Question about Highland Park/Hamtramck? (Detroit, Eastpointe: neighborhoods, taxi, tax)

[PGC301]

I was just curious about why Detroit never annexed Highland Park or Hamtramck? I understand the reasons for not doing it now, but was there a particular reason that in the past, when all 3 cities were better off than they are now, that this didn't happen?

Did Detroit want to annex them and HP and Hamtramck didn't want to? or vice versa? Just curious

[Dexterguy]

Originally Posted by PGC301

I was just curious about why Detroit never annexed Highland Park or Hamtramck? I understand the reasons for not doing it now, but was there a particular reason that in the past, when all 3 cities were better off than they are now, that this didn't happen?

Did Detroit want to annex them and HP and Hamtramck didn't want to? or vice versa? Just curious

From what I recall, Henry Ford didn't want Highland Park annexed to Detroit when he built the first assembly line there. I can't remember whether it was tax reasons or something of that nature, but Henry Ford benefited greatly by creating Highland Park as a seperate municipality.

Hamtramck wasn't annexed because it had already been incorporated as a suburb long before Detroit's borders reached that far.

Many don't realize it, but before the 1920's the City of Detroit's land area was very small. The actual City of Detroit was roughly made up of current day Corktown, Brush Park, Rivertown, Midtown, Mexicantown, parts of the eastside, and of course Downtown. Highland Park and Hamtramck were "outlying suburbs" in the early 20th Century.

Most of Detroit's neighborhoods which are not part of the "inner-city", are actually not very old, less than a century.

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by Dexterguy

From what I recall, Henry Ford didn't want Highland Park annexed to Detroit when he built the first assembly line there. I can't remember whether it was tax reasons or something of that nature, but Henry Ford benefited greatly by creating Highland Park as a separate municipality.

And what Henry Ford says, goes -- even now. Look at all the resistance to us getting public transportation. That was what Henry wanted (or rather didn't want) for the city over 100 years ago.

I don't know the specifics of either Hamtramck or Highland Park, but it seems to me that any of that land-annexing stuff makes the villagers get out their torches and pitchforks. Anyone but me remember the let's-put-a-highway-across-Poletown fracas?

[Remisc]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

Anyone but me remember the let's-put-a-highway-across-Poletown fracas?

Mhm. Instead of the highway, they got a factory plopped over the entire neighborhood.

[us66]

It's hard for one area to annex another area in this state. That's why all the townships haven't been swallowed up.

[BradinDetroit]

[quote=Dexterguy;15778761]

Hamtramck wasn't annexed because it had already been incorporated as a suburb long before Detroit's borders reached that far.

Hamtramck as a Township existed long before Highland park became a city, BUT the city of Hamtramck (or suburb as you mistakenly dubbed it) came about in 1920, Highland Park made the leap in 1918, Before Hamtramck!!

[Retroit]

"The city [of Detroit] tried to annex them in the 1920's but Ford Motor Company with its assembly plant in Highland Park and Dodge with its production facilities in Hamtramck feared the taxing powers of Detroit and preserved the independence of these enclaves."

(source: Detroit Divided by Farley, Danzinger, & Holzer. page 25

[Dexterguy]

[quote=BradinDetroit;15796142]

Originally Posted by Dexterguy

Hamtramck wasn't annexed because it had already been incorporated as a suburb long before Detroit's borders reached that far.

Hamtramck as a Township existed long before Highland park became a city, BUT the city of Hamtramck (or suburb as you mistakenly dubbed it) came about in 1920, Highland Park made the leap in 1918, Before Hamtramck!!

Actually, many people still refer to Highland Park and Hamtramck as suburbs. Personally, I think of them as Detroit neighborhoods more so than independent municipalities, but many of the people that live in the two cities are proud to be seperated from Detroit.

[Coldjensens]

Del Rey was once a seperate municipailty, but Detroit swollowed it up and now look at it. Back then I guess it was a benefit to be part of Detroit. I think that del Rey voted to be swollowed.

[Retroit]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Eastpointe was formerly named East Detroit because they were hoping to "get on the good side" of Detroit either in the hopes of being annexed to the city or to get/keep access to water service from Detroit.

(More research required.)