Swartz Creek, Michigan

City of Swartz Creek
City
Motto: Where Town and Country Shake Hands
Location of Swartz Creek within Genesee County, Michigan.
Coordinates: 42°57′43″N 83°49′35″W / 42.96194°N 83.82639°W / 42.96194; -83.82639Coordinates: 42°57′43″N 83°49′35″W / 42.96194°N 83.82639°W / 42.96194; -83.82639
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Genesee
Settled	1836
Platted	1877
Incorporated	1959
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	David Krueger
• Mayor Pro-tem	Richard Abrams
• City Manager	Paul D. Bueche
Area[1]
• Total	4.04 sq mi (10.46 km2)
• Land	4.04 sq mi (10.46 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	791 ft (235 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	5,758
• Estimate (2012[3])	5,673
• Density	1,425.2/sq mi (550.3/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	48473, 48554
Area code(s)	810
FIPS code	26-77700[4]
GNIS feature ID	1614476[5]
Website	cityofswartzcreek.org

Swartz Creek is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,758 at the 2010 census. The city is a suburb of Flint and has incorporated land formerly within Flint Charter Township, Gaines Township, and Clayton Township, but is administratively autonomous from all three.

History

Indian and Territorial

Wayne County was formed within the Northwest Territory covering the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The Saginaw Valley Treaty was signed with the Chippewa Indians in 1819. In 1836, the Pewanigo band of the Saginaw Chippewa Indians signed a treaty with the US government that gave all remaining land in Genesee County for 13 sections of land west of the Mississippi River with the land to be sold for the Indians' benefits.^[6]

For additional information, see Genesee County, Michigan and Michigan.

Miller's Settlement

Miller's Settlement refers to an area that straddled Clayton and Gaines geographical township area along what is now Morrish Road. In 1836 with Adam Miller leading the way, the first settlers arrived in the Miller Settlement. Adam Miller claimed 160 acres in section 35 of the future Clayton Township and returned 2 months later with family from New York. The Indian trail along the Swartz Creek West branch was always referred to as "Going up the Swartz". The Miller cut a road from Flint to Miller's Settlement along that route. Flint Township was organized in 1836 and included the township areas of Burton, Clayton, Flushing, Mt. Morris, Genesee, Thetford, Vienna and Montrose. Mundy Township was organized in 1837 included Gaines Township. Philander McLain built on previously claimed land as the first settler in the geographically Gaines Township in 1838. Gaines Township was organized in 1842. The post office and route for Miller Settlement was founded in 1842 as the Swartz Creek Post Office, which was the first reference to the area as Swartz Creek. Clayton Township government was started in 1846.^[7]

Grand Trunk Railroad completed its rail line south of Miller Settlement in 1876 with a station identified as Hamilton. With another Hamilton depot in Michigan and confusion with the location being alternatively called Miller Settlement or Swartz Creek (via the post office), it was renamed after a year to Swartz Creek depot. The following year (1877) the Swartz Creek Elevator was built.^[6] The Village of Swartz Creek subdivision was platted in 1877 with Main Street (later Morrish Road and currently Holland Drive) and a few parallel roads West of Main Street.

In 1925, the Swartz Creek Community Fire Association was formed but by 1952 was forced to dissolve and handed over to the two townships, Clayton and Gaines. Clayton and Gaines then reformed it as a shared department of both townships. The Swartz Creek community in 1944 forms a Community Council to deal with area issues as they span the two townships.^[6]

Crapo Farm

Swamp land lying in Gaines Township—about 1000 acres—was purchased by Henry Howland Crapo in 1860. The swamp, the source of the west branch of the Swartz Creek and its name, was drained. An effective settlement was established there with the "Crapo Farm" with most structures outside of the current boundaries of the City. Crapo was elected Governor of Michigan in 1865 and held office at the Farm's Mansion, "Grassmoor". Crapo Farm even had its own rail depot. After a couple of Crapos held ownership of the Crapo Farm, it was sold to developers, various Corporations with Winshall as president. The east side was designated and build into a subdivision of about 300 homes called Winchester Village. Other plans for Crapo Farms were a golf course around the Mansion as the clubhouse and a mall at Seymour and Miller Roads; neither of which were built.^[6]

Otterburn

Otterburn was in Flint Township, had about 150 residents and had its own train depot.^[8] The location was known as Otterburn as otter were generally seen on the Swartz Creek, a burn.^[9] In 1957, Chevrolet built a parts plant on the North side of Miller Road West of the rail tracks,^[10] also referred to as Otterburn.^[11]

