Williamston, Michigan
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| Williamston, Michigan |
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| Nickname: "Billtown" | ||
| Motto: Discover the Charm. | ||
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| Coordinates: | ||
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| Founded | 1871 (as village), 1945 (as city) | |
| Mayor | Kenneth V. Zichi | |
| Area | ||
| - City | 6.7 km² (2.6 sq mi) | |
| - Land | 6.6 km² (2.5 sq mi) | |
| - Water | 0.1 km² (0.04 sq mi) 1.17% | |
| Elevation | 262 m (860 ft) | |
| Population | ||
| - City (2000) | 3441 | |
| - Density | 521.0/km² (1351.2/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| Website: http://www.williamston-mi.us/ | ||
Williamston is a city in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is at the southeast corner of Williamstown Township, but is politically independent. A portion of Williamston was annexed from adjacent Wheatfield Township. Downtown Williamston is located at the intersection of Grand River Avenue (M-43) and Putnam Street (Williamston Road). As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,441.
Williamston is most notable for its antiques markets and the Red Cedar Jubilee festival held annually every June. Recently, it has been promoted as a quaint, small town just outside the larger city of Lansing.
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[edit] History
The region that was later to become Williamston was first settled in 1834 by Hiram and Joseph Putnam, who moved to the area from Jackson. Today, inside the city limits, Williamston Road is also named Putnam Street in their honor. However, for many years, several street signs inside the city were misspelled as "Putman Street", making the official spelling of the name unclear.
In 1839, the Putnams sold their land to Oswald B., James M., and Horace B. Williams, three brothers who came from Batavia, New York. James M. "Miles" Williams, who built a dam, saw mill and later a grist mill in town, eventually platted the land in 1845 and named the town "Williamstown" after himself. It is unknown how it lost the "w" in its name.
The town was a popular stop on the Grand River trail (that later became a plank road) from Detroit to Lansing in the 19th century. That trail is now Grand River Avenue (M-43) which runs through downtown Williamston. Because the primary means of transportation at that time was the horse and buggy and because the trip from Detroit to Lansing took more than one day, Williamston became a convenient overnight stop.
The town was incorporated as a village in 1871, and later as a city on April 1, 1945. A later revised City Charter was adopted by the people effective in April 1963. This charter has been amended several times, but remains in effect today.
A history for the area was published for the City's centennial celebration in 1971. It included many photographs and stories of the early city and its inhabitants. There were earlier histories, as well, published in 1963, the 1930s, and in 1880.
[edit] Law and government
Williamston is governed by a seven-member City Council, and an appointed city manager. The City Council is responsible for all legislative and policy-making in Williamston. Elections are held every two years for four spots on the Council; the three candidates who receive the largest number of votes are given four-year terms, while the candidate with the fourth highest vote total is given a two-year term on the Council. City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 7 p.m. in City Hall, which is located on Grand River Ave. in downtown.[1]
The Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem of Williamston are chosen by Council from among its members at the first meeting of each calendar year. The current Mayor of Williamston is Kenneth V. Zichi, and the current Mayor Pro-Tem is Robert Hanna.[2]
In addition, The City also has a Downtown Development Authority, Economic Development Corporation, and a Planning Commission.
[edit] Geography
Williamston is located 15 miles east of Lansing, the state capital city of Michigan, and 11 miles east of East Lansing, the home of Michigan State University. The city is located two miles north of I-96, which provides access to Lansing and Detroit.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 km² (2.6 mi²). 6.6 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (1.17%) is water.
The Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Grand River, passes just north of the center of town. Lake Lansing is also located in nearby Haslett and is approximately 500 acres (2.0 km²) in size.
[edit] Demographics data from the Census of 2000
As of the U.S. Census2 of 2000, there were 3,441 people, 1,470 households, and 905 families residing in the city. The population density was 521.0/km² (1,351.2/mi²). There were 1,528 housing units at an average density of 231.4/km² (600.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.95% White, 0.17% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.70% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.94% of the population.
