Romulus, Michigan
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Romulus is a city in Wayne County 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 ...
. The population was 23,989 at the 2010 census. Romulus is a western suburb of
Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the a ...
and is also considered part of the
Downriver Downriver is the unofficial name for a collection of 18 cities and townships in Wayne County, Michigan, south of Detroit, along the western shore of the Detroit River. The place is sometimes referred to as South Detroit. Etymology The name ...
collection of communities. It is most notable as the location of the
Detroit Metropolitan Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport, or simply DTW, is a major international airport in the United States covering effective December 30, 2021. in Romulus, Michigan. It is the primary ...
, a major hub for
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...
.


History

The first white settler in Romulus was Samuel Polyne, a French-Canadian, who settled on
section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...
2 in 1826, though he left soon after the township was organized in 1835. The first settler in the area that was the village of Romulus prior to the 1865 annexation of the whole village and township into one city was Samuel McMath, who moved from New York state to the area in 1827. He improved land and planned to bring his family to settle there, but he died before he could carry out this plan. Solomon Whitaker, Charles and Joseph Pulcifer located in the area in 1830, and in 1833, Jenks Pullen and his six sons settled at what became known as "Pullen's Corners" (located in section 19 at the intersection that is now commonly called "Five Points"). Pullen's Corners was
plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
ted in 1836. The community later took on the name of the township. The township of Romulus was set off from a part of Huron Township by an Act of the Michigan Territorial Council on March 17, 1835, and the first township meeting was held on April 16, 1835, two years before the State of Michigan was admitted in to the Union (1837), in the house of Joseph T. Pullen. The first supervisor was David J. Pullen. The township's name was changed to "Wayne" on March 19, 1845, but was changed back to Romulus on January 16, 1848. Romulus became incorporated as a city in 1970.


Village of Romulus

The village of Romulus was platted on the Lansing B. Misner estate in 1871.


Underground Railroad stops

Romulus was a stop of the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
in the 1800s when slaves fled the inhumane conditions of plantations in the South to the free states of the North. There were two stops in Romulus and those structures are still intact to this day. * Samuel Kingsley Home is a famous historic landmark in Romulus. During slave times, Samuel R. Kingsley lived in a house on Ozga Rd near Pullens Corners, what is today known as Five Points. He hid slaves in an underground cellar. Today, the house is located on Hunt Street across from the Romulus Historical Museum. The address to the house was 37426 S. Huron River Drive. * The White Church at the Pullens Corner / Five Points was also an underground railroad stop. Today, the church, which is now called 5 Points Church, still sits at the corner.


Preston

Preston was located in the north-east part of Romulus. It had a post office from 1899 to 1906.


Airliner incidents

On August 16, 1987, Romulus was the site of the
Northwest Airlines Flight 255 On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-80#MD-82, McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm Eastern Time Zone, EDT (00:46 UTC Augus ...
disaster, in which the plane serving the flight crashed into an overpass bridge and exploded just seconds after taking off. The crash killed all but one of the 155 passengers and crew and two more people on the roadway. A memorial for the victims is at the crash site at the Interstate 94 and Middlebelt Road interchange. On December 25, 2009, another Northwest plane, Flight 253, suffered an unsuccessful bombing incident as it approached Metro Airport. Nigerian man
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab ( ar, عمر فاروق عبد المطلب ; also known as Umar Abdul Mutallab and Omar Farooq al-Nigeri; born December 22, 1986) popularly referred to as the "Underwear Bomber" or "Christmas Bomber", is a Nigerian-bor ...
from
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
was convicted of eight criminal counts and sentenced to four life sentences plus 50 years without parole.


Chemical plant explosion

On August 9, 2005 at approximately 9:30 p.m., the EQ Recovery Plant caught fire. Citizens within radius were forced to evacuate their homes. Romulus and Wayne fire crews and crews from neighboring communities managed to put out the fire after letting it burn down a little bit. Chemical-filled smoke filled the sky, causing respiratory problems. Many citizens from both Romulus and Wayne were taken to Oakwood Annapolis Hospital (now Beaumont Hospital-Wayne), about two miles from the explosion site. No one was injured.


