Hamtramck, Michigan | |
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— City — | |
Location in Wayne County and the state of Michigan | |
Coordinates: | |
Country | United States |
State | Michigan |
County | Wayne |
Organized (township) | 1798 |
Incorporated (village) | 1901 |
Incorporated (city) | 1922 |
Government | |
• Type | Council-Manager |
• Mayor | Karen Majewski |
• City Manager | William Cooper |
Area | |
• Total | 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2) |
• Land | 2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 623 ft (192 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 22,976 |
• Density | 10,900.5/sq mi (4,208.7/km2) |
Time zone | EST (UTC−5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
ZIP codes | 48211–48212 |
Area code(s) | 313 |
FIPS code | 26-36280[1] |
GNIS feature ID | 0627707[2] |
Website | hamtramck.us |
Hamtramck ( /hæmˈtræmɨk/)[3] is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park. Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean François Hamtramck who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit.
Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants flooded into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914.[4] Poles used to make up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2000 census, over 22% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin; in 1970, it was 90% Polish.[5]
Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen) and South Asia (especially Bangladesh) have moved to the city. As of the 2000 census, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%,[6] making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city (see more at Demographics below).
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), all land.
Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except a small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border and I-94 runs near its southern border.
Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Polish, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses.[4] A recent survey found 26 native languages spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. The city's motto was "A League of Nations".
At the time of the 2000 census, Hamtramck was again experiencing considerable growth, with over 8,000 households and a population of almost 23,000.
In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid back blue-collar neighborhoods.[7] And in May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.
In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, ostensibly about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention.[8] Ultimately, Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004 regulating all religious sounds.[9]
Hamtramck Disneyland, an art installation, is in the city.
Polish immigrants, residents of Hamtramck, and southeastern Michigan celebrate Fat Tuesday (known locally as Pączki Day) by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment, some starting as early as 7 A.M.[10]
The "Hamtramck Blowout" is an annual Indie music festival held in March in Hamtramck. It is currently sponsored by the Metro Times.[11] Similar festivals are held in Austin, Texas (Sxsw) and Milwaukee, WI (Summerfest). In 2011 almost 200 bands played the Blowout at 14 venues over four days.[12]
Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.
Held Labor Day weekend, ending with the Polish Day Parade on Labor Day. Live music on three stages, carnival area, beer, and food tents line a half-mile (1 km) stretch of Joseph Campau Street, from Caniff to Carpenter.[13]
Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.[14]
General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produces the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac DTS, and the Buick Lucerne.[15]
Detroit Axle maintains a plant there. However, in April, 2009, American Axle & Manufacturing announced that it planned to close it plant at the Hamtramck/Detroit border and move production to Mexico, resulting in the elimination of several hundred jobs.
The Polish Art Center, at 9539 Joseph Campau Street, is a local institution in Hamtramck. There, one can find many Polish art objects, books, foods, and art from other areas of Europe. The center's selection of Communist-era Polish theatrical and operatic posters is unusual.[16]
The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is “to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans.”[17]
For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.[18]
Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, and particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street.[19] Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7 /km2), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan.[20] There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% white (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:
Historical populations | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1910 | 3,559 |
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1920 | 48,615 | 1,266.0% | |
1930 | 56,268 | 15.7% | |
1940 | 49,839 | −11.4% | |
1950 | 43,555 | −12.6% | |
1960 | 34,137 | −21.6% | |
1970 | 26,783 | −21.5% | |
1980 | 21,300 | −20.5% | |
1990 | 18,372 | −13.7% | |
2000 | 22,976 | 25.1% | |
2010 | 22,423 | −2.4% |
3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.[21]
There were 8,033 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 the population of Hamtramck was 22,423. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 53.0% Non-Hispanic white, 19.3% black or African-American, 0.3% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.3% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 4.7% reporting two or more races and 1.5% Hispanic or Latino.[22]
Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately, and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.[23]
In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested of the State of Michigan to be allowed to declare bankruptcy which was denied.[24] Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.[25]
The United States Postal Service operates the Hamtramck Post Office at 2933 Caniff Street.[26] The post office annex is located at 14600 Dequindre Street in the City of Detroit.[27]
Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools.[28] Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy[29], Hamtramck Academy, and Bridge Academy, are all charter schools, in Hamtramck.[30]
Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools. One of the buildings now used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School, a Catholic school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit.[30] The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point St. Florian Elementary remained open.[31] In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.[32]
Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff.[33] The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956 and dedicated on July 1, 1956.[34]
In 1910 Hamtramck, then a village, had 3,559 residents. Between 1910 and 1920 Hamtramck's population grew by 1,266 percent. The growth of Hamtramck and neighboring Highland Park broke records for increases of population; both municipalities withstood annexation efforts from Detroit.[43]
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