Inkster, Michigan
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Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Inkster is located about Template:Convert southwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,088.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
[edit]The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post office named "Moulin Rouge" was established there in December 1857. Robert Inkster, a Scotsman born March 27, 1828, in Lerwick, Shetland,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> operated a steam sawmill on present-day Inkster Road near Michigan Avenue in the early 1860s.
The post office was renamed "Inkster" in July 1863. The village had a station on the Michigan Central Railroad by 1878. It incorporated as a village in 1926 from parts of Nankin Township and Dearborn Township. After much legal wrangling by the city of Dearborn, Dearborn Township, and the village of Inkster to sort out final borders for these communities, Inkster was incorporated as a city in 1964.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Romig">Template:Cite book</ref>
In the 1920s and 1930s, African-Americans working in Henry Ford's Dearborn factories settled in Inkster, as it was closer to their work than Detroit, while they were not allowed to live in Dearborn itself.<ref>Binelli, p. 25. "The blacks working at the Rouge didn't necessarily want to commute all the way from Detroit but they weren't welcome in Dearborn, so they began settling in the regrettably named suburb of Inkster (which in fact commemorates an early Scottish settler, Robert Inkster)."</ref>
As a result of the police beating of Floyd Dent in January 2015, which was caught on a police vehicle's dash cam and released to the public, the victim was awarded $1.4 million. A special assessment of Inkster residents will pay for the settlement, on their July 1, 2015, property tax bill.<ref>myFOXDetroit.com staff [1] "Floyd Dent settlement to be paid by Inkster residents"</ref>
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
[edit]
2020 census
[edit]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 7,379 | 4,959 | 4,562 | 24.50% | 19.55% | 17.49% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 20,267 | 18,413 | 18,984 | 67.30% | 72.58% | 72.77% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 111 | 70 | 83 | 0.37% | 0.28% | 0.32% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,023 | 409 | 197 | 3.40% | 1.61% | 0.76% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 83 | 46 | 153 | 0.28% | 0.18% | 0.59% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 767 | 815 | 1,308 | 2.55% | 3.21% | 5.01% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 482 | 653 | 798 | 1.60% | 2.57% | 3.06% |
| Total | 30,115 | 23,369 | 26,088 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
[edit]As of the census<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 25,369 people, 9,821 households, and 6,175 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 11,647 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 73.2% African American, 20.5% White, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 9,821 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.7% were married couples living together, 30.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.24.
The median age in the city was 34.2 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
2000 census
[edit]At the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 30,115 people, 11,169 households and 7,460 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,013 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 67.51% African American, 28.7% White, 0.41% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 11,169 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 26.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26.
Age distribution was 29.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median household income was $35,950, and the median family income was $41,176. Males had a median income of $37,986 versus $26,567 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,711. About 15.2% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
[edit]The city had 63 police officers in 2010. In 2013 it had 25 police officers. Inkster Justice Center, which is to house the Inkster Police Department and the 22nd District Court, was scheduled to be opened in Spring 2014. Financed with bond funds, it had a cost of $7.7 million and had a shortfall of about $400,000 in the construction fund.<ref>"Inkster police, community suffer under money woes." Detroit Free Press. October 27, 2013. Retrieved on November 2, 2013.</ref>
Police brutality lawsuit settlements
[edit]In 2017, it was reported that a one-time property tax assessment of nearly $200 was levied on Inkster residents to cover settlements in police brutality cases. The largest individual settlement was to Floyd Dent for $1.4 million after the 57-year-old man was pulled over and badly beaten as evidenced by the police officer's dashboard camera.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
[edit]Portions of Inkster are within the Wayne-Westland Community Schools, Westwood Community Schools, Taylor School District, and the Romulus School District.<ref name=SchoolmapInksterMI2013>"Home (Archive) Inkster Public Schools. Retrieved on November 2, 2013. Also see: "NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES FOR INKSTER RESIDENTS" (Map). Wayne RESA. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref><ref>"School Attendance Boundaries." Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020. This reflects the school attendance boundary map after the dissolution of Inkster Public Schools. Note the additional territory in Inkster, Michigan.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web - Compare with the new school district boundaries for Inkster Residents.</ref>
Westwood operates Daly Elementary School and the Tomlinson Middle School in Inkster.<ref>Home. Daly Elementary School. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref><ref>Home. Tomlinson Middle School. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref> Robichaud High School in Dearborn Heights is the district high school.
