Durant was brought in to manage Buick, which became the largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1908. Main articles: Flint, Michigan auto industry and History of General Motors For a brief period, all Chevrolets and Buicks were built in Flint.Įarly and mid-20th century: the auto industry takes shape Chevrolet's first (and for many years, main) manufacturing facility was also in Flint, although the Chevrolet headquarters were in Detroit. These were followed by several now-defunct automobile marques such as the Dort, Little, Flint, and Mason brands. Buick Motor Company, after a rudimentary start in Detroit, soon moved to Flint. As horse-drawn carriages gave way to the automobiles, Flint then naturally grew into a major player in the nascent auto industry. Revenue from lumber funded the establishment of a local carriage-making industry. In the latter half of the 19th century, Flint became a center of the Michigan lumber industry. census indicated that Genesee County had a population of 22,498 of Michigan's 750,000. As the ideal stopover on the overland route between Detroit and Saginaw, Flint grew into a small but prosperous village and incorporated in 1855. Smith apportioned many of his holdings to his children. government, and he was highly regarded on both sides. On several occasions, Smith negotiated land exchanges with the Ojibwe on behalf of the U.S. In 1819, Jacob Smith, a fur trader on cordial terms with both the local Ojibwe and the territorial government, founded a trading post at the Grand Traverse of the Flint River. 19th century: lumber and the beginnings of the automobile industry Some of the city currently resides atop ancient Ojibwe burial grounds. The Flint River had several convenient fords which became points of contention among rival tribes, as attested by the presence of nearby arrowheads and burial mounds. The region was home to several Ojibwe tribes at the start of the 19th century, with a particularly significant community established near present-day Montrose. 1.3 Late 20th century: deindustrialization and demographic changes.1.2 Early and mid-20th century: the auto industry takes shape.1.1 19th century: lumber and the beginnings of the automobile industry.However, a legacy of distrust in public authorities remains. The acute lead crisis has been addressed as the city has secured a new source of clean water, installed modern copper pipes to nearly every home, and distributed filters to all residents who want them. įrom 2014 to 2019, Flint faced a public health emergency due to lead contamination in parts of the local water supply as well as an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. The city was under a state of financial emergency from 2002 to 2004 and again from 2011 to 2015. In the mid-2000s, Flint became known for its comparatively high crime rates and has repeatedly been ranked among the most dangerous cities in the United States according to crime statistics. From 1960 to 2010, the population of the city nearly halved, from 196,940 to 102,434. The city experienced an economic downturn after GM significantly downsized its workforce in the area from a high of 80,000 in 1978 to under 8,000 by 2010. Since the late 1960s, Flint has faced several crises. Flint was also the home of a sit-down strike in 1936–37 that played a vital role in the formation of the United Auto Workers. General Motors (GM) was founded in Flint in 1908, and the city grew into an automobile manufacturing powerhouse for GM's Buick and Chevrolet divisions, especially after World War II up until the early 1980s recession. From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the city was a leading manufacturer of carriages and later automobiles, earning it the nickname "Vehicle City". The city was incorporated in 1855.įlint was founded as a village by fur trader Jacob Smith in 1819 and became a major lumbering area on the historic Saginaw Trail during the 19th century. It is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 406,892 in 2020. The Flint metropolitan area is located entirely within Genesee County. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 81,252, making it the twelfth largest city in Michigan.
Located along the Flint River, 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan.
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