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Howell, Michigan

Coordinates: 42°36′35″N 83°55′58″W / 42.60972°N 83.93278°W / 42.60972; -83.93278
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Howell, Michigan
City
City of Howell
Facing east along Grand River Avenue (BL I-96)
Facing east along Grand River Avenue (BL I-96)
Location within Livingston County
Location within Livingston County
Howell is located in Michigan
Howell
Howell
Location within the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°36′35″N 83°55′58″W / 42.60972°N 83.93278°W / 42.60972; -83.93278
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyLivingston
Platted1835
Incorporated1863
Area
[1]
 • City5.19 sq mi (13.46 km2)
 • Land4.99 sq mi (12.93 km2)
 • Water0.20 sq mi (0.53 km2)
Elevation
935 ft (285 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City10,068
 • Density2,017.23/sq mi (778.80/km2)
 • Metro
4,296,250 (Metro Detroit)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
48843, 48844
Area code517
FIPS code26-39540[2]
GNIS feature ID0628717[3]
Websitewww.cityofhowell.org

Howell is the largest city and county seat of Livingston County, Michigan.[4] As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,068 and was 94% white. The city is mostly surrounded by Howell Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Howell is part of the South Lyon–Howell–Brighton urban area, which is an extension of the larger Detroit–Warren–Dearborn (Metro Detroit) metropolitan statistical area. As of 2022, the largest industries were manufacturing, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food services. Since the 1970s Howell has had a national reputation of being associated with the Ku Klux Klan.

History

[edit]

January 1836 saw the establishment of the first post office. Flavius J. B. Crane was postmaster and the post office was in the Eagle Tavern.[5] In March of this same year, there was a mail route started from the village of Kensington which went through with a stop located in Howell until ending west in the town of Grand Rapids. The pioneer manufacturing enterprise of Howell was a saw mill built in 1836, soon followed by a blacksmith shop.[6]

The City of Howell is the county seat of Livingston County. On 24 March 1836, the legislature passed an act organizing Livingston County and Howell was slated to become the county seat though the newly established Brighton nearby claimed for 12 years, that they should be the town seat instead which then died down once a County Office was built.

The town was originally called Livingston Center and was established as a village by an act of Legislature on 14 March 1863, consisting of sections 35 and 36, and the south half of sections 25 and 26 of Howell Township.[7]

20th century

[edit]

The Howell Home Rule City Charter was adopted in 1955.[8]

The Ku Klux Klan Klan first took hold in the area in the 1920s, and membership in Livingston County increased during the civil rights era.[9]

Since the 1970s Howell has had a national reputation of being associated with the Ku Klux Klan: White supremacist leader and Michigan Grand Dragon 1971-1979 Robert E. Miles held KKK gatherings on his farm 12 miles north of the city in Cohoctah Township with a Howell mailing address.[10] Miles died in 1992, but the gatherings, including the burning of crosses, continued.[9]

The Livingston Diversity Council, founded in response to a 1988 cross burning on the lawn of a black family,[11] has been promoting diversity and inclusion in the county.[12] While they are numerous in Metro Detroit, as of 2011, Howell was not listed as an active home to any hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[13]

On October 22, 1994, less than a dozen Ku Klux Klansmen from outside Howell held a rally on the steps of the historic Livingston County Courthouse. According to a reporter for the Livingston Post, the town may have been chosen because of its reputation for intolerance. The Rev. Ben Bohnsack, the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in nearby Brighton, Michigan at the time, described the approaching rally as an "assault on the values" of the community. The day of the rally, the courthouse was put under the protection of 174 police officers from every law enforcement agency in the county. An 8-foot-tall chain-link fence was erected around the courthouse, with two additional sections raised on Grand River Avenue to contain protesters and observers. The fence was dismantled after the rally and on the following day, citizens assembled with brooms, mops and buckets for a symbolic cleansing of the courthouse steps.[14]

21st century

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The KKK reputation persisted into the 2000s, with events such as a public auction of KKK items scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday in January 2005,[15] the 2010 suspension of a teacher who removed students for wearing a Confederate flag and making antigay slurs,[16] students' racist tweets toward a racially mixed team in 2014.[17]

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his Build Back Better agenda, Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at the Operating Engineers Training Facility in Howell, Michigan.

On October 5, 2021, President Joe Biden visited Howell for a speech to build support for his Build Back Better Plan.[18]

On July 21, 2024, about a dozen masked white supremacists marched through downtown Howell , chanting "Heil Hitler" and carrying signs with messages such as "White Lives Matter" and "End the War on White Children". They began their demonstration on the lawn of the Livingston County courthouse where in 1994 members of the community symbolically scrubbed the steps following a KKK rally.