Geography

According to the
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 (0.95%) is water. Romulus is in the south-central portion of Wayne County.
Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...
(I-94) and
I-275 Interstate 275 (I-275) may refer to: *Interstate 275 (Florida), a loop through Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton in Florida *Interstate 275 (Michigan), a western bypass of Detroit, Michigan * Interstate 275 (Ohio–Indiana–Kentucky), a full bel ...
run through the city. The City of Romulus is bordered to the north by Van Born Road, to the south by Pennsylvania Road, to the east by Inkster Road, and to the west by Hannan Road.


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 23,989 people, 8,975 households, and 6,135 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 9,946 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 50.5%
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 o ...
, 43%
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 ...
, 0.5% Native American, 1.1%
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 ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.9% 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 3.9% 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 3.0% of the population. There were 8,975 households, of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age in the city was 36.2 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 9.8% were 65 years of age or older. The populace was 48.4% male and 51.6% 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 22,979 people, 8,439 households, and 5,941 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 639.9 per square mile (247.1/km2). There were 8,943 housing units at an average density of 249.0 per square mile (96.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 65.36%
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 o ...
, 29.99%
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 ...
, 0.54% Native American, 0.59%
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 ...
, 0.09%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.81% 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 2.63% 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 2.01% of the population. There were 8,439 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.19. In the cities population consists of 29.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,088, and the median income for a family was $51,497. Males had a median income of $41,372 versus $27,517 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 $19,679. About 10.6% of families and 12.6% 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 16.8% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.


Government and infrastructure


City government

The elected city officials for the City of Romulus as of November 2021 (all terms end in 2025):


Wayne County Airport Authority

The
Wayne County Airport Authority The Wayne County Airport Authority is a governmental entity that operates airports in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. The authority operates Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Willow Run Airport Willow Run Airport is an airport in ...
has its headquarters in the former L.C. Smith Terminal at
Detroit Metro Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport, or simply DTW, is a major international airport in the United States covering effective December 30, 2021. in Romulus, Michigan. It is the primary ...
in Romulus. It also has an operational police department, which its headquarters is located in the 610 building of the airport on the East service Drive, near the L.C. Smith building.


Infrastructure

The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates the Romulus-Carl W. Morris Post Office located in downtown on Hunt Street and Goddard Road. In 1975,
General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
, opened the
Romulus Engine Romulus Engine is an automobile engine plant in Romulus, Michigan. Opened in 1976, the factory produces engines for General Motors vehicles. The factory receives cast engine blocks from Defiance Foundry in Defiance, Ohio and Saginaw Metal Casti ...
plant on Ecorse Road. The facility produces V6 and 10-speed transmission engines for a plethora of
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles. In 2018, major online retailer
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
opened its DTW1 Fulfillment Center, north of Metro Airport near Ecorse and Vining Roads. Approximately 1,600 workers are employed at the site. Romulus has a variety of small businesses throughout the city including hotels, bars, and restaurants. Retail is scarce in the city with the exception of a few pharmacies and small
discount retailer A discount store or discounter offers a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient Logistics, distribution to kee ...
s. Due to the lack of major grocery retailers and numerous failed attempts to bring in new stores to the
food desert Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...
community, most citizens have to travel to adjacent cities including Van Buren Township and Taylor to go to more prominent supermarket chains.


Parks and recreation

After a failed city millage in February 2011, city officials had to close all of the city parks in order to keep the city financially stable. However, the Downtown Development Authority were willing to maintain the operations of Mary Ann Banks Park & Historical Park, reopening the park in Spring 2011. By 2015, the city's finances had rebounded and with determination from city officials and citizens, most of the city's parks have reopened with improvements and even opening a new park - including: * Elmer Johnson Park - located on Ozga Rd, between McBride Street and Tyler Road * Eugenio Fernandez Park - located in the city's north side on Columbus Street, south of Avalon Avenue * Mary Ann Banks Park - located near Five Points in Romulus * Oakbrook Neighborhood Park - near Spain Avenue and Colbert Street, south of Eureka Road * Downtown Historical Park - Hunt Street & Goddard Road in Downtown Romulus. * St. Johns Lodge No.#44 Park - located on the northeast side at the corner of Beverly and Henry Ruff Roads; formerly Park #1 The Romulus Athletic Center, located at 35765 Northline Road, is a facility for recreation and conferences. It opened on April 1, 2008.


