canoe. The tribe was considered peaceable and friendly with the British, the remaining French in the area, and the newly arrived Americans. They were a farming tribe and were therefore fairly stable in their settlement, relying heavily on hunting in the local surrounding hardwood forest, fishing from the river, and trading with the nearby fort and associated settlers to supplement their existence. Between Maquaqua/Wyandotte and Detroit (a distance of roughly 10 to 12 mi (16.1 to 19.3 )) there were numerous settlers living along the river who inhabited their ancient "Ribbon Farms", some dating back to the time of Antoine Cadillac's founding of "Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit", in July 1701.
In 1818, the Wyandot signed a treaty with the U.S. government relinquishing this land, moving to an area near Flat Rock, Michigan
, then to Ohio
, Kansas
and finally Oklahoma
. The name somewhat lives on as Wyandotte County, Kansas
.
One of the first white settlers to come to Wyandotte in the years after the Native Americans left was John Biddle, a Pennsylvania-born former Army major who fought in the War of 1812
and later went on to a prolific political career, serving as mayor of Detroit, delegate from the Territory of Michigan in the U.S. Congress, president of the Michigan Central Railroad
, member and later speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives and one-time candidate for Michigan Governor. West Jefferson Avenue
, which begins in downtown Detroit
and runs south to Berlin Township
, becomes Biddle Avenue within Wyandotte city limits.
Biddle purchased a 2200 acres (8.9 km²) plot near modern Biddle Avenue and Vinewood Avenue in 1835 and created a farm he called "The Wyandotte." He sold the plot in 1854 to Eber Ward of the Eureka Iron Co. for $44,000. In 1864, Captain Eber Brock Ward used a high-quality grade of iron ore (known as "Superior") from the recently opened Marquette Range in the Upper Peninsula, and smelted
it into the first Bessemer Steel commercially cast in America, using the patented Bessemer process
. In 1865, the process created steel rails and allowed an explosion of iron-related businesses to open in the region. As a result, Detroit soon became a major center of iron production, especially for use in stoves. (Wyandotte was home to several companies as well, including the Regeant Stove Co.) It would be this technology that would give Henry Ford
from nearby Dearborn
the capabilities to create large amounts of steel for his automobile assembly lines.
John S. Van Alstyne, General Manager for Eber Ward of both the Eureka Iron & Steel Works and the associated Wyandotte Rolling Mills, laid out the master plan for the city. This plan was frequently called the "Philadelphia Plan", with streets laid out on a north/south and east/west grid. Streets going along one axis were named after native plants and trees; the streets running away from the river, into the interior, were simply numbered. Van Alstyne was elected as the city's first mayor in 1867. (A street along Wyandotte's Detroit River
is named after him - ironically on the site of the former iron works he managed, after it failed and was razed around 1904.) He would also go on to found the Wyandotte Savings Bank in 1871, which was housed in the Main Office building of the Eureka Iron Works (which still stands at the southwest corner of Biddle and Elm; though greatly remodelled it remains the oldest building in the city today).
Eureka Iron Works prospered through the late 19th century but suffered a shortage of raw materials. It closed in 1892, but not before Wyandotte became a major hub in the chemical production industry, possible because of the many salt mine
s deep below the city.
, who used the salt to create soda ash, which in turn was used to create plate glass. In 1893, he created Michigan Alkali Company, which created baking soda, soda ash and lye
. The company, later renamed Wyandotte Chemicals Co., went on to create a variety of soap
s and cleaners, eventually becoming part of BASF
and expanding into the BASF industrial complex.
Ward also help create Wyandotte's shipbuilding
role, which existed from the 1870s into the 1920s. During that time, a wide variety of boats were created along Wyandotte's riverbank, from steamers
and tugs
to huge ferries
. In 1873, Ward's Wyandotte Iron Ship Building Works built the nation's earliest steel-hulled vessel, a tugboat called the Sport. This shipbuilding industry was immortalized in 1942 in the painting of several murals which still exist today in the auditorium of Theodore Roosevelt High School.