Several miles east of Howell at the Latson Road/I-96 overpass in Genoa Township, Michigan pictures posted to a community Facebook group showed demonstrators hanging KKK and Nazi flags over the side of the overpass. One of the photos showed them with a Donald Trump flag, while the Livingston Post uploaded a video made by a passerby in which one of the protestors is heard saying, "We love Hitler. We love Trump."[19]

On July 28, 2024, one week after the white supremacist march, at an anti-white supremacist counterprotest in downtown Howell residents cleansed the sidewalk to symbolically wash away the racism.[20]

On August 20,2024, Donald Trump visited Howell for a campaign speech.[21] Joe Biden also visited Howell in October 2021. [22]

Geography

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 4.95 square miles (12.82 km2), of which 4.75 square miles (12.30 km2) is land and 0.20 square miles (0.52 km2) is water.[23]

Major highways

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850473—
186075459.4%
18802,071—
18902,38715.3%
19002,5185.5%
19102,338−7.1%
19202,95126.2%
19303,61522.5%
19403,7483.7%
19504,35316.1%
19604,86111.7%
19705,2247.5%
19806,97633.5%
19908,18417.3%
20009,23212.8%
20109,4892.8%
202010,0686.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[24]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census of 2000,[25] the city had 9,232 people, 3,857 households, and 2,247 families. The population density was 2,245.8 inhabitants per square mile (867.1/km2). The city's racial makeup was 96.0% White, 0.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 7.2% from other races, and 7.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.2% of the population.

The city's median household income was $43,958 and the median family income was $57,149. Males had a median income of $44,980 versus $27,956 for females. The city's per capita income was $22,254. About 4.6% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[26] of 2010, the city had 9,489 people, 4,028 households, and 2,237 families. The population density was 1,997.7 inhabitants per square mile (771.3/km2). There were 4,551 housing units at an average density of 958.1 per square mile (369.9/km2). The city's racial makeup was 94.8% White, 0.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 4,028 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.5% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 35.2 years. 23.2% of the city's population was under age 18; 10.1% was between the age 18 and 24; 29.8% was from age 25 to 44; 23.6% was from age 45 to 64; and 13.5% was age 65 or older. The city's gender makeup was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.[27]

2022

[edit]

As of 2022, 87 % of Howell s population were white, 1.7% African American, 0.7% Native America, 0.6% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.8% of the population.[28]

Government

[edit]

Since 2021, Robert Ellis has been Mayor.[29]

Economy

[edit]

As of 2022, the economy of Howell, MI employed 5410 people. The largest industries were manufacturing (969 people), health care & social assistance (786 people), and accommodation & food services (726 people); the highest paying industries were transportation & warehousing ($240,235), information ($100,398), and transportation & warehousing, & utilities ($79,417).[30]

Education

[edit]
Carnegie District Library

Elementary schools

  • Challenger Elementary School (champions)
  • Hutchings Elementary School (Huskies)
  • Northwest Elementary School (Eagles)
  • Southeast Elementary School (Super Stars) (closed 2017)
  • Southwest Elementary School (Coyotes)
  • St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School
  • Three Fires Elementary School (Timberwolves)
  • Voyager Elementary School (Vikings)

Middle schools

  • Highlander Way Middle School (Hawks)
  • Parker Middle School (Patriots)

High schools

  • Howell High School (grades 10-12) (Highlanders)
  • Howell High School Freshman Campus (grade 9) (Highlanders)
  • Kensington Woods High School (Bears)

Higher education institutions

Other schools

  • Innovation Academy (Ravens)

Libraries

  • The Carnegie District Library[31]

Climate

[edit]

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Howell has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[32]

Notable people

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ^ "A history of the township and village of Howell, Michigan,". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  6. ^ "The History of Howell". www.cityofhowell.org. 2022. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  7. ^ City of Howell: History of Howell, accessed 31 December 2020.
  8. ^ Howell City Charter index page, accessed 31 December 2020.
  9. ^ a b Walker, Sam (October 3, 1994). "Michigan Town Battles Image of Racism". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  10. ^ "A tale of two towns: Newest racial incident has Howell facing its past". MLive.com. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  11. ^ "Livingston Diversity Council". www.livingstondiversity.org. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  12. ^ "Livingston Diversity Council". www.livingstondiversity.org. Archived from the original on 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  13. ^ Brush, Mark (23 February 2011). "Report: 35 "Hate Groups" in Michigan". michiganradio.org. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  14. ^ Stuart, Maria (22 October 2019). "25 years ago: When Livingston County told the KKK where it could go". The Livingston Post.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  15. ^ Peters, Jeremy W. (2005-05-23). "Auctioning Memories in a Town Haunted by the Klan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  16. ^ "Michigan teacher suspended over anti-gay punishment - USATODAY.com". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  17. ^ "Shocking racist tweets follow high school basketball win by all-white team". MLive.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "President Joe Biden visits Howell". Livingston Daily Press & Argus. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  19. ^ King, Jon (22 July 2024). "'We love Hitler. We love Trump.': White supremacists march through Howell • Group hung Nazi and KKK banners on highway overpass". Michigan Advance. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024.
  20. ^ King, Jon (29 July 2024). "Residents symbolically cleanse Howell after white supremacist march • 'This isn't how it's going to work around here anymore'". Michigan Advance. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  21. ^ Powers, Sara (2024-08-21). "Trump visits Michigan, campaigning on law and order, often speaking out against VP Harris - CBS Detroit". Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  22. ^ https://www.livingstondaily.com/picture-gallery/news/2021/10/05/president-joe-biden-visits-howell/6007241001/
  23. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  24. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  25. ^ "Michigan: 2000 - Summary Population and Housing Characteristics" (PDF). census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  26. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  27. ^ "Howell (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Archived from the original on 2012-12-04.
  28. ^ "Howell, MI diversity". datausa.io. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  29. ^ "Mayor". www.cityofhowell.org. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  30. ^ "Howell, MI". datausa.io. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  31. ^ "Welcome - Howell Carnegie District Library". www.howelllibrary.org. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  32. ^ "Howell, Michigan Kppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  33. ^ Toast
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