Flint, Michigan

Flint, Michigan is a city in Genesee County along the Flint River about 60 miles northwest of Detroit. Its population in 1998 was 131,000 people, and it is the fourth largest city in Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 124,943. It is the county seat of Genesee County6. Flint Charter Township is adjacent to the city on the west, but is politically independent.

History

The city was founded in 1819 by Jacob Smith, a fur trader, and was incorporated in 1855.

Related Topics:
1819 - Fur - 1855

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Flint has been host to various industries in its history including trading/trapping, lumber, carriages, and automobiles.

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The city's landscape and culture is dominated by the auto industry. Some of the more notable events in Flint's history are:

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• The sit down strike of 1937 that turned the fledgling United Automobile Workers into a labor union of note.
• Flint was a major contributor of tanks and other war material during World War II thanks to its heavy manufacturing facilities.
• The second deadliest tornado on record in the United States struck Flint on June 8, 1953 killing 115 people, injuring 844. Known as the "Beecher Tornado", named after the North Side neighborhood that it struck, the tornado was devastation to the city. On the next day the same weather system spawned the worst tornado in New England in Worcester, Massachusetts killing another 94 people.
• Flint was the most notorious example of the effects of the 1970s collapse of the U.S. auto industry on surrounding communities. This was highlighted in the film Roger and Me by Michael Moore (the title refers to Roger B. Smith, the CEO of General Motors during the 1980s). Also highlighted in Moore's documentary was the failure of city officials to reverse the trends with entertainment options (e.g. Six Flags' AutoWorld) during the 1980s.

Today, the auto industry continues its exodus from Flint as does the population and sources of revenue. The massive Buick City factory was closed in 1999 and demolished three years later. General Motors employment had fallen from more than 77,000 in 1978 to just a few thousand two decades later.

Related Topics:
Buick City - 1999 - General Motors - 1978

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Flint has one of the highest crime rates in Michigan (5538 incidents/100,000 residents) and the 45th highest crime rate in the United States.

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Unable to pay its debts, the city was placed into receivership by the state of Michigan in 2002, with a financial manager effectively replacing the mayor. In 2004, local control was resumed.

Related Topics:
Debt - 2002 - 2004

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Several companies founded in Flint include Buick, General Motors, Team of Destiny, and Tucows.

Related Topics:
Buick - General Motors - Team of Destiny - Tucows

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