Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/210

DETROIT. and not as a distinctly municipal enterprise.

There are a number of conditions which favor Detroit as a commercial and industrial centre. Its position in the southeastern part of the Lower Michigan Peninsula gives it a natural command over the trade of that region, and, at the same time, places it within easy reach of the country to the south; while its location upon the narrow strait leading from Lake Erie to Lake Saint Clair, and thence to Lake Huron, brings it into relation with the immense lake traffic and with the Canadian trade, a number of the railroads of the Dominion naturally making their connection with those of the United States at this point.

Detroit ranks second among the northern border ports in the extent of its foreign trade, and is first in the amount of its exports. For the year ending June 30, 1901, the imports amounted to $2,867,000, and the exports $17,669,000. About three-fourths of the total trade is with Canada, and tlie larger part of the remainder with England. The principal exports are corn, wheat, oats, cotton, hogs, lard, hides, fur, beef, wool, lumber, etc. The number of vessels entering the port in the year above mentioned was 1660, with an aggregate tonnage of 266,700; the vessels clearing, 1615, with a total of 249,300 tons. The river is open to navigation about eight months in the year.

The manufactures are characterized rather by variety than by the predominance of any particular industry. Among the leading products are stoves, freight-cars, drugs, varnish, paint, and oils, some of the establishments that produce these articles ranking among the largest in the world. Detroit has also extensive dry docks and engine plants, and a very large seed house. At one time the city was a leading lumber market of the country, and the sawing and planing mill industry was extensive; all this has declined considerably, but there are a number of allied industries, such as the manufacture of furniture, carriages, and matches, which have attained importance. The preparation of furs for market is of less importance than formerly. The tendency of the iron and steel industry to localize near the supply of coal rather than of ore has delayed its development in Detroit, yet the product in 1900 was estimated at $3,198,000. The value of the foundry and machine-shop products ($8,943,000) exceeds that of any other industry. The manufacture of druggists' preparations has developed almost wholly since 1880, but now ranks second in the value of the product, $4,915,000. The slaughtering industry and the manufacture of malt liquors also are of recent development. Other important manufactures are those of chewing and smoking tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, and clothing. The capital invested in the various industries amounts to about $75,000,000, and the value of the product exceeds $100,000,000.

The government is vested in a Mayor and a unicameral Council, elected biennially. There are a number of administrative boards and commissions, most of which, with other important municipal officials, are appointed by the Common Council on nomination of the Executive. The Board of Health is appointed by the State Governor; and commissioners of public works, parks, and boulevards, and

police are now appointed by the Common Council, though after June 30, 1905, the Mayor will make these appointments. The city clerk, treasurer, justice of the peace, police justices, and members of the Board of Education, who serve for four years, are chosen by popular vote. There is also a Board of Estimates, constituted of two representatives from each ward and five members from the city at large, with certain ex-officio members, which acts upon the general city estimates and all other measures for raising money. The United States District Court for Eastern Michigan sits at Detroit, and the United States internal revenue office and the department in charge of the lake lighthouses, are located here. The net debt of the city on July 1, 1902, was $4,873,656.38, the per capita debt being the exceptionally low figure of $16.24. The legal borrowing limit is fixed at 2 per cent. of the assessed valuation. The actual income for the fiscal year 1902 was $5,822,819.44, of which $3,807,506.57 was raised through a property tax, the largest of the other items being special assessments, $646,658.88. The expense for maintenance and operation and construction was $4,811,996.99, the expenditure for schools ($801,000) constituting the largest item. The city owns and operates its light plant and water-works. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, the expenditures by the Public Lighting Commission aggregated about $180,000, of which $99,000 was for operation and the balance for extensions. The water-works system comprises some 600 miles of mains, with the pumping station situated at the extreme southeasterly point of the city limits. The supply is taken from the Detroit River. The plant, which is valued approximately at $7,000,000, has a daily capacity of 103,000,000 gallons.

Detroit is the fourth largest of the Great Lake cities, and ranks thirteenth among those of the United States. The following figures indicate its growth: in 1820, 1422; in 1860, 45,619; in 1880, 116,340; in 1890, 205,876; in 1900, 285,704. Of the last, 96,500 were foreign born, the German and Canadian elements being the largest. About two-thirds of the native born are classified as native white of foreign parents. The colored population numbers only 4100.

The site of Detroit was visited by a party of Frenchmen as early as 1610, and again by La Salle in 1670. but no permanent settlement was made until 1701, when Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac, the first Governor of the French territory in this vicinity, built here Fort Pontchartrain, and established a small trading village. On November 29, 1760, an English force, under Col. Robert Rogers, of ‘Rogers Rangers,’ look possession, and in 1763, from May 9 to October 12, the Indians under Pontiac besieged the garrison, making frequent attacks. After an heroic defense Detroit was saved, being the only frontier post west of Niagara and Fort Pitt which was not captured. In 1778, when a new fort, Fort Lernault, was built, the place had only about 300 inhabitants, all of whom lived in rude log cabins. Throughout the Revolution it was the headquarters of the English forces in the Northwest, and the point from which many Indian expeditions were sent to ravage the frontiers. In 1796 the English abandoned the fort