City of Swartz Creek

With the building of the Winchester Village subdivision and the Chevrolet plant in Otterburn, area residents thoughts turned to incorporation as the community straddled two townships. The residents of Winchester Village opposed incorporation as proposed and want to incorporate as Winchester Village. Additional resistance against incorporation came from Flint Township as the Township did not want to lose the taxes from the Chevrolet Parts Plant. The first charter vote on 12/16/1958, the charter fell by a vote of 486 to 522. A second proposed charter draft was approved on September 22, 1959, 548 to 495.^[12]

Swartz Creek amended its charter to allow Councilors to serve 4 year terms with at-large and precinct classes elected at staggered 2 years apart beginning in November 1978.^[13]

In the mid-1980s, Swartz Creek was the "report from" for articles covering the Superfund clean up of Berlin and Farro toxic waste dump for national audiences. Most notably, this included a National Geographic cover story. The Berlin and Farro waste site was not in Swartz Creek, but about 4 miles (6.4 km) out of town in Gaines Township. Clean up was in two phases with the second ending late 1990s.

In 2008, the first primary for any City Council election was held on August 5, 2008 do to the field of 7 candidates: Richard B. Abrams, (443 votes; 22.64%), Donald Raymond Adams (240 12.26%), Betty Binder (297 15.18%), Jason Christie (334 17.07%), John A. Gilbert (194 9.91%), David Krueger (245 12.52%), and Doug Whetstone (200 10.22%). This eliminated Gilbert from the race.^[14]

In May 2013, a Meijer store opened on Morrish Road north of I-69. In December, City Council voting 4 to 3 adopted a public safety special assessment district consisting of the whole city with a millage levy of 4.9 mills. While a referendum ballot could take the assessment to the ballot, some residents threatened a recall. Also in December, City Manager Paul Beuche planned for a medical and disability leave from his job with the recommendation that an interim and permanent replacement be hired, city Zoning Administrator and DDA Director Adam Zettel. The City Council accepted Beuche's recommendation and hired Zettel effective January 2, 2014.^[15]

Government

Swartz Creek uses a council-manager form of city government. The council has seven members, three are elected at-large and four are elected from the city's 4 precincts. There is only one ward. Council members serve four year terms with the precinct class and the at-large class staggered two years apart in even years. The City's mayor and mayor pro-tem are selected from amongst the Council's members. The council hires a chief administrative officer with the title of city manager to handle day-to-day administration.^[16]

Together with Clayton Township the city runs a joint fire department, Swartz Creek Area Fire Department, under an administrative board with two fire stations, one per municipality. The Swartz Creek Community School District provides the city and the surrounding townships with the high school, middle school, alternative high school and within the city 2 elementary schools.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.04 square miles (10.46 km²), all of it land.^[1]

The West branch of the Swartz Creek flows from west to east through the city, generally along the southern border, toward the Flint River leave the Southeast corner of Clayton Township separated from the rest of the Township. Just south and parallel to the Creek is the Canadian National Railway line, formerly the Grand Trunk line, which runs between Flint and Durand.

	Clayton Township	Clayton Township	Flint Township
	Gaines Township Clayton Township		Flint Township
	Swartz Creek
	Gaines Township	Gaines Township	Gaines Township Clayton Township Flint Township

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 5,758 people, 2,554 households, and 1,632 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,425.2 inhabitants per square mile (550.3 /km²). There were 2,749 housing units at an average density of 680.4 per square mile (262.7 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.6% White, 5.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.

There were 2,554 households of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 41 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 20.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.8% male and 55.2% female.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Swartz Creek has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.^[21]

Notables

• Don Brewer was a member of Grand Funk Railroad.
• Sandra Brewer Brenette is the sister of Don Brewer and a Broadway dancer.^[22]

See also

• Swartz Creek

References

External links

• City of Swartz Creek
• Swartz Creek Historical Society
• Hometown Days Festival

v t e Municipalities and communities of Genesee County, Michigan, United States County seat: Flint Cities Burton Clio Davison Fenton‡ Flint Flushing Grand Blanc Linden Montrose Mount Morris Swartz Creek Villages Gaines Goodrich Lennon‡ Otisville Otter Lake‡ Charter townships Clayton Fenton Flint Flushing Genesee Grand Blanc Montrose Mount Morris Mundy Vienna General law townships Argentine Atlas Davison Forest Gaines Richfield Thetford Unincorporated communities Argentine Atlas Bayport Park Beecher Brent Creek Duffield Farrandville Genesee Huntingtown Kipp Corners Lake Fenton Lakeside Pine Run Rankin Richfield Center Rogersville Russellville Thetford Center Whigville Whitesburg Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties