Dearborn is a city in
Wayne County in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
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, ...
. An inner-ring
suburb of Detroit, Dearborn borders
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
to the south and west, roughly west 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 ...
. In the
2020 census, it had a population of 109,976, ranking as the
seventh-most populous city in Michigan. Dearborn is best known as the hometown of the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
and of its founder,
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 ...
.
The first written settlement of Dearborn is from the 18th century by
French Canadian
French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...
voyageurs
Voyageurs (; ) were 18th- and 19th-century French and later French Canadians and others who transported furs by canoe at the peak of the North American fur trade. The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places (New France, including the ...
who initially called the settlement La Belle Fontaine or Place aux Fontaines because of the abundant
springs in the city. Therefore, Dearborn was once named Springwells, an
anglicization
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English languag ...
of the French name. The settlement was connected to the Detroit River
ribbon farm
Ribbon farms (also known as strip farms, river lots, long-lot farms, or just long lots) are long, narrow land divisions for farming, usually lined up along a waterway. In some instances, they line a road.
Background
Ribbon or strip farms were p ...
communities and other farms connected to the
Rouge River and the
Sauk Trail
The Sauk Trail was originally a Native American trail running through what are present-day 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 ...
. The community grew in the 19th century with the establishment of the
Detroit Arsenal on the
Chicago Road linking
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. During the 20th century, it developed as a major manufacturing hub for the automotive industry.
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 ...
was born on a farm that was once at the intersection of Ford Road and Greenfield Road. Ford later built his estate,
Fair Lane
Fair Lane was the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was named after an area in Cork, Ireland, where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The ...
, and his
River Rouge Complex, the largest factory of his empire, in Dearborn. He developed mass production of automobiles, and based the
world headquarters of the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
here. The city has a campus of the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, and
Henry Ford College.
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford (also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, and as the Edison Institute) is a history museum complex in Dearborn, Michigan, United States, within Metro Detroit. The museum collection contai ...
is the largest indoor-outdoor historic museum complex in the United States, and
Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the officia ...
's leading tourist attraction.
Dearborn residents are Americans primarily of European or Middle Eastern ancestry, many descendants of 19th and 20th-century immigrants. The census identifies primary European ethnicities as
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
,
Polish,
Irish, and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
. New waves of immigration came from the Middle East in the late 20th century, mostly Muslims and far less Christians minorities from
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
,
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
,
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
,
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, and
Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
. Dearborn has the proportionally largest
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
population in the United States and the
largest mosque in North America. In 2023, Dearborn became the first Arab majority city in the US, with 55% of its residents claiming to be of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry in a 2023 census.
History
Before European encounter, the area had been inhabited for thousands of years by successive
First Nations peoples. Historical tribes belonged mostly to the
Algonquian-language family, especially the
Council of Three Fires
The Council of Three Fires (in , also known as the People of the Three Fires; the Three Fires Confederacy; or the United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians) is a long-standing Anishinaabe alliance of the Ojibwe (or Chippewa), O ...
, the
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...
and related peoples. In contrast, the
Huron (Wyandot) were
Iroquoian
The Iroquoian languages () are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking.
As of 2020, almost all surviving I ...
speaking. French colonists had a trading post at Fort Detroit and a settlement developed there in the colonial period. Another developed on the south side of the Detroit River in what is now southwestern Ontario, near a Huron mission village. French and French-Canadian colonists also established farms at Dearborn in this period. France ceded all of its territory east of the Mississippi River in North America to Great Britain in 1763 after losing to Britain in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
.
Beginning in 1786, after the United States gained independence in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, more European Americans entered this region, settling in Detroit and the Dearborn area. With population growth, Dearborn Township was formed in 1833 and the village of Dearbornville in 1836, each named after
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was an American military officer and politician. In the Revolutionary War, he served under Benedict Arnold in his expedition to Quebec, of which his journal provides an important record ...
, a general in the American Revolution who became
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
under President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
. The Town of Dearborn was incorporated in 1893. Through much of the 19th century, the area was largely rural and dependent on agriculture.
Stimulated by industrial development in Detroit and within its own limits, in 1927 Dearborn was established as a city. Its current borders result from a 1928 consolidation vote that merged Dearborn and neighboring Fordson (previously known as
Springwells), which feared being absorbed into expanding Detroit.
According to historian James W. Loewen, in his book ''
Sundown Towns'' (2005), Dearborn discouraged African Americans from settling in the city. In the early 20th century, both white and black people migrated to Detroit for industrial jobs. Over time, some city residents moved to the suburbs. Many of Dearborn's residents "took pride in the saying, 'The sun never set on a Negro in Dearborn. According to
Orville Hubbard, the segregationist mayor of Dearborn from 1942 to 1978, "as far as he was concerned, it was against the law for a Negro to live in his suburb." Hubbard told the ''Montgomery Advertiser'' in the mid-1950s, "Negroes can't get in here. Every time we hear of a Negro moving in, we respond quicker than you do to a fire."
