Remembering when gm employed half of flint, michigan. Scientists now know exactly how lead got into flints. When the people of flint, michigan, turned on their faucets in april of 2014, the water. The modern history of flint, michigan isnt an easy one. Genesee county historical society, flint, michigan. The researcher should be aware that as the geographic area or topic becomes more specific, the number of published or online sources declines, which is why a visit to the genesee historical collection center on the 2nd floor of the frances willson thompson library to visit primary source documents is a great idea. Laid out beginning in 1830 and named for the river which the native americans called pawanunking, river of flint, the settlement progressed as a furtrading, lumbering, and agricultural. Flint, city, seat 1836 of genesee county, eastern michigan, u. See more ideas about flint michigan, michigan and michigan usa. Celebrating 150 years of preserving genesee county history. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. Buick factory history flint, michigan factory history. The novel, bud, not buddy, is set in flint and grand rapids, michigan, in 1936. Browse, borrow, and enjoy titles from the flint public library digital collection.
I just returned from the haunted flint book release party at totem books. This is an annotated list of michigan related childrens books found in the lucile clarke memorial childrens library, a component part of the clarke historical library. Flint, michigan is a city which previously relied on its auto industry, and still does to an extent. Besides the uncommon sense, he also contributed articles for your magazine, the flint journal and downtown flint revival magazine. One understandable but unfortunate dimension of the citys growth, as pointed out by robert beckley, in flint michigan and the cowboy economy. For 50 years, flint had purchased its water from detroit, its neighbor 70 miles to south. Miles case wrote, a branch of the michigan university at ann arbor is to be established in flint at some future day. In a 1837 letter to family back east, ann arbor resident sarah c. That day turned out to be september 23rd 1956, nearly 120 years after sarah penned the first recorded mention of a university of michigan flint campus.
You might enjoy my book about flint called teardown. The university of michigan flint is proud of its continued role in the city of flint s rich history and diverse culture. The flint water crisis begins on april 25, 2014 officials from flint, michigan switched the citys water supply to the flint river as a costcutting measure for the struggling city. October 26 an epa report finds fault with michigans oversight of flints drinking water system, placing the most blame with the michigan deq. In 1908, durant founded general motors, with headquarters in flint, but later moved to detroit in the mid1920s. Flint is the home of the watson family and is in the north, so most of the civil rights drama is avoided there. A full account of the flint, michigan, water scandal, an american tragedy, with new. Flint culture and history university of michiganflint. Located along the flint river, 66 miles 106 km northwest of detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as mid michigan. Laid out beginning in 1830 and named for the river which the native americans called pawanunking, river of flint, the settlement progressed as a furtrading, lumbering, and agricultural centre. The city was founded in 1819 by jacob smith, a fur trader, and was incorporated in 1855.
Michagan is one of the main settings in the book euclid avenue 1915 cp06289 looking east from e. Gary flinn is a product of the flint community schools and a graduate of mott community college and michigan state university who has lived in the flint area most of his life. In the spring of 2014, the city, as part of a costcutting plan devised under emergency management, switched its water source from lake huron to the notorious flint. Flint, michigan is located in genesee county along the flint river about 60 miles northwest of detroit. The books selected here deal with individuals who live or lived in michigan, stories that that relate to our state, or books set in michigan and the great lakes area. That photo was taken one year prior to the construction of the elementary school, but just after most of the houses were built near the school site. Once modern metropolis with highprofit automotive business and progressive citizens, the city was a prospering and vital part of the midwest. A 150year timeline of the flint water crisis pacific. Moore portrays the regional economic impact of general motors ceo roger smiths action of closing several auto plants in his hometown of flint, michigan, reducing gms employees in that area from 80,000 in 1978 to about 50,000 in 1992. Its population in 1998 was 1,000 people and it is the fourth largest city in michigan. Live in flint all of my life and didnt know a lot of the stories in this book. A timeline of the flint water crisis my original intent was to host programs highlighting the work organizations in our community are doing to protect the flint river watershed, says laurie bone, the museums senior curator of programs, mentioning the flint river watershed coalition, the genesee conservation district, and the michigan sea grant. The rise and fall of flint, michigan beginning in the 1800s.
For the last century, flint s history has been dominated by both the auto industry and car culture. For the last century, flints history has been dominated by both the auto industry. Gary is the author of remembering flint, michigan, published by the history press. City are not just important books, they are useful as history and as. Memoir of a vanishing city, a michigan notable book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd annual northern california book award for creative nonfiction. Heres how flint went from boom town to nations highest. It was an overflow crowd there and authors roxanne rhoads and joe schipani were glad i was there. Flint water crisis, public health crisis april 2014june 2016 involving the municipal water supply system of flint, michigan, which resulted in residents being exposed to dangerous levels of lead. Michigan activity pass check out passes to great places across the state with your fpl card. Filmmaker michael moore described teardown as a brilliant chronicle of the mad maxization of a oncegreat american. His earliest writings were for flint central high school publications the tribal times and the arrow head. Flint is the largest city and seat of genesee county, michigan, united states. According to the 2010 census, flint has a population of 102,434, making it the seventh largest city in michigan. The history of the flint schools would not be complete without mention of the st.
Early in 1935 in flint, michigan, the united auto workers staged the first successful sitdown, forcing general motors to come to terms. Over the past several decades, general motors plants in genesee county have experienced renamings, management shifts, openings, closures, reopenings, and spinoffs. This is flint, michigan, in all its pain and all its glory. The roots of flint s water crisis go back to when the city decided to switch water authorities. In general motors heyday, chevrolet and buick were there, of course, but flint where gm was founded in 1908 also had other lesserknown gm. On page 169 of the flint journals centennial book picture history of flint is a 1920 aerial photo of the civic park neighborhood. See more ideas about history, flint michigan and michigan. The following books are set in flint or relate to the city. Weird, almost abandoned dort mall flint mi, kmart south dort highway duration. Below are select resources with insights into both. In the year of 1856 a small, oneroom building was erected on the south side of the old st. The worker behind him with the old style engine is known only as randall. The root cause of the flint lead crisis was corrosion, the new study confirms.
The faygo book is the social history of a company that has forgeda bond with a city and its residents for more than a century. Although it was once a thriving industrial centre, the city of flint in souteastern michigan. Historian, gary flinn lectures at the flushing historical society from his latest book, a hidden history of flint, michigan. It originated in 1819 as a trading post opened by jacob smith. This is a guide to researching various topics of flint s history. After warning of elevated lead levels in her patients in flint, mich. Childrens fiction set in michigan central michigan.
The poisoned city recounts the gripping story of flints poisoned water through the. The global financial crisis in 2008 struck fling really hard people lost their jobs and crime rates rose. In a city that once boasted the highest median income in the state thanks to general motors, new u. The flint metropolitan area is located entirely within genesee county. Rick snyder declares a state of emergency in genesee county due to the lead in flint s drinking water. It lies along the flint river, 60 miles 100 km northwest of detroit. During the sitdown strike of 19361937, the united automobile workers succeeded over general motors. President obama declared a state of emergency less than two weeks later. Anna clarks book on the flint water crisis rises to a great challenge. Flint, mi almost half of the people in the city of flint are living in poverty. Group on goodreads for monthly reading challenges, discussion of the fiction only book club titles, to check out. Over time, the hubris of the big three, of gm, ford and chrysler evident in the declines in product quality, the inroads made by foreign auto manufacturers and the assaults targeted at unions nationwide brought down the u.
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