Ecorse, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Ecorse is a city in Wayne County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
, named for the Ecorse River
. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census.
, the area that would become Ecorse was originally used as a burial ground for the Native American
tribes of the area, and later settled by the French
in the last two decades of the 18th century.
In the 1836, the settlement was named Grand Port, but remained unincorporated within Ecorse Township
. The settlement incorporated as the village of Ecorse in 1902. Ecorse became a significant economic force in the region when its first steel mill
, Michigan Steel Mill, began operation in 1923. The village would finally incorporate as a city in 1941.
Since the post-war
era, the city, like most other industrial inner-ring suburbs, has fallen into economic decline. In December 1986, the Wayne County Circuit Court issued a court order appointing a receiver for the bankrupt city. The receivership would last until August 1990, but the city's finances were monitored by the state for another ten years, afterwards.
By the fall of 2009, facing a $9 million deficit and a federal corruption probe, Governor Jennifer Granholm
declared a financial emergency for the city, paving the way for the appointment of an emergency financial manager. On September 25, 2009, Ecorse Mayor Herbert Worthy and city Controller Erwin Hollenquest were arrested on charges conspiracy, bribery, and fraud. Both are alleged to have received thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, after the mayor allegedly orchestrated the dismantling of the city's public works department and its replacement with a private contractor prior to winning his election for mayor.
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 2.7 square miles (7 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 25.69%, is water.
of 2000, there were 11,229 people, 4,339 households, and 2,733 families residing in the city. The population density
was 4,175.1 per square mile (1,611.7/km²). There were 4,861 housing units at an average density of 1,807.4 per square mile (697.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.18% White, 40.56% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.36% from other races
, and 3.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.94% of the population, and 5.8% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.7% spoke English
and 6.3% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 4,339 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.0% were married couples
living together, 25.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,142, and the median income for a family was $32,374. Males had a median income of $33,915 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,468. About 17.3% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.2% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 Ecorse had a population of 9,512. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 36.5% non-Hispanic white, 46.4% black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 4.6% reporting two or more races and 13.4% Hispanic or Latino.
operates public schools in Ecorse. Public schools include Ralph J. Bunche School (PreK-3), Grandport Elementary School (4-7), and Ecorse Community High School (8-12). Project Excel is a 3-8 magnet school in Ecorse.
architects, Bennett and Straight, designed the current library complex, which was built to be fireproof.
The first library services appeared in Ecorse in 1922, when a group of books from the Wayne County Library Service were placed at Loveland’s Pharmacy. During the following year, the owner of the pharmacy moved his business to receive a larger space and dedicated a section of the new location to the library. Library services stopped in 1925 due to a lack of space for a new book collection. Services resumed on March 22, 1926, when the library re-opened in the DeWallot building with 600 volumes of books; the library had separate quarters for the first time. By 1929 the Ecorse library had four staff members. Two of the staff members operated two other library locations in Ecorse, with one in the Ecorse Municipal Building and one located on Visger Road. The current Ecorse Public Library opened on Sunday, December 12, 1948; during the same day Mayor William Vosine dedicated it. The library's cost was $150,000. The American Library Association
selected the library as one of the best small libraries in the United States.
The John D. Dingell Park
is located along the Detroit River
.
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, named for the Ecorse River
Ecorse River
The Ecorse River is an river in southern Michigan. Because of its small size, it is often identified as Ecorse Creek. It flows through the Downriver section of Metro Detroit, and is a tributary of the Detroit River. The early French settlers named it the Rivière aux Écorces, meaning the "bark...
. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census.
History
Formerly named "River Aux Echorches", which means "The River of the Barks" in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, the area that would become Ecorse was originally used as a burial ground for the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes of the area, and later settled by the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
in the last two decades of the 18th century.
In the 1836, the settlement was named Grand Port, but remained unincorporated within Ecorse Township
Ecorse Township, Michigan
Ecorse Township is a defunct civil township in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan.-Description:The township consisted of 54 mi² , which included two small islands in the Detroit River. It was bordered to the north by Springwells Township with the boundary being the River Rouge...
. The settlement incorporated as the village of Ecorse in 1902. Ecorse became a significant economic force in the region when its first steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
, Michigan Steel Mill, began operation in 1923. The village would finally incorporate as a city in 1941.
Since the post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
era, the city, like most other industrial inner-ring suburbs, has fallen into economic decline. In December 1986, the Wayne County Circuit Court issued a court order appointing a receiver for the bankrupt city. The receivership would last until August 1990, but the city's finances were monitored by the state for another ten years, afterwards.
By the fall of 2009, facing a $9 million deficit and a federal corruption probe, Governor Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...
declared a financial emergency for the city, paving the way for the appointment of an emergency financial manager. On September 25, 2009, Ecorse Mayor Herbert Worthy and city Controller Erwin Hollenquest were arrested on charges conspiracy, bribery, and fraud. Both are alleged to have received thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, after the mayor allegedly orchestrated the dismantling of the city's public works department and its replacement with a private contractor prior to winning his election for mayor.
Geography
Ecorse is a southwest suburb of Detroit. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 2.7 square miles (7 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 25.69%, is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,229 people, 4,339 households, and 2,733 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,175.1 per square mile (1,611.7/km²). There were 4,861 housing units at an average density of 1,807.4 per square mile (697.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.18% White, 40.56% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.36% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.94% of the population, and 5.8% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.7% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 6.3% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 4,339 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 25.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,142, and the median income for a family was $32,374. Males had a median income of $33,915 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,468. About 17.3% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.2% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 Ecorse had a population of 9,512. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 36.5% non-Hispanic white, 46.4% black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 4.6% reporting two or more races and 13.4% Hispanic or Latino.
Primary and secondary schools
Ecorse Public SchoolsEcorse Public Schools
Ecorse Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Ecorse, Michigan, United States. The district serves Ecorse.-Schools:Zoned* Ecorse Community High School * Grandport Elementary School * Ralph J. Bunche School Magnet...
operates public schools in Ecorse. Public schools include Ralph J. Bunche School (PreK-3), Grandport Elementary School (4-7), and Ecorse Community High School (8-12). Project Excel is a 3-8 magnet school in Ecorse.
Public libraries
Ecorse Public Library is located in Ecorse. Two DearbornDearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition 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...
architects, Bennett and Straight, designed the current library complex, which was built to be fireproof.
The first library services appeared in Ecorse in 1922, when a group of books from the Wayne County Library Service were placed at Loveland’s Pharmacy. During the following year, the owner of the pharmacy moved his business to receive a larger space and dedicated a section of the new location to the library. Library services stopped in 1925 due to a lack of space for a new book collection. Services resumed on March 22, 1926, when the library re-opened in the DeWallot building with 600 volumes of books; the library had separate quarters for the first time. By 1929 the Ecorse library had four staff members. Two of the staff members operated two other library locations in Ecorse, with one in the Ecorse Municipal Building and one located on Visger Road. The current Ecorse Public Library opened on Sunday, December 12, 1948; during the same day Mayor William Vosine dedicated it. The library's cost was $150,000. The American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
selected the library as one of the best small libraries in the United States.
Parks and recreation
Ecorse has a Senior Center and a rowing club.The John D. Dingell Park
John D. Dingell Park
John D. Dingell Park is located in Ecorse, Michigan along the Detroit River. Known best for its annual 4 July fireworks and water festival, Dingell Park also honors local citizens who gave their lives in World War II.-Downriver Linked Greenways:...
is located along the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
.