The area between Dearborn and Fordson was undeveloped, and remains so in part. Once farm land, much of this property was bought by Henry Ford for his estate,
Fair Lane
Fair Lane was the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was named after an area in Cork, Ireland, where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The ...
, and for the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
World Headquarters. Later developments in this corridor were the
Ford airport (later converted to the
Dearborn Proving Grounds), and other Ford administrative and development facilities.
More recent additions are
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford (also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, and as the Edison Institute) is a history museum complex in Dearborn, Michigan, United States, within Metro Detroit. The museum collection contai ...
(a reconstructed historic village and museum), the
Henry Ford Centennial Library, the super-regional shopping mall
Fairlane Town Center, and the Ford Performing Arts Center. The open land is planted with
sunflower
The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...
s and often with Ford's favorite crop of
soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed.
Soy is a key source o ...
s. The crops are never harvested.
The
Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ) is a museum in Dearborn, Michigan, highlighting the history, experiences, and contributions of Arab Americans. Established in 2005, it is the first, and largest, museum in the world devoted to Arab Americ ...
(AANM) opened in 2005, the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. Arab Americans in Dearborn include descendants of
Lebanese Christians who immigrated in the early twentieth century to work in the auto industry, and more recent Arab immigrants and their descendants from other, primarily Muslim nations.
On February 2, 2024, the ''
Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' published an opinion piece titled "Welcome to Dearborn, America's Jihad Capital", claiming that there were a large number of supporters of Islamic extremism in the area. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said the article was inflammatory and was responsible for increased online hate speech against the city's citizens, so he increased police patrols.
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 , of which is land and (0.37%) is water. The city developed on both sides of the
Rouge River. An artificial waterfall/low head dam was constructed by Henry Ford on his estate to power its powerhouse. The Upper, Middle, and Lower Branches of the river come together in Dearborn. The river is widened and channeled near the Rouge Plant to allow
lake freighter
Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carriers operating on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Freighters typically have a long, narrow hull, a raised pilothouse, and the ...
access.
Fordson Island () is an island about three miles (5 km) upriver on the
River Rouge from its confluence with the
Detroit River
The Detroit River is an List of international river borders, international river in North America. The river, which forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ont ...
. It is the only major island in a tributary to the Detroit River. It was created in 1922 when engineers dug a secondary trench to reroute the River Rouge to increase navigability for shipping purposes, and businesses needed it to be navigable by the large
lake freighters. The island is privately owned, has no public access, and is part of the city of Dearborn which has no frontage along the Detroit River.
Dearborn is among a small number of municipalities that own property in other cities. It owns the
Camp Dearborn in
Milford, Michigan, which is located from Dearborn. Dearborn was among an even smaller number of cities that hold property in another state. For a time, the city owned the Dearborn Towers apartment complex in
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States, west of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and north of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies T ...
, but this has been sold. Camp Dearborn is considered part of the city of Dearborn. Revenues generated by camp admissions are incorporated into the city's budget.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, the population of Dearborn was 98,153. The racial and ethnic composition was 89.1%
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 ...
, 4.0% black or African-American, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Non-Hispanic of some other race, 4.0% reporting two or more races and 3.4% Hispanic or Latino. 41.7% were of Arab ancestry (categorized as "White" in Census collection data).
2000 census
In the
2000 census, 61.9% spoke only
English at home, 29.3% spoke
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, 1.9%
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
, and 1.5%
Polish. There were 36,770 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the city, 27.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.3% was from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,560, and the median income for a family was $53,060. Males had a median income of $45,114 versus $33,872 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $21,488. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% 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 ...
, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 and over.
As of the 2012 estimate, Dearborn's population was thought to have fallen to 96,474, a decrease of 1.7% since 2010. Over the same period, though, SEMCOG, the local statistics agency of
Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the officia ...
Council of Governments, has estimated the city to have grown to 99,001, or an increase of 1.2% since 2000. SEMCOG's July 2014 estimate listed Dearborn with a population of 102,566.
Ethnic groups
Dearborn has a large community of descendants of ethnic Europeans who arrived as immigrants from the mid-19th into the 20th centuries. Their ancestors generally first settled in Detroit:
Irish,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
,
Italians
Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...
, and
Polish. It is also a center of
Maltese American settlement, from the Mediterranean island of Malta. Also attracted to jobs in the auto industry, some were among immigrant Maltese who first settled in
Corktown.
The city has a small
African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
population, many of whose ancestors came to the area from the rural South during the
Great Migration of the early twentieth century.
[Rev. Horace L. Sheffield, III, Denounces 'Residents Only' Policy at New Dearborn Civic Center as Racist Attempt to Limit Access by African-Americans, ''PR Newswire'', HighBeam Research](_blank)
/ref>
The city's population includes 40,000 Arab Americans
Arab Americans ( or ) are Americans who trace ancestry to any of the Arab immigration to the United States, various waves of immigrants from the Arabic-speaking countries. In the United States census, Arabs are racially classified as White Amer ...
