Dearborn, Michigan

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.

Timeline of Dearborn history

European exploration and colonization

• 1603 French lay claim to unidentified territory in this region, naming it new France.
• July 24, 1701 Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his soldiers first land at what is now Detroit.
• November 29, 1760 The British take control of the area from France.
• 1780 Pierre Dumais clears farm near what is today's Morningside Street in Dearborn's South End. First non-Native American activity in present-day Dearborn.

Early U.S. history

• 1783 By terms of the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War, Great Britain cedes territory south of the Great Lakes to the United States, although the Brithish retain practical control of the Detroit area and several other settlements until 1797.
• 1786 Agreed year of first permanent settler in present-day Dearborn.
• 1787 Territory of the US north and west of the Ohio River is officially proclaimed the Northwest Territory.
• December 26, 1791 Detroit environs become part of Kent County, Ontario
• 1795 James Cissne becomes first settler in what is now west Dearborn.
• 1796 Wayne County is formed by proclamation of the acting governor of the Northwest Territory. Its original area is 2 million square miles, stretching from Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois and northwest to Canada.
• May 7, 1800 Indiana Territory, created out of part of Northwest Territory, although the eastern half of Michigan including the Dearborn area, was not attached to Indiana Territory until Ohio was admitted as a state in 1803.
• January 11, 1805 Michigan Territory officially created out of a part of the Indiana Territory.
• June 11, 1805 Fire destroys most of Detroit.
• November 15, 1815 Current boundaries of Wayne County drawn, county split into 18 townships.
• January 5, 1818 Springwells Township established by Gov. Lewis Cass
• October 23, 1824 Bucklin Township created by Gov. Lewis Cass. The area ran from Greenfield to approximately Haggerty and from Van Born to Eight Mile.
• 1826 Conrad Ten Eyck builds Ten Eyck Tavern at Michigan Avenue and Rouge River.
• 1827 Wayne County's boundaries changed to its current 615 square miles.
• April 12, 1827 Springwells and Bucklin townships formally organized and laid out by gubernatorial act.
• October 29, 1829 Bucklin Township split along what is today Inkster Road into Nankin (west half) and Pekin (east half) townships.
• March 21, 1833 Pekin Township renamed Redford Township.
• March 31, 1833 Greenfield Township created from north and west sections of Sprinwells Township, including what is now today east Dearborn.
• April 1, 1833 Dearborn Township created from southern half of Redford Township south of Bonaparte Avenue (Joy Road).
• 1833 Detroit Arsenal built.
• October 23, 1834 Dearborn Township renamed Bucklin Township.
• March 26, 1836 Bucklin Township remaned Dearborn Township.
• January 26, 1837 Michigan admitted to the Union as the 26th state. Stevens T. Mason is first governor.
• 1837 Michigan Central Railroad extended through Springwells Township. Hamlet of Springwells rises along railroad.
• April 5, 1838 Village of Dearbornville incorporates. Village later unincorporated on May 11, 1846.
• 1849 Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Brooklyn Street.
• April 2, 1850 Greenfield Township annexes another section of Springwells Township.
• February 12, 1857 Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Grand Boulevard
• March 25, 1873 Springwells Township annexes back section of Greenfield Township south of Tireman
• May 28, 1875 Postmaster general changes name of Dearbornville post office to Dearborn post office, hence changing the city's name.
• 1875 Detroit Aresenal closed.
• 1875 Detroit annexes another section of Springwells Township.
• 1876 William A. Nowlin writes The Bark Covered House in honor of country's 100th birthday.
• June 20, 1884 Detroit annexes Springwells Townshp east of Livernois.
• 1889 First telephone installed in Dearborn at St. Joseph's retreat

Incorporation as village

• March 24, 1893 Village of Dearborn incorporates.
• 1906 Detroit annexes another section of Springwells Township.
• 1916 Detroit annexes more of Springwells Township, forming Dearborn's eastern boundary.
• 1917 Rouge "Eagle" Plant opens.
• November 1, 1919 The first house numbering ordinance in Dearborn starts. Residents required to place standard plate number on right side of the main house entrance five feet up.
• December 9, 1919 Springwells Township incorporates as village of Springwells.
• October 16, 1922 Springwells Township annexes small section of Dearborn Township east of present-day Greenfield Road.
• December 27, 1923 Voters approve incorporation of Springwells as a city. It officially became a city April 7, 1924.
• September 9, 1924 Village of Warrendale incorporates.
• November 1924 Ford Airport opens.
• April 6, 1925 Warrendale voters and residents of remaining Greenfield Township approve annexation by Detroit.
• May 26, 1925 Village of Dearborn annexes large portion of Dearborn Township.
• December 23, 1925 Springwells changes name to city of Fordson.
• February 15, 1926 First U.S. airmail delivery made, going from Ford Airport in Dearborn to Cleveland.
• September 14, 1926 Election approves incorporation of village of Inkster. Unincorporated part of Dearborn Township split into two unconnected sections.
• October 11, 1926 Only dirigible to ever moor in Dearborn docks at Ford Airport.

Reincorporation as city

• February 14, 1927 Village of Dearborn residents approve vote to become a city.
• June 12, 1928 Voters in Dearborn, Fordson and part of Dearborn Township vote to consolidate into one city.
• January 9, 1929 Clyde Ford elected as first mayor of Dearborn.
• 1929 Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village opens.
• July 1, 1931 Dearborn Inn opens as one of first airport hotels in world.
• 1936 John Carey becomes mayor of Dearborn.
• June 19, 1936 Montgomery Wards opens in Dearborn.
• May 26, 1937 Henry Bennett's Ford "service" men beat United Auto Workers (UAW) official Richard Frankensteen in the Battle of the Overpass
• June 21, 1941 Ford Motor Company signs its first union contract.
• January 6, 1942 Orville L. Hubbard takes office as mayor of Dearborn for first time.
• April 7, 1947 Henry Ford dies.
• October 20, 1947 Dearborn City Council approves purchase of land near Milford, Michigan for what would become Camp Dearborn. First section of camp opens following year.
• October 21, 1947 Ford Airport officially closes.
• 1950 First Pleasant Hours senior citizen group formed.
• 1950 Dearborn Historical Museum formally established.
• January 1952 Oakwood Hospital formally opened and dedicated.
• April 22, 1958 Election held to annex part of South Dearborn Township to Dearborn. Proposal fails.
• April 6, 1959 Election held to annex part of North Dearborn Township to Dearborn. Proposal fails.
• 1962 St. Joseph's retreat closed and razed
• 1962 New Henry Ford Community College campus dedicated.
• November 9, 1962 Ford Rotunda burns down
• 1967 Dearborn Towers in Clearwater, Florida opens.
• March 2, 1976 Fairlane Town Center opens.
• 1978 John O' Reilley becomes mayor of Dearborn
• November 6, 1981 Cable Television reaches first home in Dearborn. First home is on Abbot Street.
• December 16, 1982 Orville Hubbard dies.
• 1986 Michael Guido becomes mayor of Dearborn.
• 1993 Michael Guido first mayor to run unopposed.