Eastpointe, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Eastpointe is a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 in Macomb County
Macomb County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 788,149 people, 309,203 households, and 210,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 320,276 housing units at an average density of 667 per square mile...

 of 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"....

. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

, the city population was 34,077. Eastpointe forms a part of the Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...

 area. It borders on 8 Mile Road on the northern edge of Detroit.

History

The community was first settled by Irish and German immigrants in the 1830s. In October 1897, a Post Office was established there with the name of "Half-way", as it was near the halfway point of the stage run between downtown Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

 and the Macomb County seat at Mount Clemens
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,312. It is the county seat of Macomb County.-Early history:...

. It incorporated as the village of Halfway in December 1924 and reincorporated as the City of East Detroit in January 1929. Prior to 1924, most of the community formed a part of Erin Township. The city changed its name to "Eastpointe" after the change was approved by residents in a 1992 referendum; the name change had been proposed to remove any perceived association with the adjacent city of Detroit; the "-pointe" is intended to associate the city instead with the nearby affluent communities of the Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe refers to a coastal area in Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States that comprises five adjacent individual communities. From southwest to northeast, they are:*Grosse Pointe Park, city*Grosse Pointe, city*Grosse Pointe Farms, city...

s.

The city's school district was unaffected by the municipal name change, and still is called East Detroit Public Schools
East Detroit Public Schools
East Detroit Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Eastpointe, Michigan, United States. The district serves Eastpointe and a portion of Warren.-Elementary schools:* Bellview Elementary School* Crescentwood Elementary School...

. It has one high school (East Detroit High School), one middle school (Kelly Middle School), and six elementary schools. East Detroit Public Schools serves Macomb County residents, whose primary district boundaries encompass the City of Eastpointe and the southeastern portion of the City of Warren.

Politics

Eastpointe is a Michigan home-rule city and operates under the council-manager form of government.http://www.cityofeastpointe.net/manager.htm The city's mayor and four council members are elected at large to four-year staggered terms, Suzanne Pixley is the current Mayor of Eastpointe (November 2007). The Mayor and two City Council seats will be up for re-election in November 2011. http://www.cityofeastpointe.net/council.htm#councilmembers

Entertainment and recreation

Eastpointe has many summer festivals and events, including Erin-Halfway Days Living History Festival held at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in late July, Music in the Park Wednesday nights at Spindler Park, and Summer Fest, formerly known as The Ox Roast, mid to late August at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park.

Cruisin' Gratiot in June is an annual weekend celebration of automotive history, tradition and memorabilia. The event includes car shows, contests, and live music.

Eastpointe is generally considered to be a bedroom community. It is nevertheless a relatively short drive from many other points of interest in the Detroit area. It is served by I-94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...

 and I-696
Interstate 696
Interstate 696 is an intrastate Interstate Highway entirely within the US state of Michigan. I-696 is also known as the Walter P. Reuther Freeway, named for a prominent figure in early automobile factory labor union activity. I-696 is a spur route, partially circling the city of Detroit, but...

, as well as Gratiot Avenue
M-3 (Michigan highway)
M-3 is a north–south state highway in the US state of Michigan in the Detroit metropolitan area. For most of its length, M-3 is known as Gratiot Avenue...

, 8 Mile Road, and 9 Mile Road.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 34,077 people, 13,595 households, and 8,959 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 6,678.8 per square mile (2,579.8/km²). There were 13,965 housing units at an average density of 2,737.0 per square mile (1,057.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.13% White, 4.70% African-American, 0.42% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% 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 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 13,595 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,261, and the median income for a family was $54,895. Males had a median income of $41,449 versus $28,095 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 $20,665. About 4.2% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010 Eastpointe had a population of 32,442. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 64.4% non-Hispanic white, 29.5% black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.9% reporting two or more races and 2.1% Hispanic or Latino.

Economy

The American Power Boat Association
American Power Boat Association
The American Power Boat Association is a New York non-profit, membership owned corporation that was created in 1903 by an act of the New York legislature as a racing association for powerboats. It is the United States sanctioning authority for the Union Internationale Motonautique , the world...

 (APBA) is a New York non-profit, membership owned corporation that was created in 1903 by an act of the New York legislature as a racing association for powerboats. The APBA is headquartered in Eastpointe.

At one time Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...

 had its headquarters in Eastpointe. The headquarters moved to Miramar, Florida
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...

 in November 1999.

In 1959, a young businessman by the name of Art Van Elslander opened the doors to a 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) Danish furniture showroom on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe which would become the first Art Van
Art Van
Art Van Furniture is a major furniture retail store chain based in Warren, Michigan. Thusfar, thirty-six stores have been opened in the state of Michigan, including many locations in Metro Detroit...

.

Politics & Business

Raised in Eastpointe, Douglas A. Brook
Douglas A. Brook
Douglas Alan Brook was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1990 to 1992 and Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 2007 to 2009.-Biography:...

 (b. 1944) was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) from 1990 to 1992 and Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) from 2007 to 2009.