. Per the 2000 census, Arab Americans totaled 29,181 or 29.85% of Dearborn's population; many are descendants of families who have been in the city since the early 20th century. The city has the largest proportion of Arab Americans in the United States. As of 2006 Dearborn has the largest Lebanese American
Lebanese Americans () are Americans of Lebanese descent. This includes both those who are native to the United States of America, as well as immigrants from Lebanon and Latin America.
Lebanese Americans comprise 0.79% of the American populatio ...
population in the United States.
The first Arab immigrants came in the early-to-mid-20th century to work in the automotive industry
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...
and were chiefly Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
from Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, and Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. Other immigrants from the Middle East, such as Assyrians
Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesopotamia. While they are distinct from ot ...
, have also immigrated to the area. Since then, immigrants from Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
, Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
and Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, most of whom are Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, have joined them. Lebanese Americans comprise the largest group of ethnic Arabs. The Arab Muslim community has built the Islamic Center of America
The Islamic Center of America (Arabic: ٱلْمَرْكَز ٱلْإِسْلَامِيّ فِي أَمْرِيكَا, ''al-Markaz al-ʾIslāmīy Fī ʾAmrīkā'') is a mosque located in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. The 120,000 sq ...
serving the Arab Shia Muslim community and the American Moslem Society serving the Arab Sunni Muslim community. More Iraqi refugees
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
have come, fleeing the continued war in their country since 2003.
Warren Avenue has become the commercial center of the Arab-American community. The Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ) is a museum in Dearborn, Michigan, highlighting the history, experiences, and contributions of Arab Americans. Established in 2005, it is the first, and largest, museum in the world devoted to Arab Americ ...
is located in Dearborn. The museum was opened in January 2005 to celebrate the Arab American
Arab Americans ( or ) are Americans who trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants from the Arabic-speaking countries. In the United States census, Arabs are racially classified as White Americans which is defined as "A person ha ...
community's history, culture and contributions to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
In the 2019 U.S. Census estimates, the largest ethnic group were Lebanese Americans, and the second largest were Yemeni Americans.
Christian missionaries and politicians
In 2010, Nabeel Qureshi, David Wood, and two other people acting as Christian missionaries, were arrested at the Dearborn International Arab Festival. They had been handing out Christian literature aimed at Muslim believers. The four were prosecuted for breach of the peace
Breach of the peace or disturbing the peace is a legal term used in constitutional law in English-speaking countries and in a public order sense in the United Kingdom. It is a form of disorderly conduct.
Public order England, Wales and Norther ...
. Police ordered them to stop filming the incident, to provide identification, and to move at least five blocks from the border of the fair. After reviewing the video evidence, the jury acquitted the defendants. The four defendants filed a separate civil suit against the city. Dearborn was found to have violated their constitutional rights
A constitutional right can be a prerogative or a duty, a power or a restraint of power, recognized and established by a sovereign state or union of states. Constitutional rights may be expressly stipulated in a national constitution, or they may ...
related to freedom of speech. The city settled the lawsuit and issued a formal apology to the individuals.
Preacher Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones a ...
of Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
, known for burning a Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
, the sacred book of Islam, planned a protest in 2011 outside the Islamic Center of America
The Islamic Center of America (Arabic: ٱلْمَرْكَز ٱلْإِسْلَامِيّ فِي أَمْرِيكَا, ''al-Markaz al-ʾIslāmīy Fī ʾAmrīkā'') is a mosque located in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. The 120,000 sq ...
. Local authorities required him either to post a $45,000 "peace bond" to cover Dearborn's cost if Jones incited violence, or to go to trial. Jones contested that requirement, and he and his co-pastor Wayne Sapp refused to post the bond. They were held briefly in jail, while claiming violation of First Amendment
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
rights. That night Jones was released by the court. The ACLU had filed an ''amicus brief'' in support of Jones's protest plans. One week later, on April 29, Jones led a rally at the Dearborn City Hall, in a designated free speech zone. Riot police were called out to control counter protesters. Jones also planned to speak at the annual Arab Festival on June 18, 2011, but his route was blocked by protesters, six of whom were arrested. Police said they did not have enough officers present to maintain safety. Christian missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...
accompanied Jones with their own protest signs.
On November 11, 2011, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Robert Ziolkowski vacated the "breach of peace" ruling against Jones and Sapp on the grounds that they were denied due process. On April 7, 2012, Jones led another protest in front of the Islamic Center of America, where he spoke about Islam and free speech. The mosque officials had locked it down to prevent damage. The city used thirty police cars to block traffic from the area in an effort to prevent a counter protest.
Economy
The world headquarters of Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
is in Dearborn. Its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance, and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford, including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses, such as the Fairlane Town Center shopping mall. DFCU Financial, the largest credit union
A credit union is a member-owned nonprofit organization, nonprofit cooperative financial institution. They may offer financial services equivalent to those of commercial banks, such as share accounts (savings accounts), share draft accounts (che ...
in Michigan, was created for Ford and related companies' employees.
One of the largest employers in Dearborn is Oakwood Healthcare System (now a part of Beaumont Health) H. Other major employers include auto suppliers like Visteon
Visteon Corporation (VC) is an American global automotive electronics supplier based in Van Buren Township, Michigan. Visteon designs, engineers, and manufactures vehicle cockpit electronics products, connected car services and electrification p ...
