Manchester, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Manchester is a village in Washtenaw County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,160 at the 2000 census
. The village is located within Manchester Township
.
of 1824. One third of the allocated money went towards building a highway between Detroit and Fort Dearborn
at Chicago
. The highway, which later became known as the Chicago Road would primarily follow the old Sauk Trail
. Its completion paved the way for development in what was once a remote wilderness.
Coincidentally, 1824 also happened to be the year that the land that would eventually become Manchester Township was surveyed. On an 1824 map, surveyor John Mack noted the exact location that would become the village of Manchester as being "a good mill seat." While doing survey work for the Chicago Road throughout 1824 and 1825, John Gilbert, who had recently completed work on sections of the Erie Canal
, noted the point on John Mack's map and on May 10, 1826 purchased 80 acres of land along the Raisin River at that location. Six years would pass before Gilbert would return to the site.
in 1831. In 1832, he decided to turn his attention to the extensive land tracts he held in the area. He commissioned the construction of a grist mill along the Raisin River upon the land he had purchased in 1826. The original plat of the village of Manchester was prepared by surveyor Hiram Burnham and dated 1833, but was not formally filed until March 25, 1835. The location was chosen to take advantage of water power from the river and named after Manchester, New York
.
, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (5.26%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,160 people, 900 households, and 584 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,201.8 per square mile (463.3/km²). There were 949 housing units at an average density of 528.0 per square mile (203.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.24% White, 0.37% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.42% from other races
, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 900 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $46,974, and the median income for a family was $56,875. Males had a median income of $43,438 versus $27,396 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $24,113. About 4.3% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
The Manchester Area Historical Society publishes an annual calendar and a web site with articles on the early days of Manchester.
During the mid-late 1880s, Manchester was the home of Michigan Lutheran Seminary
.
Weekly events and historical information are regularly published in the Manchester Enterprise, Manchester's oldest & only newspaper, founded in 1867 and found at www.manchesterenterprise.com.
The Carrier, 1988, was filmed in Manchester. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094837/
The movie Flipped was also filmed in Manchester.
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
in 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"....
. The population was 2,160 at 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 village is located within Manchester Township
Manchester Township, Michigan
Manchester Township is a civil township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,102 at the 2000 census. The Village of Manchester is located within the township.-Geography:...
.
Chicago Road
In an effort to create and maintain military roads throughout the western territories, Congress passed the General Survey ActGeneral Survey Act
The General Survey Act was a law passed by the United States Congress in April 1824, which authorized the president to have surveys made of routes for transport roads and canals "of national importance, in a commercial or military point of view, or necessary for the transportation of public mail." ...
of 1824. One third of the allocated money went towards building a highway between Detroit and Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...
at Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The highway, which later became known as the Chicago Road would primarily follow the old Sauk Trail
Sauk Trail
Sauk Trail began as a Native American trail running through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the United States. From west to east, the trail ran from Rock Island on the Mississippi River to the Illinois River near modern Peru then along the north bank of that river to Joliet, and on to Valparaiso,...
. Its completion paved the way for development in what was once a remote wilderness.
Coincidentally, 1824 also happened to be the year that the land that would eventually become Manchester Township was surveyed. On an 1824 map, surveyor John Mack noted the exact location that would become the village of Manchester as being "a good mill seat." While doing survey work for the Chicago Road throughout 1824 and 1825, John Gilbert, who had recently completed work on sections of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, noted the point on John Mack's map and on May 10, 1826 purchased 80 acres of land along the Raisin River at that location. Six years would pass before Gilbert would return to the site.
Early Village History
Though originally from upstate New York, John Gilbert resettled to Ypsilanti, MichiganYpsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
in 1831. In 1832, he decided to turn his attention to the extensive land tracts he held in the area. He commissioned the construction of a grist mill along the Raisin River upon the land he had purchased in 1826. The original plat of the village of Manchester was prepared by surveyor Hiram Burnham and dated 1833, but was not formally filed until March 25, 1835. The location was chosen to take advantage of water power from the river and named after Manchester, New York
Manchester, New York
Manchester, New York is both a town and a village located in Ontario County, New York.*Manchester , New York*Manchester , New York...