Beginning in the 1920s Wyandotte was a major source of toy production, with the All Metal Products Company
founded in 1920 and located in Wyandotte on Sycamore Street between 14th and 15th streets. From the 1920s until the 1950s the company, under the name "Wyandotte Toys", was the nation's largest manufacturer of toy guns and pistols, producing a wide variety of pop gun
s, clicker pistols, dart guns, cap gun
s and a variety of plastic pistols. The company also produced a wide range of toy airplanes and other vehicles by pressing scrap metal obtained from local automobile factories. The company's motto was "Wyandotte Toys Are Good and Safe." In the early 1950s the company moved to Ohio
, and it was bought out by Louis Marx and Company
three years later.
Wyandotte's Bishop Park used to have a dock to board the Boblo Boat ferry to Boblo Island.
Today, much of the industry has disappeared. A notable exception is BASF
Wyandotte.
In July 2001, three workers at an Atofina plant just south of Wyandotte were killed when a rail car leaked a colorless gas called methyl mercaptan. The gas exploded into flames and led to the emergency evacuation
of 2,000 area residents, including some Wyandotte citizens.
, it provides its own power through a municipal power plant and operates city-owned water and cable television
services.
The Wyandotte Police Department, like that of its fellow Downriver
community Woodhaven
, has a Police Explorers
post for youths ages 14–21 that have an interest in law enforcement.
operates the city's public schools.
Elementary and middle schools include:
Wyandotte's public high school is Theodore Roosevelt High School
, began in 1921 and completed in 1923 and has since expanded in 1957, 1962, 1975 and 2003.
built in the Polish Cathedral style
known for its Old World
opulence. It was founded in 1899 by Polish immigrants.
, a rowing facility. The club host to three local regattas: two spring high school regattas and one fall club regatta. The new facility features two indoor rowing tanks, numerous shell racks and shells, erg and weight rooms, men's and women's locker rooms, meeting room, and a massive club/bar over looking the Detroit River. The tanks are used by all of the rowing programs for technique and style training. They have been shown to be of great benefit in the training of novice rowers. During the off season, the tanks are rented by the hour to outside schools and universities.
cities, with Hillsdale
, Marshall
, Vassar
, Ludington
, Negaunee
and St. Ignace streets. The city has an East Side and a West Side, separated by a wide area of railroad tracks which include the Canadian National Railway
's (Grand Trunk Western) Shoreline and River subdivisions and the Norfolk Southern Railway
/Conrail Shared Assets's Detroit Line. NS/Conrail also has a spur line which parallels Alkali Street and serves BASF. Most of the numbered streets are one way at some point. One of the streets, Electric Street, is a continuation of a street that starts in southwest Detroit and continues into Riverview. Electric is so called because of the former Detroit United Railway interurban line that ran next to it which connected Detroit and Toledo.
Most of the Wyandotte-Southgate city limits is straddled by M-85
which locally is known as Fort Street. Since it lies immediately west of 23rd Street, it is very rarely referred to as "24th Street".
, the city has a total area of 7 square miles (18.1 km²), of which 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), or 23.82%, is water.
of 2000, there were 28,006 people, 11,816 households, and 7,420 families residing in the city. The population density
was 5,278.1 per square mile (2,036.4/km²). There were 12,303 housing units at an average density of 2,318.7 per square mile (894.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.32% White, 0.52% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races
, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.91% of the population. Residents are predominantly of Polish descent.
There were 11,816 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 31.9% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,740, and the median income for a family was $54,106. Males had a median income of $42,469 versus $27,261 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,185. About 4.7% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestries (2000): Polish (22.5%), German (21.9%), Irish (17.5%), English (9.0%), French (8.5%), Italian (8.4%).
As of the 2010 Census Wyandotte had a population of 25,883. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 91.0% Non-Hispanic white, 1.3% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 1.9% reproting two or more races and 5.1% Hispanic or Latino.