, education facilities such as Henry Ford College, and museums such as The Henry Ford. Other businesses headquartered in Dearborn include Carhartt (clothing), Eppinger (fishing lures), AAA Michigan (insurance), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Largest employers
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
Education
Colleges and universities
University of Michigan–Dearborn
The University of Michigan–Dearborn (UM-Dearborn) is a public university in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1959 with a gift from the Ford Motor Company, it was initially known as the Dearborn Center, operating as a remote branc ...
and Henry Ford College are located in Dearborn on Evergreen Road and are adjacent to each other. Concordia University Dearborn Center and Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...
offer classes in Dearborn. Career training schools include Kaplan Career Institute and Sanford Brown College.
Primary and secondary schools
Dearborn residents, along with a small portion of 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 ...
residents, attend Dearborn Public Schools. The system operates 34 schools, including the major high schools Fordson High School
Fordson High School is a secondary school located in Dearborn, Michigan, United States, in Metro Detroit. It was completed in 1928 on a parcel of land which was then the village of Fordson, named for Henry Ford and his son Edsel Ford. It is a pa ...
, Dearborn High School, and Edsel Ford High School. The public schools serve more than 18,000 students in the fourth-largest district in the state.
Divine Child High School and Elementary School are private schools
A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowme ...
in Dearborn; the high school is the largest private coed high school in the area. Henry Ford Academy is a charter high school inside Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. Another charter secondary school is Advanced Technology Academy. Dearborn Schools operated the Clara B. Ford High School inside Vista Maria, a non-profit residential treatment agency for girls in Dearborn Heights. Clara B. Ford High School became a charter school in the 2007–08 school year.
A small portion of the city limits is within the Westwood Community School District. The sections of Dearborn within the district are zoned for industrial and commercial uses.
The Islamic Center of America
The Islamic Center of America (Arabic: ٱلْمَرْكَز ٱلْإِسْلَامِيّ فِي أَمْرِيكَا, ''al-Markaz al-ʾIslāmīy Fī ʾAmrīkā'') is a mosque located in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. The 120,000 sq ...
operates the Muslim American Youth Academy (MAYA), an Islamic elementary and middle school.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the south-east portion of Michigan in the United States.
The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...
operates Sacred Heart Elementary School. It previously operated the St. Alphonsus School in Dearborn. In 2003 the archdiocese closed the high school of St. Alphonsus, and in 2005 closed the St. Alphonsus elementary school.[Pratt, Chastity, Patricia Montemurri, and Lori Higgins.]
Parents, kids scramble as education options narrow
." ''Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
''. March 17, 2005. A1 News. Retrieved on April 30, 2011. "School closings announced Wednesday by the Archdiocese of Detroit doomed eight high schools in Detroit and neighboring suburbs and will shutter 10 elementary schools, including historic landmarks such as St. Alphonsus Elementary in Dearborn and St. Florian Elementary in Hamtramck."
Global Educational Excellence operates multiple charter schools
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
in Dearborn: Riverside Academy Early Childhood Center, Riverside Academy East Campus (K-5), and Riverside Academy West Campus (6–12).
Dearborn Christian School closed in 2014.
Public libraries
Dearborn Public Library includes the Henry Ford Centennial Library, which is the main library; and the Bryant and Esper branches.
Dearborn's first public library opened in 1924 at the building now known as the Bryant Branch. This served as the main library until the Ford library opened in 1969. In 1970 what became known as the Mason building was classified as a branch library. The library was renamed in 1977 after Katharine Wright Bryant, who developed a plan for the library and campaigned for it.
Around April 1963 the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
granted the City of Dearborn $3 million to build a library as a memorial to 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 ...
. The company deeded of vacant land for the public library to the city on July 30, 1963, the centennial or 100th anniversary of Henry Ford's birth. The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
later granted the library an additional $500,000 for supplies and equipment. On November 25, 1969, the library was dedicated. Originally only the library had offices in the building but in 1979, the library gave up the western side's meeting rooms for the City of Dearborn Health Department.
The Esper Branch, the smallest branch, is located in what is known as the Arab residential quarter of the city, dedicated on October 12, 1953. Originally named the Warren Branch, this structure had replaced the Northeast Branch, which opened in a storefront in 1944. In October 1961, it was named after city councilman Anthony M. Esper.
Post office
During the years 1934 to 1943, during and after the Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, murals were commissioned for federal public buildings in the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
through the Section of Painting and Sculpture
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 s ...
, later called the Section of Fine Arts
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 ...
, of the Treasury Department. They often featured representation of local history. In 1938 artist Rainey Bennett painted an oil-on-canvas mural for the federal post offices in Dearborn titled ''Ten Eyck's Tavern on Chicago Road''.
Sports facilities
Sports facilities include the Dearborn Ice Skating Center and the Dearborn Civic Center.
