Fenton is a city in the U.S. state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
that lies mostly in
Genesee County, with small portions in neighboring
Oakland County
Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...
and
Livingston County. It is part of the Flint, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn, is included in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI Combined Statistical Area.
History
It was first established in 1834 and was originally named "Dibbleville" after Clark Dibble, one of the first settlers. It was platted in 1837 as "Fentonville" by
William M. Fenton who would later become lieutenant-governor of Michigan. When the settlement was incorporated as a village in 1863 the name Fenton was used.
The settlement's post office used the name Fentonville from 1837 until 1886, when it adopted the current name.
In the 1970s, the city leveled its downtown buildings and closed Leroy Street as part of an urban renewal plan.
On August 24, 2007, an
EF2
Elongation factors are a set of proteins that function at the ribosome, during protein synthesis, to facilitate translational elongation from the formation of the first to the last peptide bond of a growing polypeptide. Most common elongation ...
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
hit Fenton, damaging several homes and a school, and almost completely destroying the soon to be opened
Tractor Supply Company
Tractor Supply Company (also known as TSCO or TSC), founded in 1938, is an American retail chain of stores that sells products for home improvement, agriculture, lawn and garden maintenance, livestock, equine and pet care for recreational farmers ...
, tearing off its roof. This caused many people to go without power, leaving the city in a state of emergency. There were no fatalities or serious injuries. In July 2011, the first proposed building, Cornerstone, to restore the city's old downtown area was announced.
[
As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,756.] The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, and the city and township are administratively autonomous. Fenton includes several historic buildings. It was home to the first aviation school in Michigan and the A.J. Phillips Fenton Museum
The A.J. Phillips Fenton Museum and Historical Society is a museum located in a historic building in Fenton, Michigan.[United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...]
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (4.57%) is water.
Numerous municipalities in Michigan span two counties, but Fenton is one of two municipalities in the state of Michigan to span three counties; the other being the capital city of Lansing
Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...
. The overwhelming majority of Fenton is located within Genesee County, with a total area of , of which is land and is water. The Genesee County portion represents 98.29% of Fenton's total area and 99.99% of its population. Of Fenton's 11,747 residents, all but 10 residents live in Genesee County. The separate 10 residents live in the Livingston County portion of Fenton, which contains a land area of . A minuscule portion with no residents extends into Oakland County
Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...
with a total land area of .
The Tipsico Lake Project is a brownfield redevelopment project to restore the land and surrounding area.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 11,756 people, 5,067 households, and 2,953 families living in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 5,572 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.3% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.5% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 5,067 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 36 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.7% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64, and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
2000 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 10,582 people, 4,335 households, and 2,709 families living in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,612.5 per square mile (622.8/km2). There were 4,569 housing units at an average density of 696.2 per square mile (268.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.25% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.60% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.39% Native American, 0.95% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.66% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.80% of the population.
There were 4,335 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,400, and the median income for a family was $55,637. Males had a median income of $44,874 versus $30,435 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $22,435. About 4.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Infrastructure
Highways
US Highway 23 runs north and south through the west side of the city as a freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
. The original routing of US 23 ran northeasterly along Shiawassee Avenue to Leroy Street, then northerly along Leroy to the northern edge of the city. The portion of old US 23 south of Silver Lake Road, along with Silver Lake Road itself westerly back to US 23, was designated a business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
of US 23 in 1958, before being removed as a state trunkline in 2006.
Utilities
The municipality operates its own water system.
Notable people
* Cynthia Roberts Gorton
Cynthia M. Gorton ( Roberts; pen name, Ida Glenwood; February 27, 1826 - August 10, 1894) was a blind 19th-century American poet and author. For 20 years, Gorton lectured on behalf of the temperance movement.
Early life and education
Cynthia ...
(1826–1894), blind poet and author
* Ira W. Jayne
Ira Waite Jayne (1882-1961) was elected to the Wayne County, Michigan Circuit Court bench in 1915 and served as Chief Judge for 27 years of his 37 years working for the court. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1905 and from the D ...
(1882–1961), Wayne County Circuit Court Chief Judge
*Ava Michelle
Ava Michelle Cota (born April 10, 2002) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as the character Jodi Kreyman in the Netflix comedies ''Tall Girl'' and ''Tall Girl 2''. She made regular appearances in the third to seventh seasons ...
(born 2002), American actress best known for her role as Jodi in ''Tall Girl
''Tall Girl'' is a 2019 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Nzingha Stewart, from a screenplay by Sam Wolfson. The film stars Ava Michelle, Griffin Gluck, Sabrina Carpenter, Paris Berelc, Luke Eisner, Clara Wilsey, Anjelika Washingt ...
''
References
Notes
Sources
*
External links
City of Fenton official website
{{Authority control
Cities in Genesee County, Michigan
Cities in Livingston County, Michigan
Cities in Oakland County, Michigan
Metro Detroit
Populated places established in 1834
1834 establishments in Michigan Territory