Tecumseh, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County
of the U.S. state of Michigan
. It is situated where M-50
crosses the River Raisin
, a few miles east of M-52
. Tecumseh is about 60 miles (96.6 km) SW of Detroit, 25 miles (40.2 km) south of Ann Arbor and 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Toledo, OH.
As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,521. The city is surrounded on three sides by Tecumseh Township
, but is politically independent. Raisin Township borders the southern edge of the city. The city was rated #93 in 2009, as one of 100 of the best small towns to live in by CNNMoney.com.
, Lewis Cass
on September 10, 1822. Lenawee remained attached to Monroe County
, out of which it was formed, until an act of the Territorial Legislature passed on December 26, 1826, organized the county government. The first settlement in the county was made two years earlier, on May 21, 1824, in Tecumseh. The settlers, consisting of fifteen men, eleven women, and six children, all came from Jefferson County, New York
. In 1823, Musgrove Evans had located the land and persuaded General Joseph W. Brown
and the others to move to the site. Brown and Evans, along with Austin Eli Wing
purchased land there and platted the village of Tecumseh in 1824. These founders appealed to Governor Cass to locate the county seat of Lenawee at Tecumseh. This was accomplished by an act of the Territorial Legislature on June 30, 1824, even though county government would not be organized for another year and a half. Tecumseh would remain the county seat until 1838, when it was transferred to Adrian
. The Township of Tecumseh
was organized on April 12, 1837, initially encompassing the entire northern third of the county.
Among the noteworthy events which have occurred in Tecumseh is the world famous Dynamic Kernels tithing project. A local mill owner, Perry Hayden, planted a cubic inch of wheat and donated 10% of the harvest to the church and replanted the remainder. He continued this for the following 6 years, resting on the 7th. The amount of land needed for the final crop exceeded 2600 acres (10.5 km²). Henry Ford donated much of the necessary land as did many local farmers. The project received much attention including a feature in Life magazine on July 24, 1944. In 2008 Tecumseh Friends Church now called Riverbend Friends Church began the Dynamic Kernels Project again. Their goal, like that of Mr. Hayden, is to inspire people to a renewed sense of what God can do in their lives. To tithe not only their money but their entire life to God's service.
A horse, Don Juan, that belonged to the General George Armstrong Custer
is buried in Tecumseh, the horse having been sent to a friend living there after the General's death.
One of the village's most well-known manufacturers was Tecumseh Products
. Founded by the Herrick family during the early part of the 20th century, Tecumseh Products initially began business manufacturing refrigeration compressors. The company moved out of Tecumseh in 2008, moving the remaining production to a plant in Tupelo, Mississippi, and its headquarters to Pittsfield Township, Michigan, just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Consolidated Biscuit Company of McComb, Ohio, agreed to buy the Products plant in 2008, pending an environmental review.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), of which 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (4.26%) is water.
, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.40% of the population.
There were 3,499 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,106, and the median income for a family was $58,239. Males had a median income of $39,672 versus $27,630 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,797. About 3.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
, (grades 9–12), 1 alternative high school, Tecumseh Alternative High School, 1 middle school, Tecumseh Middle School, (grades 5–8), and 4 elementary schools (grades K–4).
, an operating railroad museum, runs through Tecumseh. Tecumseh is also home to Skydive Tecumseh one of the few turbine skydiving centers in the midwest and home to the largest formation skydive in Michigan history. The skydiving center along with the proximity to M.I.S.(Michigan International Speedway) brings many tourists to the area allowing for many antique dealers, cafe's and fine dining to flourish along the m-50 corridor.
was born and raised in Tecumseh. On May 18, 1927, Kehoe perpetrated the Bath School disaster
in Bath, Michigan
. Kehoe killed 45 people, including himself, in the worst school violence in U.S. history.
American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas
murdered his mother in Tecumseh on January 11, 1960.
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
of the U.S. state 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"....