Transportation
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Dearborn, operating its ''Wolverine'' three times daily in each direction between Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
and Pontiac, via Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. Baggage cannot be checked at this location; however, up to two suitcases, in addition to any "personal items" such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant equipment, are allowed on board as carry-ons. There is one rail stop in Dearborn: the John D. Dingell Transit Center. Amtrak operates on the Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a constitutional government principal department of the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interst ...
Michigan Line. This track runs from Dearborn to Kalamazoo, Michigan. CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
's Detroit Subdivision, Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...
/Grand Trunk Western Railroad
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad ha ...
's Dearborn Subdivision, and Conrail Shared Assets' Junction Yard Running Track also pass through Dearborn. Most of the freight traffic on these rails is related to the automotive industry.
Dearborn is served by buses of both the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) systems.
From 1924 to 1947, Dearborn was the site of Ford Airport. It featured the world's first concrete runway and the first scheduled U.S. passenger service.
Launched in March 2021, SMART Flex is an on-demand public transit service launched in partnership with TransitTech company Via Transportation. SMART Flex is available to residents and workers in Dearborn, Troy, the Hall Road corridor between Utica and New Baltimore, Pontiac/Auburn Hills, and Farmington/Farmington Hills to book rides using the SMART Flex app.
Arts and culture
Museums
* Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ) is a museum in Dearborn, Michigan, highlighting the history, experiences, and contributions of Arab Americans. Established in 2005, it is the first, and largest, museum in the world devoted to Arab Americ ...
* Automotive Hall of Fame
* The Henry Ford (Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village)
* Fair Lane
Fair Lane was the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was named after an area in Cork, Ireland, where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The ...
Estate
* Dearborn Historical Museum
* The Stamelos Gallery at the University of Michigan Dearborn Mardigan Library
* The Alfred Berkowitz Gallery at the University of Michigan Dearborn Mardigan Library
Parks
* Crowley Park and Field
* Ford Field Park
* Ford Woods Park
* Hemlock Park
* Levagood Park
* Rouge Gateway Park / Trail
Theaters
* Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
* Ford-Wyoming Drive-In
Architecture
* Edward Hotel & Convention Center
* Ford Motor Company Research and Engineering Center (under construction)
* Ford World Headquarters
The Henry Ford II World Center, also commonly known as the Ford World Headquarters and popularly known as the Glass House, is the administrative headquarters for Ford Motor Company, a 12-story, glass-faced office building designed to accommodat ...
building
* Ford Homes Historic District
* Islamic Center of America
The Islamic Center of America (Arabic: ٱلْمَرْكَز ٱلْإِسْلَامِيّ فِي أَمْرِيكَا, ''al-Markaz al-ʾIslāmīy Fī ʾAmrīkā'') is a mosque located in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. The 120,000 sq ...
Several designs are by architect Albert Kahn for Henry Ford.
* Dearborn Inn
* Ford Engineering Laboratory
* Ford River Rouge Complex
The Ford River Rouge complex (commonly known as the Rouge complex, River Rouge, or The Rouge) is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan, along the River Rouge (Michigan), River Rouge, upstream from its c ...
Government
Dearborn has a mayor-council form of government. As of 2021, the Mayor of the City of Dearborn is Abdullah Hammoud. The City Clerk is George T. Darany. The City Council President is Michael T. Sareini.
Built in 1922, the Dearborn City Hall Complex was in operation until 2014 when government operations moved
to the new Dearborn Administrative Center. The former city hall was redeveloped by Artspace Projects to preserve affordable and sustainable space for artists and arts organizations.
Politics
Dearborn has historically firmly voted for the Democratic Party.
In 2016, Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
received the most votes in the heavily Muslim and Arab parts of Dearborn in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries
Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 4,051 delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention held July 25–28 and determine the nominee for President in the 2016 United States president ...
.
In the 2020 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
, within Dearborn, of the voters, 68.8% selected Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
and 29.9% selected Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
.
In 2021, Niraj Warikoo of the ''Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
'' reported that Yemeni Americans in Dearborn were advocating for more of a role in their city's government.[
In the 2022 Michigan elections, there was a shift in east Dearborn (heavily Arab and Muslim) toward the Republican Party as LGBTQ+ materials in schools became a political issue. According to Niraj Warikoo of '']The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...
'', "Democrats still won the city overall by a comfortable margin".
In the 2024 Michigan Democratic presidential primary, the Uncommitted vote won a majority in Dearborn, as well as in the cities of Hamtramck and Dearborn Heights. All three cities have a significant Arab American and Muslim population. They protested against Biden over his handling of the Gaza war
The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
.
In the run-up to the 2024 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...
, mayor Abdullah Hammoud refused to endorse President Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
for re-election due to the government's position in the Gaza war
The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. In that election, within Dearborn, 42.48% of the voters voted for Trump, 36.26% voted for Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
, and 18.37% voted for Jill Stein
Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and perennial candidate who was the Green Party of the United States, Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the Jill Stein 2012 presidential campaign ...
, the Green party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice.
Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
candidate.[ Trump became the first Republican to win the city since the 2000 presidential election.
