Dearborn is a city of nearly 98,000 people located in the Metro Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, Michigan in the United States. The city is the hometown of Henry Ford and the world headquarters of the Ford Motor Company, and the site of a University of Michigan campus as well as Henry Ford Community College.
Dearborn is home to over 29,000 Arab-Americans, the second largest population within the U.S. (New York, New York has nearly 70,000). Arabs first settled here to work in the automotive industry. In January 2005, a new Arab American National Museum opened as a result of this large concentrated population. The city is also home to the Dearborn Mosque. Because of the Arab influence in Dearborn, store signs and billboards written in Arabic are common sights.
Dearborn is home to the Ford River Rouge Plant, built by Henry Ford to make Ford Model T components, and later the birthplace (and former production line) of the Ford Mustang. It currently produces Ford F150 trucks. At one time the plant employed 100,000 people and produced finished vehicles from iron ore and sand.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 63.3 km2 (24.5 mi2). 63.1 km2 (24.4 mi2) of it is land and 0.2 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.37% water. The River Rouge runs through the city with an artificial waterfall/low head dam on the Henry Ford estate to power his 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 freighter access.
Dearborn is among a small number of municipalities that owns property in other cities (Camp Dearborn in Milford, Michigan) and is possibly unique in holding property in another state (the Dearborn Towers apartment complex in Clearwater, Florida). These holdings are considered part of the city of Dearborn, and revenues generated by camp admissions and rent collected are used to bolster the city's budget.
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 97,775 people, 36,770 households, and 23,863 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,549.7/km2 (4,013.2/mi2). There are 38,981 housing units at an average density of 617.8/km2 (1,600.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 86.86% White, 1.28% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 9.38% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The White ethnic group includes Arab, Polish, Czech, German, Italian, Irish, etc., as all these peoples are considered Caucasian by the Census. The Arab population can be prominantly found in the Eastern side of Dearborn. However in recent years they have spread into the western side.
There are 36,770 households out of which 31.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% are married couples living together, 9.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% are non-families. 30.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.65 and the average family size is 3.42.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $44,560, and the median income for a family is $53,060. Males have a median income of $45,114 versus $33,872 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,488. 16.1% of the population and 12.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The Dearborn area was first settled by Europeans in 1786. The village of Dearborn was established in 1836, named after patriot Henry Dearborn, a general in the American Revolution and Secretary of War under President Thomas Jefferson. Its origins as a city trace back to a January 1929 consolidation vote which established its present-day borders by merging Dearborn and neighboring Fordson (previously known as Springwells) which feared being absorbed into Detroit. The area between the two towns was, and still remains in part undeveloped. This, once farm land, was bought by Henry Ford who built his estate and Ford World Headquarters on it. Later developments in this corridor were the Ford airport, (later converted to the Ford test track), other Ford administrative and development facilities, The Henry Ford village and museum and Fair Lane, the Henry Ford Centennial Library and the Dearborn Civic Center. Some of the land remains open as of 2005 and is planted with sunflowers and often in Henry Ford's favorite soybeans, presumably for property tax reduction purposes. The crops are never harvested.
Dearborn was known nationally for its de facto racial segregation under Mayor Orville L. Hubbard, whose 36 year tenure ended in 1978. Hubbard became the most famous segregationist north of the Mason-Dixon line and openly admitted to allowing the use of intimidation tactics against African-American families looking to move to Dearborn. This unsubtle policy is, in part, responsible for the minute black population in Dearborn today. Hubbard was known for running a highly effective government, so residents overlooked or laughed at his politically incorrect statements, which also targeted Irish and Italians (who make up much of the city's population). Hubbard was never as powerful or influential as Henry Ford or the Ford Motor Company. Ford was known for racist views as well, although he was also known to treat African-Americans well, which attracted them to Detroit to work at his factories. Ford placed African-Americans in supervisory positions over whites at a time when President Woodrow Wilson (a Democrat) praised the KKK.
Source:
DearbornMI.com
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