There were 1,470 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,727, and the median income for a family was $51,014. Males had a median income of $38,375 versus $30,174 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,798. About 6.4% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
The economy is primarily that of a residential town. Many residents commute to local, larger towns such as Okemos, East Lansing, or Lansing, where most of the employment is located. The Williamston community was once very reliant on farming as an occupation, however, its prominence in the community has since declined. Although there is no longer much farmland within the city limits, the surrounding area is still devoted to farming.
Today, Williamston is well known to the mid-Michigan area for its antiques stores and specialty shops in the downtown area. Williamston is home to two golf courses, The Brookshire Restaurant and Golf Course and Wheatfield Valley Golf Course, as well as the Williamston Theater, the Williamston Branch of the Capital Area District Library, restaurants like Spag's and Red Cedar Bar and Grill, a Felpausch grocery store, and numerous storefronts. The Meridian Mall — and other stores in Okemos — are about eight miles from the downtown area. The largest employer in the City is the Williamston Community Schools with 170 employees.
Other notable businesses in the Williamston area include Topliff's Tara bed and breakfast and the Michigan Nature Association.
Tractor Supply Company is building a store (anticipated to open in early 2007) at the outskirts of town near the industrial park both of which are designed to take advantage of the city's proximity to I-96 (the major corridor between Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit Michigan) and the Lansing area.
[edit] Events of interest
A major event in town is the week long festival known as the Red Cedar Jubilee. It typically begins the last week of June with a childrens 'bike parade' through town, and ends with the Boy Scout pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. Events of the Jubilee include a demolition derby, duck race, and chicken barbecue, as well as other events and games for children of all ages. The proceeds from some of the events go to benefit local community groups. One such group, the Lions Club, runs a food and beverage tent during the festival. The Williamston Bucket, a local bar, has provided late-night entertainment during Jubilee in the past, but was destroyed by a fire in early 2006.
A recent addition to the local festival calendar is the Artfest on the River [3], held the second Saturday in July each year at McCormick Park. The festival includes performing arts such as dance, drama, and music on multiple stages. Art is also sold and there are activity tents for young and old to try their hand at artistic endeavors.
On the first Saturday in December, the Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual Light Parade. Activities begin in the afternoon and culminate with a parade of lighted floats and vehicles through downtown Williamston. Afterward, children are given a chance to meet Santa Claus at city hall. Typically, stores and street booths sell hot drinks and musicians wander the street during the afternoon and evening. Occasionally, there is an ice sculpture or two spread throughout town.
In the Spring, Summer, and Fall, Williamston's Downtown Development Authority, Economic Development Corporation, and City Government sponsor a weekly farmers' market on the corner of Putnam and High streets downtown.
[edit] Sports teams
There are no major local sports teams, besides the community schools' athletics teams whose mascot are the Hornets.
The school's sports teams are generally quite competitive in the area, and sometimes across the state. The high school's wrestling team [4] won the Division III state team championship in 1999. In addition, the track and cross country teams are quite successful, especially in recent years. Coached by 2005 Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Paul "Coach" Nilsson, the boys track team won the state championship in 2001, 2003, and 2006, and the boys cross country team won 7 consecutive regional titles between 1999-2005, winning the state championship in 2000 and 2005 and finishing runner-up in 2004 and 2006. Additionally, the boys team currently carries the distinction of MichTrack.org's "Best Division 3 Cross Country Team of the Decade" [5]. The boys[6] and girls[7] teams each won the 2005 MITCA Division 3 Team State Championships, each defeating their arch-rival from the west, Grand Rapids West Catholic.
In 2006, the high school's quizbowl team, coached by Mike Barnes, became Class B state champions after defeating Corunna in the championship round. Later that year, the girls soccer team [8] became regional champions for the first time in the program's history.
[edit] External links
- City of Williamston
- Williamston Community Schools
- Chamber of Commerce
- Williamston Depot Museum
- Public domain text of Williamstown History
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
[edit] Sources
Durant, Samuel W. "History of Ingham and Eaton Counties Michigan". D. W. Ensign & Co. Philadelphia, 1880.
| Cities and communities of Ingham County, Michigan | |
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