Wayne County - A Brief History
Wayne County was established in 1796, as a
key unit of the Northwest Territories. At its founding, the County's
borders stretched from the County seat in Detroit, to encompass
almost all of Michigan, as well as northern Indiana, the eastern
edge of Illinois [including what is now the city of Chicago],
and a small wedge of Wisconsin.
As more of these areas were settled,
the County was whittled down to its present size of 622 square
miles, situated along Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River
in southeast Michigan.
The County was named for
Major General Anthony Wayne [1745-1796]. "Mad Anthony" Wayne
was a Revolutionary War hero, who in the 1790's, led an expedition
of American soldiers to victory over Native American tribes
and British troops at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. His victory
established a lasting peace in the region. As a result, numerous
locations in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana are named in his honor.
There had been settlers in the area since Detroit
was founded by French explorers in 1701. It's position along
the Detroit River, which is actually a narrow strait in the Great
Lakes chain, made it a key point for military and commercial
use. By 1796, settlers had branched out into surrounding territory
to establish farms in what we call today, the Wayne County suburbs.
Farming, lumber and small industry dominated
the local economy until the end of the 19th century. Wayne County
saw it's period of greatest growth in the first half of the 20th
Century, when the automobile industry roared to life. Each of
the "Big Three" American car companies was born in
Wayne County; General Motors in Detroit, Ford Motor Company in
Dearborn, and Chrysler Corporation in Highland Park.
From the factories lining the Rouge River and
the Detroit River, to the baronial lakefront estates of automobile
executives in the Grosse Pointe communities, the growth of the
auto industry fueled the growth of Wayne County.
Today, the auto industry continues to play a key role in Wayne
County, but the economy has diversified to include world-class
companies devoted to engineering, banking, health care, even plumbing
fixtures and pizza.
INTERESTING MICHIGAN FACTS:
- Although Michigan is often called the "Wolverine State" there
are no longer any wolverines in Michigan
- The oldest county [based
on date of incorporation] is Wayne County, in 1815
- The Detroit Zoo
was the first zoo in America to feature cageless, open-exhibits
that allowed the animals more freedom to roam
- The first state
police radio system in the world was established in 1929 by
the Michigan State Police
- Singing sand can be found on the beaches
of Grand Haven - The sand particles make a whistling sound
as you walk upon
them
- Michigan ranks first in state boat registrations.
The Great Lakes account for one-fifth of the world's
surface freshwater supply
- The first soda pop made
in the U.S., Vernor's ginger ale, was created by accident
in 1866 in Detroit
- Michigan is the only place in the world with
a floating post office - The J.W. Westcott II is the only
boat in the world
that delivers
mail to ships while they are still underway - They
have been operating for 125 years
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