, and of these denominations, Roman Catholicism possesses the largest presence.
One of the city's Roman Catholic parishes is Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the city's Polish Cathedral. A figure of Pope John Paul II
stands in front of the church. It was sculpted by Professor Czesław Dźwigaj, well known for casting the monument of Christ the King
in Cicero, Illinois
, in front of the church of St. Mary of Częstochowa, as well as the Tolerance Monument
that was recently unveiled in Jerusalem.
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...
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 25,883 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 7.6% from 2000. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) south of Detroit on the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, and is part of the collection of communities known as Downriver
Downriver
Downriver is the unofficial name for a collection of 18 suburban cities and townships in Wayne County, Michigan south of Detroit along the western shore of the Detroit River....
. Wyandotte is bounded by Southgate
Southgate, Michigan
Southgate is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 30,047 at the 2010 census.Southgate was the last city to incorporate from the former Ecorse Township, gaining city status in October 1958...
(west), Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Michigan
Lincoln Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It lies in an area of cities and communities known as Downriver. The population was 38,144 at the 2010 census . The settlement was organized as a village in 1921, and reorganized as a city in 1925. The area was originally home to...
(northwest), Riverview
Riverview, Michigan
Riverview is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 12,486 at the time of the 2010 census.The city is a suburb in the Metro Detroit area, located along the shore of the Detroit River. Riverview incorporated as a village in 1922 and as a city in 1959...
(south) and Ecorse
Ecorse, Michigan
Ecorse is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan, named for the Ecorse River. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census.-History:...
(north).
Wyandotte is a sister city to Komaki, Japan
Komaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi, Japan. It is commonly associated with the former Nagoya Airport, which is partly located in the city. The other part is in the city of Kasugai. As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 149,060 and the density of 2,370 persons per km²...
, and each year delegates from Komaki come to Wyandotte to tour the city.
History
Originally founded as a village in 1854 (deeded by John Biddle to Eber Ward, et al. on December 12, 1854), Wyandotte was incorporated as a city, and granted a charter by the State of Michigan, on December 12, 1866, with the first city election held in April 1867 (the second oldest incorporated city in Wayne County outside of Detroit). The site where Wyandotte sits today in the 18th century was a small village called by the native Indians "Maquaqua" and by the local French "Monguagon". This Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe was known as the Wyandot or Wendat, and were part of the Huron nation originally from the Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
area of Canada. It was from near here, along the banks of Ecorse Creek, now a northern boundary of the present-day city, that Chief Pontiac
Chief Pontiac
Pontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
plotted his failed attack against the British garrisoned Fort of Detroit, in 1763. The center of the village was nearly parallel to Biddle Avenue between Oak and Eureka streets near the river and its sandy beach, which was a welcome feature to the local tribesmen, as their main mode of transportation to the fort in Detroit was by birch bark
Birch bark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus Betula.The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since pre-historic times...
canoe. The tribe was considered peaceable and friendly with the British, the remaining French in the area, and the newly arrived Americans. They were a farming tribe and were therefore fairly stable in their settlement, relying heavily on hunting in the local surrounding hardwood forest, fishing from the river, and trading with the nearby fort and associated settlers to supplement their existence. Between Maquaqua/Wyandotte and Detroit (a distance of roughly 10 to 12 mi (16.1 to 19.3 )) there were numerous settlers living along the river who inhabited their ancient "Ribbon Farms", some dating back to the time of Antoine Cadillac's founding of "Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit", in July 1701.
In 1818, the Wyandot signed a treaty with the U.S. government relinquishing this land, moving to an area near Flat Rock, Michigan
Flat Rock, Michigan
- Racial makeup :As of the census of 2000, there were 8,488 people, 3,181 households, and 2,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.9 per square mile . There were 3,291 housing units at an average density of 491.2 per square mile...