. It is situated where M-50
M-50 (Michigan highway)
M-50 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. Although designated as an east–west highway, it is nearly a diagonal northwest-southeast route...
crosses the River Raisin
River Raisin
The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States that flows through glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agricultural and industrial center of Michigan. The river flows for almost , draining an area of in the Michigan counties of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw,...
, a few miles east of M-52
M-52 (Michigan highway)
M-52 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is on the Ohio border, where it continues as State Route 109 . The highway passes through communities like Adrian, where it intersects US Highway 223 , Chelsea and Webberville along its course...
. Tecumseh is about 60 miles (96.6 km) SW of Detroit, 25 miles (40.2 km) south of Ann Arbor and 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Toledo, OH.
As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,521. The city is surrounded on three sides by Tecumseh Township
Tecumseh Township, Michigan
Tecumseh Township is a civil township of Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,881 at the 2000 census. The city of Tecumseh is located within the township and is administratively autonomous...
, but is politically independent. Raisin Township borders the southern edge of the city. The city was rated #93 in 2009, as one of 100 of the best small towns to live in by CNNMoney.com.
History
The boundaries of Lenawee County were laid out by a proclamation of the Territorial GovernorMichigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
, Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
on September 10, 1822. Lenawee remained attached to Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
, out of which it was formed, until an act of the Territorial Legislature passed on December 26, 1826, organized the county government. The first settlement in the county was made two years earlier, on May 21, 1824, in Tecumseh. The settlers, consisting of fifteen men, eleven women, and six children, all came from Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
. In 1823, Musgrove Evans had located the land and persuaded General Joseph W. Brown
Joseph W. Brown
general Joseph W. Brown was the brother of major general Jacob Brown, the founder of Brownville, New York. General Brown , along with his brother-in-law Musgrove Evans , their cousin Austin Wing and a dozen or so pioneers founded the town of Tecumseh, Michigan in 1824...
and the others to move to the site. Brown and Evans, along with Austin Eli Wing
Austin Eli Wing
Austin Eli Wing was a delegate to U.S. Congress from Michigan Territory before it became the state of Michigan....
purchased land there and platted the village of Tecumseh in 1824. These founders appealed to Governor Cass to locate the county seat of Lenawee at Tecumseh. This was accomplished by an act of the Territorial Legislature on June 30, 1824, even though county government would not be organized for another year and a half. Tecumseh would remain the county seat until 1838, when it was transferred to Adrian
Adrian, Michigan
As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
. The Township of Tecumseh
Tecumseh Township, Michigan
Tecumseh Township is a civil township of Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,881 at the 2000 census. The city of Tecumseh is located within the township and is administratively autonomous...
was organized on April 12, 1837, initially encompassing the entire northern third of the county.
Among the noteworthy events which have occurred in Tecumseh is the world famous Dynamic Kernels tithing project. A local mill owner, Perry Hayden, planted a cubic inch of wheat and donated 10% of the harvest to the church and replanted the remainder. He continued this for the following 6 years, resting on the 7th. The amount of land needed for the final crop exceeded 2600 acres (10.5 km²). Henry Ford donated much of the necessary land as did many local farmers. The project received much attention including a feature in Life magazine on July 24, 1944. In 2008 Tecumseh Friends Church now called Riverbend Friends Church began the Dynamic Kernels Project again. Their goal, like that of Mr. Hayden, is to inspire people to a renewed sense of what God can do in their lives. To tithe not only their money but their entire life to God's service.
A horse, Don Juan, that belonged to the General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
is buried in Tecumseh, the horse having been sent to a friend living there after the General's death.
One of the village's most well-known manufacturers was Tecumseh Products
Tecumseh Products
Tecumseh Products Company is a manufacturer of hermetic compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration products.Tecumseh Products Company has subsidiaries that sell externally and internally to Tecumseh. The Tecumseh corporate offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.- History :Tecumseh...