]
Media
The metropolitan-area newspapers are ''The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...
'' and the ''Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
''.
The ''Dearborn & Dearborn Heights Press and Guide'' publishes local news for Dearborn and the neighboring 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 ...
.
'' The Arab American News'' is published in Dearborn.
Timeline
European exploration and colonization
* 1603 – French lay claim to unidentified territory in this region, naming it New France.
* July 24, 1701 – Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac (, ; March 5, 1658October 16, 1730), born Antoine Laumet, was a French explorer and adventurer in New France, which stretched from Eastern Canada to Louisiana on the Gulf of Mexico. He rose from a modest beg ...
and his soldiers first land at what is now Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
.
* November 29, 1760 – The British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
take control of the area from France.
* 1780 – Pierre Dumais clears farm near what became Morningside Street in Dearborn's South End.
Early U.S. history
* 1783 – By terms of the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, Great Britain cedes territory south of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, although the British retain practical control of the Detroit area and several other settlements until 1797.
* 1786 – Agreed year of first permanent settler in present-day Dearborn.
* 1787 – Territory of the US north and west of the Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
is officially proclaimed the Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...
.
* December 26, 1791 – Detroit environs become part of Kent County, Ontario
Kent County, area 2,458 km2 (949 sq mi) is a Historic counties of Ontario, historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The county was created in 1792 and named by John Graves Simcoe in honour of the England, English Kent, County. ...
.
* 1795 – James Cissne becomes first settler in what is now west Dearborn.
* 1796 – Wayne County is formed by proclamation of the acting governor of the Northwest Territory. Its original area is , stretching from Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
, to Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois, and northwest to Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
.
* May 7, 1800 – Indiana Territory
The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...
, created out of part of Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...
, although the eastern half of Michigan including the Dearborn area, was not attached to Indiana Territory until Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
was admitted as a state in 1803.
* January 11, 1805 – Michigan 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. Detroit ...
officially created out of a part of the Indiana Territory
The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...
.
* June 11, 1805 – Fire destroys most of Detroit.
* November 15, 1815 – Current boundaries of Wayne County drawn, county split into 18 townships.
* January 5, 1818 – Springwells Township established by Gov. Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...
.
* October 23, 1824 – Bucklin Township created by Gov. Lewis Cass. The area ran from Greenfield to approximately Haggerty and from Van Born to Eight Mile.
* 1826 – Conrad Ten Eyck builds Ten Eyck Tavern at Michigan Avenue and Rouge River.
* 1827 – Wayne County's boundaries changed to its current .
* April 12, 1827 – Springwells and Bucklin townships formally organized and laid out by gubernatorial act.
* October 29, 1829 – Bucklin Township split along what is today Inkster Road into Nankin (west half) and Pekin (east half) townships.
* March 21, 1833 – Pekin Township renamed Redford Township.
* March 31, 1833 – Greenfield Township created from north and west sections of Springwells Township, including what is now today east Dearborn.
* April 1, 1833 – Dearborn Township created from southern half of Redford Township south of Bonaparte Avenue (Joy Road).
* 1833 – Detroit Arsenal built.
* October 23, 1834 – Dearborn Township renamed Bucklin Township.
* March 26, 1836 – Bucklin Township renamed Dearborn Township.
* January 26, 1837 – Michigan admitted to the Union as the 26th state. Stevens T. Mason is first governor.
* 1837 – 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 ...
extended through Springwells Township. Hamlet of Springwells rises along railroad.
* April 5, 1838 – Village of Dearbornville incorporates. Village later unincorporated on May 11, 1846.
* 1849 Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Brooklyn Street.
* April 2, 1850 – Greenfield Township annexes another section of Springwells Township.
* February 12, 1857 – Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Grand Boulevard.
* March 25, 1873 – Springwells Township annexes back section of Greenfield Township south of Tireman
* May 28, 1875 – Postmaster general changes name of Dearbornville post office to Dearborn post office, hence changing the city's name.
* 1875 – Detroit Arsenal closed.
* 1875 – Detroit annexes another section of Springwells Township.
* 1876 – William A. Nowlin writes ''The Bark Covered House'' in honor of country's 100th birthday.
* June 20, 1884 – Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Livernois.
* 1889 – First telephone installed in Dearborn at St. Joseph's retreat.
Incorporation as village
* March 24, 1893 – Village of Dearborn incorporates.
* 1906 – Detroit annexes another section of Springwells Township.
* 1916 – Henry, Clara, and Edsel Ford move to Dearborn.
* 1916 – Detroit annexes more of Springwells Township, forming Dearborn's eastern boundary.
* 1917 – Rouge "Eagle" Plant opens.
* November 1, 1919 – The first house numbering
House numbering is the system of giving a unique number to each building in a street or area, with the intention of making it easier to locate a particular building. The house number is often part of a Address (geography), postal address. The ter ...
ordinance in Dearborn starts. Residents required to place standard plate number on right side of the main house entrance five feet up.
* December 9, 1919 – Springwells Township incorporates as village of Springwells.
* October 16, 1922 – Springwells Township annexes small section of Dearborn Township east of present-day Greenfield Road.
