Inkster, Michigan
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Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. A western suburb of Detroit, Inkster is located about southwest of
downtown Detroit Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a Neighborhoods in Detroit, residential area of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, "downtown" tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Michigan high ...
. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,088.


History

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post office named "Moulin Rouge" was established there in December 1857. Robert Inkster, a
Scotsman Scottish people or Scots (; ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded the Kingdom of Scotland (o ...
born March 27, 1828, in
Lerwick Lerwick ( or ; ; ) is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. It is the northernmost major settlement within the United Kingdom. Centred ...
,
Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...
, operated a steam
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
on present-day Inkster Road near Michigan Avenue in the early 1860s. The post office was renamed "Inkster" in July 1863. The village had a station on the
Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in th ...
by 1878. It incorporated as a village in 1926 from parts of Nankin Township and Dearborn Township. After much legal wrangling by the city of Dearborn, Dearborn Township, and the village of Inkster to sort out final borders for these communities, Inkster was incorporated as a city in 1964. In the 1920s and 1930s, African-Americans working in
Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...
's Dearborn factories settled in Inkster, as it was closer to their work than Detroit, while they were not allowed to live in Dearborn itself. As a result of the police beating of Floyd Dent in January 2015, which was caught on a police vehicle's dash cam and released to the public, the victim was awarded $1.4 million. A special assessment of Inkster residents will pay for the settlement, on their July 1, 2015, property tax bill.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.


Demographics


2020 census


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 25,369 people, 9,821 households, and 6,175 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was . There were 11,647 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.2%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 20.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.7% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population. There were 9,821 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.7% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 30.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.24. The median age in the city was 34.2 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.


2000 census

At the 2000
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
, there were 30,115 people, 11,169 households and 7,460 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 12,013 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.51%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 28.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.41% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.74% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. There were 11,169 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 26.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26. Age distribution was 29.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $35,950, and the median family income was $41,176. Males had a median income of $37,986 versus $26,567 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,711. About 15.2% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.


Government and infrastructure

The city had 63 police officers in 2010. In 2013 it had 25 police officers. Inkster Justice Center, which is to house the Inkster Police Department and the 22nd District Court, was scheduled to be opened in Spring 2014. Financed with bond funds, it had a cost of $7.7 million and had a shortfall of about $400,000 in the construction fund.


Police brutality lawsuit settlements

In 2017, it was reported that a one-time property tax assessment of nearly $200 was levied on Inkster residents to cover settlements in
police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...
cases. The largest individual settlement was to Floyd Dent for $1.4 million after the 57-year-old man was pulled over and badly beaten as evidenced by the police officer's dashboard camera.


Education

Portions of Inkster are within the Wayne-Westland Community Schools, Westwood Community Schools, Taylor School District, and the Romulus School District.HomeArchive
Inkster Public Schools. Retrieved on November 2, 2013. Also see:
NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES FOR INKSTER RESIDENTS

Map
. Wayne RESA. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.
Westwood operates Daly Elementary School and the Tomlinson Middle School in Inkster. Robichaud High School in
Dearborn Heights Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Dearborn Heights is located about west of downtown Detroit. The city shares a small border with Detroit, and is considered a bedroom c ...
is the district high school. Wayne-Westland operates David Hicks Elementary School in Inkster. The portions of Inkster that are located in the Wayne-Westland district are zoned to Hicks. One portion of the Hicks zone is assigned to Marshall Upper Elementary School, Stevenson Middle School in Westland, John Glenn High School, all in Westland. Another portion of the Hicks zone is assigned to Adams Upper Elementary School in Westland, Franklin Middle School in Wayne, and Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne. Portions of Inkster that had been in the Taylor School District prior to the dissolution of the Inkster School District are assigned to Taylor Parks Elementary School, Hoover Middle School, and Taylor High School in
Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) ...
. Romulus Senior High School is the Romulus district's secondary school. Burger Baylor School for Students with Autism of the Garden City School District is located in Inkster, in the former Baylor-Woodson Elementary School.


Education history

Previously most of Inkster was within the Inkster Public Schools district. As of summer 2013, the Inkster Public Schools District was entirely dissolved. The remaining students were split up among the Taylor, Romulus, Wayne-Westland and Westwood districts. Inkster High School, the high school of the Inkster district, closed in 2013. Areas were given to the new districts by quadrants. Students north of Michigan Avenue and west of Middlebelt were rezoned to Wayne-Westland. Students north of Michigan Avenue and east of Middlebelt were rezoned to Westwood. Students south of Michigan Avenue and west of Middlebelt were rezoned to Romulus. Students south of Michigan and east of Middlebelt were rezoned to Taylor. Areas of Inkster in the Taylor district were zoned to Harry S. Truman High School, until it merged into Taylor High in 2018.


Notable people

*
Vern Buchanan Vernon Gale Buchanan ( ; born May 8, 1951) is an American businessman, politician, and Air Force veteran serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 16th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he first entere ...
, U.S. Representative of Florida, grew up in Inkster and graduated from Inkster High in 1969 * Geraldine Doyle, woman who might have served as model for iconic " We Can Do It!" poster *
Marcus Fizer Darnell Marcus Lamar Fizer (born August 10, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. High school career Fizer played high school basketball at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Louisiana. As a senior, Fizer was selected to pla ...
, professional basketball player * Wade Flemons, noted R&B singer, musician and songwriter, wrote "Stand By Me" sung by
The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...
; member of Earth, Wind, and Fire, until 1973 * Earl Jones, middle-distance runner, bronze medalist in 1984 Olympics * Jewell Jones, youngest person in Michigan to be elected councilman and then elected state representative * J'Leon Love, professional boxer * Keshawn Martin, professional football player * Jeralean Talley, the world's oldest living person until her death * Tyrone Wheatley, professional football player, MVP of 1993 Rose Bowl for Michigan, born in Inkster *
The Marvelettes The Marvelettes were an American girl group formed in Inkster, Michigan, Inkster, Michigan in 1960, consisting of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who was ...
, R&B singing trio in
Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was an American-based hall of fame that honored vocal groups throughout the United States. James E. Winner Jr. was the financial and managing partner of the For-profit corporation. Winner and ...
** Katherine Anderson **
Gladys Horton Gladys Catherine Horton (May 30, 1945 – January 26, 2011) was an American R&B and pop singer, notable for being the founder and lead singer of the all-female vocal group the Marvelettes, the first successful Motown girl group. Biography Early ...
**
Georgeanna Tillman Georgeanna Marie Tillman Gordon (February 6, 1944 – January 6, 1980) was an American singer and an original member of the Motown girl group the Marvelettes. Life and career Tillman was born and raised in the Detroit suburb of Inkster, Mich ...
** Wanda Young ** Juanita Cowart


References


Further reading

*


External links


City of Inkster official website

Inkster Public Library
{{Authority control Cities in Wayne County, Michigan Metro Detroit Populated places established in 1825