, then to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and finally Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The name somewhat lives on as Wyandotte County, Kansas
Wyandotte County, Kansas
Wyandotte County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The county's population was 157,505 for the 2010 census. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City with which it shares a unified government...
.
One of the first white settlers to come to Wyandotte in the years after the Native Americans left was John Biddle, a Pennsylvania-born former Army major who fought in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and later went on to a prolific political career, serving as mayor of Detroit, delegate from the Territory of Michigan in the U.S. Congress, president of the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
, member and later speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives and one-time candidate for Michigan Governor. West Jefferson Avenue
Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)
Jefferson Avenue is a scenic road along the eastern part of the Detroit metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan. It travels alongside Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake Saint Clair. This road also provides access to many recreational facilities in the area...
, which begins in downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375 to the east, and the Detroit River to the south.Downtown contains much historic...
and runs south to Berlin Township
Berlin Charter Township, Michigan
Berlin Charter Township is a charter township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census, the township population was 6,924. Berlin Charter Township was organized from the northern portion of previously established Frenchtown Charter Township, and the township boundaries...
, becomes Biddle Avenue within Wyandotte city limits.
Biddle purchased a 2200 acres (8.9 km²) plot near modern Biddle Avenue and Vinewood Avenue in 1835 and created a farm he called "The Wyandotte." He sold the plot in 1854 to Eber Ward of the Eureka Iron Co. for $44,000. In 1864, Captain Eber Brock Ward used a high-quality grade of iron ore (known as "Superior") from the recently opened Marquette Range in the Upper Peninsula, and smelted
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
it into the first Bessemer Steel commercially cast in America, using the patented Bessemer process
Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron. The process is named after its inventor, Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the process in 1855. The process was independently discovered in 1851 by William Kelly...
. In 1865, the process created steel rails and allowed an explosion of iron-related businesses to open in the region. As a result, Detroit soon became a major center of iron production, especially for use in stoves. (Wyandotte was home to several companies as well, including the Regeant Stove Co.) It would be this technology that would give Henry Ford
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...
from nearby Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
the capabilities to create large amounts of steel for his automobile assembly lines.
John S. Van Alstyne, General Manager for Eber Ward of both the Eureka Iron & Steel Works and the associated Wyandotte Rolling Mills, laid out the master plan for the city. This plan was frequently called the "Philadelphia Plan", with streets laid out on a north/south and east/west grid. Streets going along one axis were named after native plants and trees; the streets running away from the river, into the interior, were simply numbered. Van Alstyne was elected as the city's first mayor in 1867. (A street along Wyandotte's Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
is named after him - ironically on the site of the former iron works he managed, after it failed and was razed around 1904.) He would also go on to found the Wyandotte Savings Bank in 1871, which was housed in the Main Office building of the Eureka Iron Works (which still stands at the southwest corner of Biddle and Elm; though greatly remodelled it remains the oldest building in the city today).
Eureka Iron Works prospered through the late 19th century but suffered a shortage of raw materials. It closed in 1892, but not before Wyandotte became a major hub in the chemical production industry, possible because of the many salt mine
Salt mine
A salt mine is a mining operation involved in the extraction of rock salt or halite from evaporite deposits.-Occurrence:Areas known for their salt mines include Kilroot near Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland ; Khewra and Warcha in Pakistan; Tuzla in Bosnia; Wieliczka and Bochnia in Poland A salt mine...
s deep below the city.
Business and industry
An early figure was Captain John Baptiste FordJohn Baptiste Ford
Captain John Baptiste Ford was an American industrialist and founder of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, now known as PPG Industries, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, who used the salt to create soda ash, which in turn was used to create plate glass. In 1893, he created Michigan Alkali Company, which created baking soda, soda ash and lye
Lye
Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
. The company, later renamed Wyandotte Chemicals Co., went on to create a variety of soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
s and cleaners, eventually becoming part of BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
and expanding into the BASF industrial complex.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
role, which existed from the 1870s into the 1920s. During that time, a wide variety of boats were created along Wyandotte's riverbank, from steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
and tugs
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
to huge ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
. In 1873, Ward's Wyandotte Iron Ship Building Works built the nation's earliest steel-hulled vessel, a tugboat called the Sport. This shipbuilding industry was immortalized in 1942 in the painting of several murals which still exist today in the auditorium of Theodore Roosevelt High School.