* December 27, 1923 – Voters approve incorporation of Springwells as a city. It officially became a city April 7, 1924.
* September 9, 1924 – Village of Warrendale incorporates.
* November 1924 – Ford Airport opens.
* April 6, 1925 – Warrendale voters and residents of remaining Greenfield Township approve annexation by Detroit.
* May 26, 1925 – Village of Dearborn annexes large portion of Dearborn Township.
* December 23, 1925 – Springwells changes name to city of Fordson.
* February 15, 1926 – First U.S. airmail
Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be th ...
delivery made, going from Ford Airport in Dearborn to Cleveland.
* September 14, 1926 – Election approves incorporation of village of Inkster. Unincorporated part of Dearborn Township split into two unconnected sections.
* October 11, 1926 – Only dirigible
An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat ( lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding ...
to ever moor in Dearborn docks at Ford Airport.
Reincorporation as city
* February 14, 1927 – Village of Dearborn residents approve vote to become a city.
* June 12, 1928 – Voters in Dearborn, Fordson and part of Dearborn Township vote to consolidate into one city.
* January 9, 1929 – Clyde Ford elected as first mayor of Dearborn.
* 1929 – Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village opens.
* July 1, 1931 – Dearborn Inn opens as one of the first airport hotels in world.
* March 7, 1932 – Ford Hunger March crosses Dearborn city limits. Four marchers are shot to death by police and Ford service men.
* 1936 – John Carey becomes mayor of Dearborn.
* June 19, 1936 – Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a mail-order business and later a department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001; its common nickname was "Monkey Wards". ...
opens in Dearborn.
* May 26, 1937 – Harry Bennett's Ford "service" men beat United Auto Workers
The United Auto Workers (UAW), fully named International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and sou ...
(UAW) official Richard Frankensteen in the Battle of the Overpass
* June 21, 1941 – Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
signs its first union contract.
* 1939 – The Historic Springwells Park Neighborhood is established by Edsel B. Ford to provide company executives and auto workers with upscale housing accommodations.
* January 6, 1942 – Orville L. Hubbard takes office as mayor of Dearborn for first time.
* April 7, 1947 – 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 ...
dies.
* October 20, 1947 – Dearborn City Council approves purchase of land near Milford, Michigan for what would become Camp Dearborn. First section of camp opens following year.
* October 21, 1947 – Ford Airport officially closes.
* 1950 – First Pleasant Hours senior citizen group formed.
* 1950 – Dearborn Historical Museum formally established.
* January 1953 – Oakwood Hospital formally opened and dedicated.
* April 22, 1958 – Election held to annex part of South Dearborn Township to Dearborn. Proposal fails.
* 1959 – University of Michigan (Dearborn Campus) opens.
* April 6, 1959 – Election held to annex part of North Dearborn Township to Dearborn. Proposal fails.
* 1960 – Remaining parts of Dearborn Township incorporated as Dearborn Heights, Michigan.
* 1962 – St. Joseph's retreat closed and razed
* 1962 – New Henry Ford Community College campus dedicated.
* November 9, 1962 – Ford Rotunda burns down
* 1967 – Dearborn Towers in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States, west of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and north of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies T ...
opens.
* March 2, 1976 – Fairlane Town Center opens.
* 1978 – John B. O' Reilly, Sr. becomes mayor of Dearborn
* November 6, 1981 – Cable Television reaches first home in Dearborn, on Abbot Street.
* December 16, 1982 – Orville Hubbard dies.
* 1986 – Michael Guido becomes mayor of Dearborn.
* 1993 – Michael Guido is the first mayor to run unopposed.
* 2006 – Michael Guido dies at the age of 52 during his 6th term, the only mayor to die in office.
* 2006 – John B. O'Reilly, Jr. is to become temporary Mayor. O'Reilly's father was the mayor who had preceded Mayor Guido.
* 2007 – John B. O'Reilly, Jr. is elected mayor of Dearborn winning 93.97% of the vote.
* 2008 – John B. O'Reilly, Sr. dies at the age of 89; he was Mayor of Dearborn (1978–1985) and also served as Chief of Police for 11 years.
Notable people
* Myles Amine – Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...
at 2020 Summer Olympics
The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
representing San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
*Frankie Andreu
Francisco "Frankie" Andreu (born September 26, 1966) is an American former professional cyclist whose career highlights include riding as team captain of the U.S. Postal Service cycling team in 1998, 1999 and 2000. During his career, he won a n ...
– professional cyclist, rode Tour De France multiple years
* Anthony Bass – pitcher for the Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
* Najah Bazzy – humanitarian and interfaith leader
* Robert Bierman – author
*Dave Brandon
David Allen Brandon (born May 15, 1952) is an American businessman. He is the former chief executive officer of Toys "R" Us.
From 1999 to 2009, he served as the president and chief executive officer of Domino's, and from 2010 to 2014, he was ...
– CEO of Toys "R" Us
Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C.; its first store was built in April 1948, with i ...