Wayne-Westland operates David Hicks Elementary School in Inkster.<ref>"Welcome to Hicks Elementary School!" David Hicks Elementary School. Retrieved on April 20, 2014. "Hicks Elementary School 100 Helen Inkster, Michigan 48141"</ref> The portions of Inkster that are located in the Wayne-Westland district are zoned to Hicks.<ref>"Zoning Map" (Archive). City of Inkster. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref><ref>"Hicks Elementary School" (Archive) Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Updated June 25, 2014. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref> One portion of the Hicks zone is assigned to Marshall Upper Elementary School,<ref>"Marshall Upper Elementary School" (Archive). Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref> Stevenson Middle School in Westland,<ref>"Stevenson Middle School" (Archive) Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref> John Glenn High School, all in Westland.<ref>"johnglenn.pdf." (Archive) Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref> Another portion of the Hicks zone is assigned to Adams Upper Elementary School in Westland,<ref>"adams.pdf." (Archive) Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref> Franklin Middle School in Wayne,<ref>"franklin.pdf." (Archive) Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref> and Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne.<ref>"waynemem.pdf." (Archive) Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Retrieved on April 26, 2020.</ref>
Portions of Inkster that had been in the Taylor School District prior to the dissolution of the Inkster School District are assigned to Taylor Parks Elementary School,<ref>"Elementary School Boundary Map Template:Webarchive." Taylor School District. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref> Hoover Middle School,<ref>"Middle School Boundary Map Template:Webarchive." Taylor School District. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref> and Taylor High School in Taylor.<ref name=TaylorHSmerger>Template:Cite web</ref>
Romulus Senior High School is the Romulus district's secondary school.
Burger Baylor School for Students with Autism of the Garden City School District is located in Inkster,<ref>Home page (Archive). Burger Baylor School. Retrieved on April 10, 2015. "Burger Baylor School 28865 Carlysle Inkster, MI 48141"</ref> in the former Baylor-Woodson Elementary School.<ref>Home page (). Baylor-Woodson Elementary School. January 20, 2012. Retrieved on April 12, 2015. "28865 Carlysle, Inkster MI 48141"</ref>
Education history
[edit]
Previously most of Inkster was within the Inkster Public Schools district. As of summer 2013, the Inkster Public Schools District was entirely dissolved.<ref>"Dissolution of Inkster Public Schools." (Archive) Wayne County RESA Board of Education. Retrieved on November 2, 2013.</ref> The remaining students were split up among the Taylor, Romulus, Wayne-Westland and Westwood districts.<ref name=SchoolmapInksterMI2013/> Inkster High School, the high school of the Inkster district, closed in 2013.<ref>Cook, Everett. "At Gardner's alma mater, a school with no students." Michigan Daily. October 3, 2013. p. 1. Retrieved on November 2, 2013.</ref> Areas were given to the new districts by quadrants. Students north of Michigan Avenue and west of Middlebelt were rezoned to Wayne-Westland. Students north of Michigan Avenue and east of Middlebelt were rezoned to Westwood. Students south of Michigan Avenue and west of Middlebelt were rezoned to Romulus. Students south of Michigan and east of Middlebelt were rezoned to Taylor.<ref>Smith, Brian. "Inkster schools first to be dissolved; students split across 4 districts." Mlive. July 26, 2013. Retrieved on November 2, 2013.</ref>
Areas of Inkster in the Taylor district were zoned to Harry S. Truman High School,<ref>"High School Boundary Map Template:Webarchive." Taylor School District. Retrieved on April 20, 2014.</ref> until it merged into Taylor High in 2018.<ref name=TaylorHSmerger/>
Notable people
[edit]- Vern Buchanan, U.S. Representative of Florida, grew up in Inkster and graduated from Inkster High in 1969
- Geraldine Doyle, woman who might have served as model for iconic "We Can Do It!" poster
- Marcus Fizer, professional basketball player
- Wade Flemons, noted R&B singer, musician and songwriter, wrote "Stand By Me" sung by The Platters; member of Earth, Wind, and Fire, until 1973
- Earl Jones, middle-distance runner, bronze medalist in 1984 Olympics
- Jewell Jones, youngest person in Michigan to be elected councilman and then elected state representative<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- J'Leon Love, professional boxer
- Keshawn Martin, professional football player
- Jeralean Talley, the world's oldest living person until her death
- Tyrone Wheatley, professional football player, MVP of 1993 Rose Bowl for Michigan, born in Inkster
- The Marvelettes, R&B singing trio in Vocal Group Hall of Fame
References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]External links
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