Beginning in the 1920s Wyandotte was a major source of toy production, with the All Metal Products Company
All Metal Products Company
All Metal Products Company was an American toy company founded in 1920 and based in Wyandotte, Michigan for most of its history. It produced inexpensive pressed metal toys under the Wyandotte brand name, and was the nation's largest manufacturer of toy guns for several decades in the 20th century...
founded in 1920 and located in Wyandotte on Sycamore Street between 14th and 15th streets. From the 1920s until the 1950s the company, under the name "Wyandotte Toys", was the nation's largest manufacturer of toy guns and pistols, producing a wide variety of pop gun
Pop gun
A pop gun is a toy gun that uses air pressure to fire a small tethered projectile out of a barrel via piston action...
s, clicker pistols, dart guns, cap gun
Cap gun
A cap gun is a toy gun that creates a loud sound simulating a gunshot and a puff of smoke when the trigger is pulled. Cap guns were originally made of cast iron, but after World War II were made of zinc alloy, and most newer models are made of plastic....
s and a variety of plastic pistols. The company also produced a wide range of toy airplanes and other vehicles by pressing scrap metal obtained from local automobile factories. The company's motto was "Wyandotte Toys Are Good and Safe." In the early 1950s the company moved to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and it was bought out by Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer from 1919 to 1978. Its boxes were often imprinted with the slogan, "One of the many Marx toys, have you all of them?"-Logo and Offerings:...
three years later.
Wyandotte's Bishop Park used to have a dock to board the Boblo Boat ferry to Boblo Island.
Today, much of the industry has disappeared. A notable exception is BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
Wyandotte.
In July 2001, three workers at an Atofina plant just south of Wyandotte were killed when a rail car leaked a colorless gas called methyl mercaptan. The gas exploded into flames and led to the emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
of 2,000 area residents, including some Wyandotte citizens.
Government and municipal services
Joe Peterson is the current mayor of Wyandotte as of 2008. A City Council and other elected officials oversee the community's governance. Wyandotte has its own community owned municipal services, called Wyandotte Municipal ServicesWyandotte Municipal Services
Wyandotte Municipal Services is a not-for-profit service provider located in Wyandotte, Michigan. The services that WMS provides are Electric, Cable Telecommunications, and Water supply to the City of Wyandotte...
, it provides its own power through a municipal power plant and operates city-owned water and cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
services.
The Wyandotte Police Department, like that of its fellow Downriver
Downriver
Downriver is the unofficial name for a collection of 18 suburban cities and townships in Wayne County, Michigan south of Detroit along the western shore of the Detroit River....
community Woodhaven
Woodhaven, Michigan
Woodhaven is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,875. It is part of a collection of 18 suburban communities known as Downriver.-History:...
, has a Police Explorers
Law Enforcement Exploring
Law Enforcement Exploring also known as Police Explorers is a career-oriented program that gives young adults the opportunity to explore a career in law enforcement by working with local law enforcement agencies. Founded on July 12, 1973, it is one of the Exploring programs from Learning for Life,...
post for youths ages 14–21 that have an interest in law enforcement.
Public schools
Wyandotte Public SchoolsWyandotte Public Schools
Wyandotte Public Schools is a school district based out of and serving Wyandotte, Michigan.-Schools:Elementary and Middle Schools include:*Garfield Elementary School-Garfield Elementary was attended by Jack Youngblood, Wyandotte resident....
operates the city's public schools.
