Manchester is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 2,037 at the 2020 census. The city is located within Manchester Township. Settled as early as 1833, Manchester incorporated as a village in 1867. On November 7, 2023, 66 percent of village residents voted in favor of incorporating Manchester as an autonomous city. Manchester officially became a city on November 15, 2023 with the mayor and city councilmembers sworn into office on November 20, 2023.

History

Chicago Road

In 1824 the United States Congress passed the

General Survey Act The General Survey Act was a law passed by the United States Congress in April 1824, which authorized the president to have surveys made of routes for transport roads and canals "of national importance, in a commercial or military point of view, o ...

, intended to create and maintain military roads through what was then the west of the country. One third of the funds allocated went to build a road between the strategic army posts of

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

Fort Dearborn Fort Dearborn was a United States fort, first built in 1803 beside the Chicago River, in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by U.S. troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secre ...

, at the little town of

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 ...

. Known as the Chicago Road, it followed the old

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 ...

and opened the entire area for settlement. Also in 1824, the land around today's Manchester was surveyed by John Mack, who noted it as being "a good mill seat." John Gilbert, who had recently completed work on sections of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

, agreed with John Mack, and on May 10, 1826 he purchased of land along the Raisin River at that location.

Early village history

Originally from

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...

, John Gilbert resettled to

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...

, in 1831. In 1832, he decided to turn his attention to the extensive land tracts he held in the area. He commissioned the construction of a grist mill along the River Raisin upon the land he had purchased in 1826. The original plat of the village of Manchester was prepared by surveyor Hiram Burnham and dated 1833, but was not formally filed until March 25, 1835. The location was chosen to take advantage of water power from the river and named after

Manchester, New York Manchester is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 9,406 at the 2020 census. The town was named after one of its villages, which in turn was named after the city of Manchester in England. It was formed in 1822 f ...

Soulesville

In 1833, James Soule purchased a large tract of land about downstream from Manchester. He built a small settlement he named Soulesville. Though the two settlements initially competed against each other, on March 16, 1867, both settlements were incorporated into the village of Manchester. The Manchester Village Office and Manchester Public Library are located on the site of the former settlement.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, Manchester has a total area of , of which is land and (5.35%) is water. The

River Raisin The River Raisin (, 'River of Sturgeon') is a river in southeast Michigan, United States, that flows in a generally easterly direction through Ice age, glacial sediments before emptying into Lake Erie. The River Raisin drainage basin covers app ...

flows through the city.

Major highways

* runs through the center of the city.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,091 people, 938 households, and 570 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,029 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 938 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the village was 41.3 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,160 people, 900 households, and 584 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 949 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.24%

, 0.37%

, 0.46% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.32% from two or more races.

or Latino residents of any race were 1.48% of the population. There were 900 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $46,974, and the median income for a family was $56,875. Males had a median income of $43,438 versus $27,396 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 village was $24,113. About 4.3% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Michigan Lutheran Seminary first opened in Manchester 1885 but moved to

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

two years later. Manchester is served by its own school district, Manchester Community Schools. The district contains three schools—Luther C. Klager Elementary School, Riverside Intermediate School, and Manchester Junior & Senior High School—all of which are located within the city boundaries. The district serves a very large area that includes portions of several neighboring townships.

Notable people

* Fernando C. Beaman, US Congressman * Patrick Chapin, Magic: The Gathering ProTour Player and game designer, born and raised in Manchester * Nick Davis, former NFL wide receiver, born in Manchester and played football for Manchester High School *

Cub Koda Michael John "Cub" Koda (né Uszniewicz; October 1, 1948 – July 1, 2000) was an Americans, American rock and roll musician, songwriter, and critic. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine considered him best known for writing the song "Smokin' in the Boys ...

, lead singer of Brownsville Station, best known for the 1973 hit song "

Smokin' in the Boys Room "Smokin' in the Boys Room" is a song originally recorded by Brownsville Station in 1973 on their album '' Yeah!''. It reached number 3 in Canada and on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was later certified by the RIAA. The song is about studen ...

", which was later covered by

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...

, graduated from Manchester High School * John Swainson, the 42nd governor of Michigan (1961–1963) as well as Justice of the

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the s ...

(1971–1975), resided in Manchester from the mid-1970s until his death in 1994.

Images

File:U.S. Post Office, 103 East Main Street, Manchester, Michigan, ZIP Code 48158 - panoramio.jpg, File:Manchester Village Offices.JPG, File:Fountain-Bessac_House_Historic_Site,_Manchester,_Michigan.JPG, File:Goodyear_Block_Historic_Building,_Manchester,_Michigan.JPG,

References

External links

City of Manchester official website
*
''The Manchester Mirror''
local news website
Manchester Community Schools
{{authority control Cities in Michigan Cities in Washtenaw County, Michigan Populated places established in 1833 1833 establishments in Michigan Territory