The opportunities for annexing
additional land was weighed heavily against the responsibilities of
providing services and facilities to new citizens. Over the .years
not all proposals faced by our city officials were met with
approval. Some of these decisions still make interesting debate when
Wyandotte senior citizens get together for an evening of
reminiscing.
For the younger set in our fair city, it will be interesting for
them to know that they may now be living in what was once Glenwood, Maquaqua or South Detroit. This booklet covers the period of time
from 1732 to 1905.
MAQUAQUA
ESTABLISHED SITE
From the early 1700's
the down river area was inhabited by French farmers and Wyandott
Indians. The French had established a fort at Detroit to extend
their fur trade empire, and the Wyandott Indians had joined them at
their new outpost. The fort proved successful and the French
settlers had been granted tracts of land for farms. These early
farms extended along the Detroit River into land that became known
as Ecorse Township. A band of Indians built a village on the
original site of Wyandotte.
The village of
Maquaqua was truly the beginning of our present community. That
small site became the nucleus of the City of Wyandotte, Michigan.
Historians tell us that the Wyandotts built their village in 1732.
The original village extended from approximately Oak Street to
Eureka Avenue, and from Biddle Avenue to the Detroit River.
ECORSE TOWNSHIP FORMED
The City of Wyandotte was incorporated
from a section of Ecorse Township. The entire township originally
was 54 square miles and was formed by an act of the Michigan State
Legislature on April 12, 1827. Eight other Townships were formed in
Wayne County at the same time.
Ecorse Township
included all the area from the Detroit River west to Telegraph Road,
and from Pennsylvania Road north to the Rouge River . The name of
the original township was taken from the I "Riviere Aux Ecorces"
(meaning Bark River). The river was so named by the early French
settlers in the area because of the old Indian custom of wrapping
their dead in birch or elm bark, and burying them along the mouth
of the river in sand dunes.
VILLAGE OF WYANDOTTE CHARTERED
In 1818, Major John
Biddle purchased much of the site ..that would someday become
Wyandotte. In 1854 he sold his land to Captain Eber Ward. The
Detroit Industrialist built a major industry and platted a village
that he named! Wyandotte. The land purchased by the Eureka Iron
.Company went beyond the village limits. Some sections were in
present day Southgate and Taylor. The deed to the village recorded
the area as being one mile square.
The streets of the village were planned according to the
Philadelphia pattern, which originated with William Penn. He
designated one boundary line of Front Street as the beginning point.
Streets running parallel to this Front .Street were named according
to numbers from First to the ~extent of the territory
involved. Streets running horizontal .to the numbered streets were
named for trees and plants, things that spontaneously grow in the
country," in .accordance with the Quaker love of Botany.
The plat of the
village thus assumed a checkerboard effect. The system became a
truly American pattern which spread throughout the New England and
Midwestern states. The focal point became the river and the first
street parallel to it became Front Street. This street was
eventually extended and renamed Van Alstyne Boulevard in 1921. In
1954, Wyandotters celebrated their 10Oth anniversary as a formal
village. The festive year was marked with much pageantry and
parades. Wyandotte , citizens enjoyed looking back to 1854 when our
community was first chartered as a village.
CITY
OF WYANDOTTE INCORPORATED
On April 8, 1867 the
Village of Wyandotte was incorporated as a home rule city. At the
time of incorporation, Wyandotte was a flourishing industrial
community. The Eureka Iron Company and the Rolling Mills dominated
the riverfront, and the residential community was spreading out
westward to the railroad tracks. The new city boundaries extended
from Grove Street on the south to Northline Road, and from the
riverfront to the railroad tracks bordering the west.
 SOUTH
DETROIT SUBDIVISION ANNEXED
A small
unincorporated portion of Ecorse Township lay to the south of
Wyandotte.
The section extended from Grove Street to Pennsylvania
Avenue, and eastward from the railroad tracks to the riverfront.
During the 1890's land promoters had planned the site as a future
residential park. Riverboat excursions and promises of tax amnesties
lured home buyers to the subdivision.
Pennsylvania Salt
Manufacturing and Michigan Alkali Company were the principal
industries in the subdivision. After an annexation vote of 30 yeas
to 10 nays, the small unincorporated section became apart of
Wyandotte on June 15,1904.
Immediately following
the annexation, city officials showed good faith to the new
community by extending water mains and street lights into the new
area. Original street names were changed to correspond to numbered
streets in Wyandotte - Lansing (6th), Edgar Thompson (7th), and
Adrian (8th).
VILLAGE
OF GLENWOOD ANNEXED
The Village of Glenwood lay to the west of
Wyandotte. It truly was the area on the other side of the tracks".
Wyandotters often referred to the section of scattered homes and
farm houses as "New Jerusalem" because the majority of its working
class citizenry had immigrated from middle eastern Europe. The
ducks and geese running freely among the tethered cows along the
roadways did not at first generate warm feelings between. I the
communities on both sides of the railroad tracks.
The area became
incorporated as the Village of Glenwood in 1900. The village
boundary extended from Eureka to Northline Road (Ford) and from the
railroad tracks to approximately 17th Street.
Birth Certificate of
Ernest Witt, Wyandotte senior citizen. Born in area at Vinewood and
11th--then known as New Jerusalem. The citizens of Glenwood soon
realized that another Glenwood existed in Michigan, and they could
not use the name as a post office address. So the village post
office was designated as Bacon, named in honor of Congressman, M. R.
Bacon, a pioneer and local leader in Glenwood.
As the village
population grew, officials realized that the utilities and municipal
services of nearby Wyandotte were desperately needed. A fire,
starting In a Glenwood bakery, had gutted several other buildings,
and citizens demanded fire protection and a reliable water supply.
The Community petitioned to be annexed to Wyandotte. The citizens
voted 125 yeas to 42 nays, and on December 1, 1905 Glenwood became
Wyandotte. Bonfires and wild , celebrations marked the occasion for
several nights. Afterwards, the grand sum of $2.51 in the Glenwood
treasury was turned over to Wyandotte officials.
In 1926 the city of
Wyandotte purchased property on the west side to be used as a park.
In honor of the former village, it was called Glenwood Park. Later
the name was changed to Pulaski Park.
EPILOGUE
In 1905 the boundaries of Wyandotte
were much different from that today. Booklet IV continues
the fascinating story of Wyandotte's growth as a city from
1922 until the present.
CHRONOLOGY
-
1732--Site established by Wyandott Indians
-
1827--Ecorse Township formed
-
1854-- Village of Wyandotte chartered
-
1867 --City of Wyandotte Incorporated
-
1904--South Detroit Subdivision annexed
-
1905--Viliage of Glenwood annexed
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The City of Wyandotte extends sincere
appreciation to the Wyandotte American Revolution Bicentennial
Committee, with special acknowledgement to the Heritage
Committee and members of the Wyandotte Historical Society who
assisted in the writing and compilation of these booklets.
Booklet Available @ Wyandotte
Historical Museum.
(QUICK-LINK)
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