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Fenton, Michigan
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Fenton is a city in Genesee, Livingston, and Oakland counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,582. The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, but the city and township are administratively autonomous. In 2004, the city annexed a small portion of Holly Township in Oakland County.
on was first named Dibbleville after the first settler in the area, Clark Dibble, who moved there from New York in 1834.
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Encyclopedia
Fenton is a city in Genesee, Livingston, and Oakland counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,582. The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, but the city and township are administratively autonomous. In 2004, the city annexed a small portion of Holly Township in Oakland County.
History
Fenton was first named Dibbleville after the first settler in the area, Clark Dibble, who moved there from New York in 1834. According to local legend, it was renamed Fenton as a result of an 1837 card game involving two men, William M. Fenton and Robert LeRoy. LeRoy Street, the city's main street, was named for the loser. The city's original name survives as the name of one of Fenton's neighborhoods.
Fenton was incorporated as a village in 1863 and as a city in 1964. It was during the end of the 60's decade, that Mayor Paul Bottecelli, owner and pharmacist of Fenton Drug, and the City Council decided to use Federal Urban Renewal funds to tear down three of the four original downtown business blocks. Urban Renewal, after many heated debates, came to a vote of the citizens of Fenton. Urban Renewal passed by a narrow margin. Three of the four original downtown blocks of businesses were leveled, changing the original downtown landscape forever. After Urban Renewal, the number and variety of businesses decreased in the downtown section. Many businesses closed and a few moved out of the downtown area to other areas of town. Since the time of Urban Renewal, the importance of a downtown as a central core, has resurrected. There are events throughout the year in the downtown. In the summer, there is a Fourth of July Festival, a weekly Farmer's Market, Taste of Fenton, and Art in the Park. During the December holiday season, the festivities include Jingle Fest and a New Year's Eve celebration.
Today, Fenton has the fastest growing population of any city with 25,000 inhabitants or less. An entirely new neighborhood, Silver Lake Village has been built around a contemporary open-air shopping area. U.S. Highway 23 runs through the city.
On the south side of Fenton lies the old Fenton Seminary. The wife of famed pragmatist John Dewey had attended the seminary. The seminary is to be knocked down soon, though.
Tornado
On August 24, 2007, an F2 tornado hit downtown Fenton. It left miles of debris, destroyed several homes and almost completely destroyed the newly opened Tractor Supply Company. This caused many people to go without power, leaving the city in a state of emergency.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.8 kmē), of which, 6.6 square miles (17.0 kmē) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 kmē) of it (4.65%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,582 people, 4,335 households, and 2,709 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,612.5 per square mile (622.8/kmē). There were 4,569 housing units at an average density of 696.2/sq mi (268.9/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 96.25% White, 0.60% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.66% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.80% of the population.
There were 4,335 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,400, and the median income for a family was $55,637. Males had a median income of $44,874 versus $30,435 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,435. About 4.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Library
The Jack R. Winegarden Library is the municipal library for Fenton, Michigan.
A branch of the , it is located in a former post office at the intersection of East Caroline Street and Walnut Street in downtown Fenton. The Jack R. Winegarden Library was previously known as the A.J. Phillips Library (a name now held by the Fenton Museum).
Community Center
The Community Center was designed by Eliel Saarinen.
External links
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