Edward J. Bonior (1922–2001) was Mayor of East Detroit from 1963-1967. He is the head of the Boniors political family.

Merollis Chevrolet of Eastpointe is where Guinness Book of World Records "World's Greatest Salesman" Joe Girard
Joe Girard
Joseph Samuel Gerard, better known as Joe Girard, is an American salesman. He is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's greatest salesman for twelve consecutive years, selling 13,001 cars at a Chevrolet dealership between 1963 and 1978.Girard worked from childhood on...

 set consecutive sales records over a fifteen year period.

Former Macomb County Commissioner and former representative of the Michigan House of Representatives Frank Accavitti Jr. is a Eastpointe resident. Accavitti is a former board member and past president of the Eastpointe Kiwanis Club. He also is a member of the Eastpointe Lions Club, the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Community Council, the Eastpointe Historical Society, the friends of the Roseville Library and the Eastpointe Community Chest. Accavitti has served as a trustee of the Eastpointe Employees' Pension Fund, the Eastpointe Memorial Library Board, the South Macomb Disposal Authority and the South East Macomb Sanitary District.

Jerry M. Linenger
Jerry M. Linenger
Jerry Michael Linenger, M.D., M.S.S.M., M.P.H., Ph.D. is a former NASA astronaut, who flew on the Space Shuttle and Space Station Mir.-Background:...

, M.D., M.S.S.M., M.P.H., Ph.D. (Captain, Medical Corps, USN, Ret.) is a former NASA astronaut, who flew on the Space Shuttle and Space Station Mir Born and raised in Eastpointe, Linenger graduated from East Detroit High School in 1973.

Arts & Entertainment

Rapper Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...

 refers to Eastpointe in his song "It's Still East Detroit To Me."

Christian Berishaj (stage name Christian TV) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, mixer, videographer and designer and a former member of the band, Love Arcade
Love Arcade
Love Arcade was an American alternative/powerpop band founded by Christian Berishaj. Their debut album, Love Arcade was released in 2006.-History:...

, in which he was known as Snowhite. He was raised in Eastpointe.

Mike Lubinski of the reality show Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...

 is from Eastpointe.

Adrenalin is an American rock band from East Detroit Michigan, that is perhaps best known for their song "Road of the Gypsy," featured in the 1986 film Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gossett, Jr. While it received mixed reviews, the film earned US$24,159,872 at the U.S. box office. Iron Eagle was followed by three sequels: Iron Eagle II, Aces: Iron Eagle III and Iron Eagle on the...

.

Back in the USA
Back in the USA
Back in the USA is the 1970 debut studio album, and second album overall, by the American protopunk band MC5. The opening track is a cover of the classic hit "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard, "Let Me Try" is a ballad, "The American Ruse" attacks what the Detroit quintet saw as the hypocritical idea...

 is the 1970 debut studio album, and second album overall, by the American protopunk band MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...

 recorded in Eastpointe in 1969.

Athletics

East Detroit High School produced a number of professional football players, including Gary Ballman
Gary Ballman
Gary John Ballman was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Ballman starred at Michigan State before playing halfback and wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1962 to 1966, making the Pro Bowl the final two seasons...

, Ron Kramer
Ron Kramer
Ronald J. Kramer was a multi-sport college athlete and professional American football player. Before embarking on a career in the National Football League, he lettered in football, basketball, and track at the University of Michigan in the 1950s...

 and Mickey Walker.

Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...

 is a former American football player and coach. In 1995, Brown was hired as the head football coach at East Detroit High School.

The Detroit Caesars
Detroit Caesars
The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team that began play in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League in 1977, the first of three professional softball leagues.-History:...

 were a professional softball team that played from 1977 through 1979 in the American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League (APSPL), winning two pro softball championships while playing at Memorial Field in East Detroit. The team disbanded after the 1979 season, but the Detroit Auto Kings
Detroit Auto Kings
The Detroit Auto Kings were a professional softball team that played during the 1980 season in the North American Softball League , one of three professional softball leagues active in the pro softball era...

 would play the 1980 season in the North American Softball League (NASL), before ceasing play and ending professional softball played in East Detroit.

Education

East Detroit Public Schools
East Detroit Public Schools
East Detroit Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Eastpointe, Michigan, United States. The district serves Eastpointe and a portion of Warren.-Elementary schools:* Bellview Elementary School* Crescentwood Elementary School...

 operates public schools in Eastpointe. The southeastern corner of the city is served by South Lake Public Schools.

Eaton Academy
Eaton Academy
Eaton Academy is a K-12 charter school in Eastpointe, Michigan.It is located in the former St. Veronica School building. Central Michigan University is Easton's charter authorizer. As of 2011 90% of its students come from Detroit. During that time 86% of the students were at or below the U.S....

, a charter school, is in Eastpointe.

Sources

  • Eastpointe History, City website retrieved January 20, 2006
  • Romig, Walter. Michigan Place Names. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1986.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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