, chairman of Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc., commonly referred to as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware General Corporation Law, Delaware-domiciled and headquartered ...
* Claire-Marie Brisson – academic, Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
faculty
* David Burtka – chef and actor, married to Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...
* Brian Calley – 63rd Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
* Garrett Clayton – actor
* Jim Cummins – NHL player
* Haz Al-Din – political theorist and streamer
* John Dingell – former dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, longest-serving Congressman
* Agnes Dobronski – Michigan educator and legislator
* Kristen Doute – television personality, best known for '' Vanderpump Rules''
*Ronnie Duman
Ronald Barth Duman (February 12, 1929 – June 9, 1968), was an American racing driver who competed in the USAC Championship Car series and the Indianapolis 500. Duman was an accomplished driver in sprints and midgets, and won the prestigi ...
– auto racer
* Chad Everett – actor, '' Medical Center'', '' The Last Challenge'', '' Made in Paris'', '' Airplane II: The Sequel''
* Rima Fakih – Miss Michigan USA 2010, Miss USA 2010.
*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 ...
– iconic automaker, founder of Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
*Edsel Ford
Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business executive and philanthropist, who was the only child of pioneering industrialist Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He was the president of Ford Motor C ...
– Henry Ford's son, second president of Ford Motor and co-namesake of Fordson
* Scott Freidheim – CEO, Investor and Author
* Dan Gheesling – winner of '' Big Brother 10 (U.S.)'' and runner-up on '' Big Brother 14 (U.S.)''
*Russ Gibb
Russel James Gibb (June 15, 1931 – April 30, 2019) was an American rock concert promoter, school teacher and disc jockey from Dearborn, Michigan, best known for his role in the "Paul is dead" phenomenon, a story he broke on radio station WNIC, WK ...
– concert promoter and media figure
* George Z. Hart – Michigan state senator
* Ahmad Harajly – rugby player (USA Rugby)
* Orville L. Hubbard – Mayor of Dearborn from 1942 to 1978
* Al Iafrate – NHL defenseman
*Art James
Art James (born Arthur Simeonovich Efimchick; October 15, 1929 – March 28, 2004) was an American game-show host, best known for shows such as '' The Who, What, or Where Game''; '' It's Academic''; and '' Pay Cards!'' He was also the announce ...
– TV quiz-show host
* Ahmad Musa Jibril – Islamic preacher
* Dakota Joshua – professional ice hockey player
* Ali Kabbani – better known as "Myth", YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
live streamer and professional gamer
* John C. Kornblum – diplomat, former Ambassador to Germany
* Mei Lin – chef, winner of Top Chef: Boston
* Derek Lowe – Major League Baseball pitcher, 2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2004 season. The 100th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Le ...
champion with Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
* Don Matheson – actor, '' Land of the Giants''
* Nancy Milford – author and biographer
* Alan Mulally – CEO of Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
* Dorothy Naum – baseball player
* Johnny Pacar – actor, '' Flight 29 Down'', '' Make It or Break It'', ''Now You See It...''
* Eugenia Paul – actress and dancer
*George Peppard
George Peppard (October 1, 1928 – May 8, 1994) was an American actor. He secured a major role as struggling writer Paul Varjak when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961), and later portrayed a character ...
– film actor, known for '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', '' How the West Was Won'', and more
* Tom Price – United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
* Brian Rafalski – NHL defenseman (New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
, Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
)
* Doug Ross – college ice hockey coach
* Soony Saad – soccer player
* Robert Saleh – NFL Head Coach of the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
* Scott Sanderson – All-Star Major League Baseball pitcher in 19 Major League seasons for seven teams
* Norbert Schemansky – four-time Olympic medalist in weightlifting
* Suzanne Sena – host of IFC program '' Onion News Network'' and former Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
anchor
* Serena Shim – Lebanese-American journalist
* Jim Snyder – Major League Baseball player and manager
* Edward Stinson – aviation pioneer
*Pat Shurmur
Patrick Carl Shurmur (born April 14, 1965) is an American football coach who serves as the offensive coordinator at the Colorado Buffaloes football team, University of Colorado. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, he most recently served as ...
– NFL offensive coordinator and former head coach
* Gary Wayne – former pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
See also
* History of the Middle Eastern people in Metro Detroit
* List of sundown towns in the United States
Notes
References
Further reading
* Barrow, Heather B. (2015). ''Henry Ford's Plan for the American Suburb: Dearborn and Detroit.'' DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press.
*
*
*
*
* Rignall, Karen (graduate student).
Building an Arab-American Community in Dearborn
" University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
. Volume 5, Issue 1, Fall 1997.
External links
City of Dearborn
Dearborn Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
1893 establishments in Michigan
Populated places established in 1893
Arab-American culture in Michigan
Armenian-American culture in Michigan
Assyrian-American culture in Michigan
Cities in Wayne County, Michigan
Iraqi-American history
Islam in Michigan
Muslim enclaves
Lebanese-American culture
Maltese diaspora in the United States
Metro Detroit
Palestinian-American culture
Syrian-American culture
Yemeni-American culture
Sundown towns in Michigan