Elementary and middle schools include:
- Garfield Elementary School, built in 1932
- James Monroe Elementary School, built in 1954 (No longer in use)
- William Taft Elementary School, built in 1956
- William McKinley Elementary School, built in 1940 (No longer in use)
- George Washington Elementary School, built in the 1930's
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, built in 1950
- Woodrow Wilson Middle School, built in 1956
Wyandotte's public high school is Theodore Roosevelt High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Wyandotte)
for schools of the same nameTheodore Roosevelt High School, also known as RHS or Roosevelt, or also Wyandotte High by alumni, is the secondary school in Wyandotte, Michigan. Established in 1923, RHS is the only public high school in the city of Wyandotte. Its mascot is the Bear, with athletic...
, began in 1921 and completed in 1923 and has since expanded in 1957, 1962, 1975 and 2003.
Historic sites
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic churchRoman Catholic Church
The 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...
built in the Polish Cathedral style
Polish Cathedral style
The Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
known for its Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
opulence. It was founded in 1899 by Polish immigrants.
Sports and recreation
The city is home to the Wyandotte Boat ClubWyandotte boat club
Wyandotte Boat Club is a non-profit organization located in Wyandotte, Michigan along the Detroit River dedicated to the promotion of the sport of rowing within the "downriver" area of metro-Detroit. The Wyandotte Boat Club was established in 1875. The Wyandotte Boat Club is the home to 7 Local...
, a rowing facility. The club host to three local regattas: two spring high school regattas and one fall club regatta. The new facility features two indoor rowing tanks, numerous shell racks and shells, erg and weight rooms, men's and women's locker rooms, meeting room, and a massive club/bar over looking the Detroit River. The tanks are used by all of the rowing programs for technique and style training. They have been shown to be of great benefit in the training of novice rowers. During the off season, the tanks are rented by the hour to outside schools and universities.
Street grid
Most north-south streets are numbered, starting with 1st Street on the East Side and ending with 23rd Street on the West Side. Most east-west streets south of Northline/Ford Avenue are named after trees such as Walnut, Oak, and Cherry, starting with Spruce Street on the north and ending with Grove Street on the south. South of Grove, the east-west streets are named after MichiganMichigan
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"....
cities, with Hillsdale
Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
, Marshall
Marshall, Michigan
Marshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
, Vassar
Vassar, Michigan
Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The small town was founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,697 at the 2010 census and 2,823 at the 2000 census...
, Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
, Negaunee
Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,576 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township. The city is home to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum...
and St. Ignace streets. The city has an East Side and a West Side, separated by a wide area of railroad tracks which include the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
's (Grand Trunk Western) Shoreline and River subdivisions and the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
/Conrail Shared Assets's Detroit Line. NS/Conrail also has a spur line which parallels Alkali Street and serves BASF. Most of the numbered streets are one way at some point. One of the streets, Electric Street, is a continuation of a street that starts in southwest Detroit and continues into Riverview. Electric is so called because of the former Detroit United Railway interurban line that ran next to it which connected Detroit and Toledo.
Most of the Wyandotte-Southgate city limits is straddled by M-85
M-85 (Michigan highway)
M-85, also known as Fort Street or Fort Road for its entire length, is a state highway route in the U.S. state of Michigan.In Detroit proper, M-85 consists of West Fort street and South Fort street...
which locally is known as Fort Street. Since it lies immediately west of 23rd Street, it is very rarely referred to as "24th Street".
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 7 square miles (18.1 km²), of which 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), or 23.82%, 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 28,006 people, 11,816 households, and 7,420 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 5,278.1 per square mile (2,036.4/km²). There were 12,303 housing units at an average density of 2,318.7 per square mile (894.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.32% White, 0.52% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.72% 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 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.91% of the population. Residents are predominantly of Polish descent.
There were 11,816 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 31.9% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,740, and the median income for a family was $54,106. Males had a median income of $42,469 versus $27,261 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 $22,185. About 4.7% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestries (2000): Polish (22.5%), German (21.9%), Irish (17.5%), English (9.0%), French (8.5%), Italian (8.4%).