Education

The
Romulus Community School District Romulus Community School District, also referred to as Romulus Community Schools (RCS), is a public school district in Romulus, Michigan in Metro Detroit. The district's Administration Offices & Transportation Department is located at 36540 Grant ...
serves and educates the children in the City of Romulus and other communities. The district is made up of a high school (
Romulus Senior High School Romulus Senior High School or Romulus High School is the public high school in the city of Romulus, Michigan in Metro Detroit. History In 2013 Inkster High School closed due to the closure of the Inkster School District. Students in the Ink ...
), a middle school ( Romulus Middle School), and four elementary schools (Barth, Halecreek, Romulus, and Wick). A portion is instead within the Wayne-Westland Community Schools. It is zoned to Roosevelt-McGrath Elementary School in Wayne, Adams Upper Elementary School in
Westland Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila ...
, Franklin Middle School in Wayne, and
Wayne Memorial High School Wayne Memorial High School is a high school in Wayne, Michigan in Metro Detroit, on the corner of Glenwood Road and Fourth Street, sitting near the border of Wayne and its district partner Westland. It is a part of Wayne-Westland Community Sch ...
in Wayne. Summit Academy School is a charter school in Romulus. It has had a 100% graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate. It has also been ranked as one of the top 5% of schools in Michigan. The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit The Archdiocese of Detroit ( la, Archidiœcesis Detroitensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lapeer, Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb, M ...
formerly operated the St. Aloysius School in Romulus.


In popular culture

*Released on his 2003 album entitled "
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 ...
", Sufjan Stevens recorded a single titled "Romulus". *In 2010, " Meet Monica Velour", an independent comedy drama movie, was partially filmed in Romulus along with other cities in the Detroit area. * Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball coach
Nate Oats Nathanael Justin Oats (born October 13, 1974) is an American basketball coach, currently the head basketball coach at the University of Alabama. Prior to Alabama he was the head coach at the University at Buffalo. Education and playing career Oa ...
coached and taught at
Romulus Senior High School Romulus Senior High School or Romulus High School is the public high school in the city of Romulus, Michigan in Metro Detroit. History In 2013 Inkster High School closed due to the closure of the Inkster School District. Students in the Ink ...
from 2002 to 2013.


Notable people

*
Charley Lau Charles Richard Lau (April 12, 1933 – March 18, 1984) was an American professional baseball player and a highly influential hitting coach. During his playing career in Major League Baseball, Lau appeared in 527 games as a catcher and pinch hitt ...
- professional baseball player and hitting coach * John Long - professional basketball player *
Grant Long Grant Andrew Long (born March 12, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. He played over 1,000 games for the National Basketball Association over a 15-year career. Long had two relatives who were playing in the NBA during hi ...
- professional basketball player, nephew of John Long * Terry Mills - professional basketball player *
Fred Russell Fred Russell (August 27, 1906 – January 26, 2003) was an American sportswriter from Tennessee who served as sports editor for the ''Nashville Banner'' for 68 years (1930–1998). Beginning in the 1960s he served for nearly three decades as ...
- professional football player *
Frank Sacka Frank Sacka (August 30, 1924 – December 7, 1994) was an American professional baseball player. He appeared in 14 Major League games as a catcher and pinch hitter for the and editions of the Washington Senators, playing in seven games in each s ...
- professional baseball player (
Washington Senators (1901-1960) Washington Senators may refer to: Politicians * Members of the United States Senate, which convenes in Washington, D.C. ** United States senators from Washington, senators representing the state of Washington in the United States Senate * Members ...
) * Sufjan Stevens - musician


Notes


References


External links

*
Romulus Community SchoolsDetroit Metro Airport
{{Authority control Cities in Wayne County, Michigan Metro Detroit 1835 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1835