.
Soulesville
In 1833, James Soule purchased a large tract of land about 1 miles (1.6 km) downstream from Manchester. He built a small settlement he named Soulesville. Though the two settlements initially competed against each other, on March 16, 1867 both settlements were incorporated into the village of Manchester. The Manchester Village Office and Manchester Public Library are located on the site of the former settlement.Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (5.26%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2,160 people, 900 households, and 584 families residing in the village. 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 1,201.8 per square mile (463.3/km²). There were 949 housing units at an average density of 528.0 per square mile (203.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.24% White, 0.37% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.42% 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 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 900 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% 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, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $46,974, and the median income for a family was $56,875. Males had a median income of $43,438 versus $27,396 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 village was $24,113. About 4.3% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
The annual Manchester Chicken Broil serves approximately 12,000 broiled chicken meals over a four hour span; it celebrated its 57th anniversary in 2010.The Manchester Area Historical Society publishes an annual calendar and a web site with articles on the early days of Manchester.
More information
The public school mascot is the flying dutchmen; the school colors are maroon and gold.During the mid-late 1880s, Manchester was the home of Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Michigan Lutheran Seminary is a private preparatory boarding high school affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod located in Saginaw, Michigan...
.
Weekly events and historical information are regularly published in the Manchester Enterprise, Manchester's oldest & only newspaper, founded in 1867 and found at www.manchesterenterprise.com.
The Carrier, 1988, was filmed in Manchester. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094837/
The movie Flipped was also filmed in Manchester.
Famous residents
- Former NFL Wide Receiver Nick DavisNick Davis (American football)Nick Davis is a former wide receiver in the National Football League. He played two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He played his college ball at University of Wisconsin-Madison.-References:...
was born in Manchester and played football for Manchester High School.
- Cub KodaCub KodaMichael "Cub" Koda was an American rock and roll singer, guitarist, songwriter, disc jockey, music critic, and record compiler. Rolling Stone magazine felt that Koda was best known for writing the song "Smokin' in the Boys' Room", which reached #3 on the 1974 Billboard charts as performed by...
, lead singer of Brownsville StationBrownsville Station (band)Brownsville Station was a rock band from Michigan that was popular in the 1970s. Original members included Cub Koda , Mike Lutz , T.J. Cronley , and Tony Driggins...
, best known for the 1973 hit song "Smokin' In the Boys RoomSmokin' In the Boys Room"Smokin' in the Boys Room" is a song originally recorded by Brownsville Station in 1973 on their album Yeah!, reaching #3 on the U.S. charts, and later covered in 1985 by Mötley Crüe, with the Crüe's version accompanied by a conceptual music video featuring Michael Berryman as the school...
", which was later covered by Mötley CrüeMötley CrüeMötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, graduated from Manchester High School. - David Allen, former designer and design supervisor of popular children's shows Nickelodeon's The Rugrats, Paramount's Duckman, and Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann lives in Manchester.
- John SwainsonJohn SwainsonJohn Burley Swainson was a politician from the US state of Michigan, as well as the 42nd Governor of Michigan....
, the 42nd Governor of the State of Michigan (1961–1963) as well as Justice of the Michigan State Supreme Court (1971–1975), resided in Manchester from the mid-1970s until his death in 1994. He lived on a country road in Bridgewater Township just east of the Village, in a large home that he nicknamed "The Hustings" (HustingHustingA husting originally referred to a physical platform from which representatives presented their views or cast votes before a parliamentary or other election body...
). He was well known in the community and many were honored to call him their friend. He could be found most mornings at the Village Bakery, sitting at a table with the men of the community, discussing politics—both national and state politics as well as village matters. He was also very active in the Manchester Historical Society.
- Bill Shurtliff http://billshurtliffstudios.com/index.html, an artist perhaps best known for his popular pen and ink drawings of scenes of the campus of the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor area, has resided in Manchester since 1987. He lives in the Village and has a studio in his home. Most recently Bill's artwork has appeared as illustrations in a series of Catholic children's books authored by Dianne Ahern http://www.auntdeesattic.com/.