As of the 2010 Census Wyandotte had a population of 25,883. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 91.0% Non-Hispanic white, 1.3% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 1.9% reproting two or more races and 5.1% Hispanic or Latino.
Religion
Most of the population of Wyandotte is ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and of these denominations, Roman Catholicism possesses the largest presence.
One of the city's Roman Catholic parishes is Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the city's Polish Cathedral. A figure of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
stands in front of the church. It was sculpted by Professor Czesław Dźwigaj, well known for casting the monument of Christ the King
Christ the King
Christ the King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of Scripture. It is used by most Christians. The Roman Catholic Church, together with many Protestant denominations, including the Anglican Churches, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Methodists, celebrate the Feast of Christ the King on the...
in Cicero, Illinois
Cicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
, in front of the church of St. Mary of Częstochowa, as well as the Tolerance Monument
Tolerance Monument
The Tolerance Monument is an outdoor sculpture located in a park near Goldman Promenade in Jerusalem, Israel. The monument was designed by Polish sculptor Czesław Dźwigaj, known for his religious art, in collaboration with sculptor Michal Kubiak...
that was recently unveiled in Jerusalem.
Notable natives and residents
- Lucille BallLucille BallLucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, actress who was raised in the city as a child - Dick DeanDick DeanDick Dean , born Richard Dean Sawitskas [Sa-wits-kas], was an American automobile designer and builder of custom cars.-Biography:...
, born Richard Dean Sawitskas, American automobile designer and builder of custom cars. - Aaron Diaz, science popularizer and creator of the comic Dresden CodakDresden CodakDresden Codak is a webcomic written and illustrated by Aaron Diaz. Described by Diaz as a "celebration of science, death and human folly", the comic presents stories that deal with elements of philosophy, science and technology, and/or psychology...
- Justin HicksJustin HicksJustin Hicks is an American professional golfer.Hicks was born in Wyandotte, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan and currently plays on the Nationwide Tour....
, golfer who currently plays on the Nationwide TourNationwide TourThe Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level... - Connie KreskiConnie KreskiConnie Kreski was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for January 1968 and was Playmate of the Year for 1969...
, 1969 Playboy Playmate of the Year - Bob KuzavaBob KuzavaRobert Leroy Kuzava is a retired American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Pittsburgh Pirates and St...
, baseball pitcher - Budd LynchBudd LynchFrank Joseph James "Budd" Lynch is the Detroit Red Wings' public address announcer at Joe Louis Arena, a position he has held since 1985. He began his career in 1949 as the team's radio play-by-play announcer...
, the Detroit Red Wings' public address announcer at Joe Louis Arena - Lee MajorsLee MajorsLee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
, actor most noted as The Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI... - Thomas McGuaneThomas McGuaneThomas Francis McGuane III is an American author. His work includes ten novels, short fiction and screenplays, as well as three collections of essays devoted to his life in the outdoors.-Early life:...
, novelist known for such works as Ninety-Two in the Shade and husband of actress Margot KidderMargot KidderMargaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition.... - Fritz ShurmurFritz ShurmurLeonard Frank “Fritz” Shurmur was an American football coach who served as head coach of the University of Wyoming Cowboys from 1971 to 1974. He also served as the defensive coordinator for the National Football League's Green Bay Packers from 1994 to 1998.-Early life:Shurmur was nicknamed Fritz...
, American football coach - Craig TitusCraig TitusCraig Michael Titus is an American former IFBB professional bodybuilder and a convicted murderer.- Early life :Titus is of French and Greek origin with a French mother and a Greek...
, former IFBB bodybuilding champion and convicted murderer - Louis A. WaldmanLouis A. WaldmanLouis Alexander Waldman is an American art historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance.-Career:Born near Detroit, Louis A. Waldman was educated at Hunter College and subsequently, Waldman studied with Sir John Pope-Hennessy and Kathleen Weil-Garris Brandt at the Institute of Fine Arts of...
, art historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance