Grand Haven
| Grand Haven | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname : Coast Guard City USA | |||
 Image of Grand Haven harbor access |
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| Location in Michigan | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1867 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Michigan | ||
| County : | Ottawa County | ||
| Coordinates : | 43 ° 4 ′ N , 86 ° 14 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 10,412 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 694.1 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 19.2 km 2 (approx. 7 mi 2 ) of which 15 km 2 (approx. 6 mi 2 ) are land |
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| Height : | 202 m | ||
| Postal code : | 49417 | ||
| Area code : | +1 616 | ||
| FIPS : | 26-33340 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 0627084 | ||
| Website : | www.grandhaven.org | ||
| Mayor : | Roger Bergman | ||
 Lighthouse in Grand Haven |
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Grand Haven (dt. Large harbor ) is a town in Ottawa County in the US state of Michigan . In 2010 there were 10,412 residents here.
geography
According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 19.2 km² , of which 15 km² is land and 4.1 km² (= 21.62%) is water.
The city is separated from the towns of Ferrysburg and Spring Lake by the Grand River , which flows into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven . Together they are also known as tri-cities . South of the river, on the shores of Lake Michigan, is 0.2 km² Grand Haven State Park , which is known for its sandy beach and the pier with the two lighthouses.
history
The city was founded by French settlers and a fur trading outpost called Gabagouache , which was established by Madeline La Framboise and her husband. The trading post was later taken over by the fur trade tycoon and first millionaire of the United States, Johann Jacob Astor , and the American Fur Company , and became an economic hub for the region.
The city was first named "Grand Haven" in 1835 and in 1867 the village was incorporated as a city . The first permanent resident was the Presbyterian pastor William Montague Ferry (1796-1867), who founded the first church in the area and the neighboring town of Ferrysburg. In 1851, Ferry founded the city's first bank and later a school, the Ferry Elementary , which still exists today.
In the mid to late 19th century, Grand Haven developed into a lumberjack, sawmill and shipping area, as well as a center for shipbuilding. Later the economic focus shifted to the manufacture of auto parts, furniture, lighting and pianos.
The Grand Haven lighthouses were first built on the south pier in 1839 to mark the canal into the river. The current buildings date from 1875 (external light) and 1905 (internal light).
Demographics
The 11,168 residents of Grand Haven, found in the 2000 census , lived in 4,979 households; including 2,892 families. The population density was 742 per km ². 5,532 residential units were recorded in the village. Among the population were 96.4% White, 0.5% African American, 0.6% American Indian, 0.9% Asian, and 0.4% from other races; 1.4% said they belonged to several ethnic groups. Hispanics or Latinos made up 1.4% of the population.
Of the 4,979 households, 23.8% had children under the age of 18; 45.5% were married couples living together. 34.8% of the households were single households. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81 people.
The population was divided into 20.1% under 18 years of age, 9.2% from 18 to 24 years of age, 27.6% from 25 to 44 years of age, 23.4% from 45 to 64 years of age and 19.6% from 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years.
The median household income was $ 40,322 and the median family income was $ 50,000. The per capita income in Grand Haven was $ 22,274. 4.5% of the population lived below the poverty line.
Economy and Infrastructure
The main employers in the region are Shape Corporation (headquartered in Grand Haven) and furniture manufacturer Herman Miller Inc. in Spring Lake, each with around 1,600 employees. The former deals with the design, development and manufacture of automotive and industrial components. The local daily Grand Haven Tribune reaches almost 10,000 readers. The city also has its own radio station WGHN on the frequencies 92.1 MHz FM / 1370 MHz AM.
Grand Haven has offered wireless Internet access throughout the city since July 2004 , making it the first city in the United States.
traffic
The US Highway 31 runs through Grand Haven in north-south direction. On it you can reach Muskegon in the north and Holland in the south in 20 minutes . In Ferrysburg, Highway M-104 branches off to the east and takes 10 minutes to get to Interstate 96 . It takes another 30 minutes to reach the city of Grand Rapids .
Grand Haven is also home to the Grand Haven Memorial Airport regional airport .
In 1858 the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company completed the railway line from Detroit via Owosso, Ionia and Grand Rapids to Grand Haven. In 1903, the Grand Trunk Car Ferry Line began ferry service from Grand Haven across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee. The ferries carried passengers and freight trains. This connection was relocated to Muskegon in 1933 and discontinued in 1955.
The former station of the Grand Trunk Railway near the river is now a historical museum.
education
In Grand Haven, there are two high schools : the Central High School and the Grand Haven High School . The latter has been running a student exchange with the Thomas Mann Gymnasium in Munich since the 2006/07 school year .
Culture
The United States Coast Guard has had a location in Grand Haven since 1932. Today all activities in Lake Michigan are coordinated from there. The city also hosts an annual Coast Guard Festival , which attracts more than 300,000 visitors over two weeks. Grand Haven is the only city in the United States to have the official designation of "Coast Guard City, USA" by law passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton on November 13, 1998 .
In 1962 the Grand Haven Musical Fountain was built on the opposite bank of the Grand River. At that time it was the world's largest fountain of its kind, but is now surpassed by the fountain in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas . In the summer months he plays every evening.
The Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven opened in 1959 and is about local history and generally the earliest developments of West Michigan. It has around 30,000 visitors annually.
Individual evidence
- ^ Grand Haven City, Michigan , 2000 census datasheet at factfinder.census.gov .
- ↑ Top Employers
- ↑ First WiFi City - First City to Offer CityWide WiFi Coverage ( Memento of the original from June 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Michigan's Railroad History
- ^ Tri-Cities Historical Museum