. Founded by the Herrick family during the early part of the 20th century, Tecumseh Products initially began business manufacturing refrigeration compressors. The company moved out of Tecumseh in 2008, moving the remaining production to a plant in Tupelo, Mississippi, and its headquarters to Pittsfield Township, Michigan, just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Consolidated Biscuit Company of McComb, Ohio, agreed to buy the Products plant in 2008, pending an environmental review.
Geography
Tecumseh is located in Southeast MichiganSoutheast Michigan
Southeast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are concentrated in Metro...
.
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 5.4 square miles (14 km²), of which 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (4.26%) is water.
Highways
M-50M-50 (Michigan highway)M-50 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. Although designated as an east–west highway, it is nearly a diagonal northwest-southeast route...
M-52M-52 (Michigan highway)M-52 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is on the Ohio border, where it continues as State Route 109 . The highway passes through communities like Adrian, where it intersects US Highway 223 , Chelsea and Webberville along its course...
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,574 people, 3,499 households, and 2,337 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,659.4 per square mile (640.3/km²). There were 3,651 housing units at an average density of 706.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.85% White, 0.19% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other racesRace (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 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.40% of the population.
There were 3,499 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,106, and the median income for a family was $58,239. Males had a median income of $39,672 versus $27,630 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,797. About 3.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city of Tecumseh is home to Tecumseh Public Schools which includes 1 traditional high school, Tecumseh High SchoolTecumseh High School (Michigan)
Tecumseh High School is a public high school for students in grades 9-12 located in the city of Tecumseh, Michigan. The school services an area of roughly and includes the city of Tecumseh and parts of the Townships of Adrian, Clinton, Franklin, Macon, Raisin, Ridgeway, and Tecumseh. Tecumseh...
, (grades 9–12), 1 alternative high school, Tecumseh Alternative High School, 1 middle school, Tecumseh Middle School, (grades 5–8), and 4 elementary schools (grades K–4).
Attractions
The Southern Michigan Railroad SocietySouthern Michigan Railroad Society
The Southern Michigan Railroad Society is a railway museum in Clinton, Michigan, United States. It has preserved of track and a variety of railroad equipment including the only GMDH-3 locomotive ever built. Trains are operated on a seasonal schedule....
, an operating railroad museum, runs through Tecumseh. Tecumseh is also home to Skydive Tecumseh one of the few turbine skydiving centers in the midwest and home to the largest formation skydive in Michigan history. The skydiving center along with the proximity to M.I.S.(Michigan International Speedway) brings many tourists to the area allowing for many antique dealers, cafe's and fine dining to flourish along the m-50 corridor.
Infamous residents
Andrew KehoeAndrew Kehoe
Andrew Philip Kehoe was an American suicide bomber and murderer who perpetrated the Bath School Disaster on May 18, 1927.- Early life :...
was born and raised in Tecumseh. On May 18, 1927, Kehoe perpetrated the Bath School disaster
Bath School disaster
The Bath School disaster is the name given to three bombings in Bath Township, Michigan, on May 18, 1927, which killed 38 elementary school children, two teachers, four other adults and the bomber himself; at least 58 people were injured. Most of the victims were children in the second to sixth...
in Bath, Michigan
Bath, Michigan
Bath is an unincorporated community in Bath Township, Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated just north of exit 92 off Interstate 69, about north of East Lansing....
. Kehoe killed 45 people, including himself, in the worst school violence in U.S. history.
American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas
Henry Lee Lucas
Henry Lee Lucas was an American criminal, convicted of murder in 189 cases and once listed as America's most prolific serial killer; he later recanted his confessions, despite professing information only the assailant would know and flatly stating "I'm a liar" in a letter to researcher Brad Shellady...
murdered his mother in Tecumseh on January 11, 1960.
External links
- City of Tecumseh government
- Tecumseh Area Historical Society
- The Daily Telegram
- The Tecumseh Herald
- Lenawee County government site
- Complete text of History of Lenawee County published in 1909 by the Western Historical Society
- Lenawee County Conference & Visitors Bureau
- Southern Michigan Railroad Society