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Colonel Jean Francois Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after the British troops evacuated. The city was named after Jean Francois Hamtramck, the first American commander of Fort Shelby, a key fort in The War of 1812.

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Jean-François Hamtramck (sometimes called John Francis Hamtramck) (1756-1803) was a Canadian who served as an officer in the US Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. In the Revolution, he participated in the Invasion of Quebec, the Sullivan Expedition, and the Siege of Yorktown. In the history of United States expansion into the Northwest Territory, Hamtramck is connected to 18th century forts at modern Midwest cities such as Steubenville, Vincennes, Fort Wayne, and Detroit. The city of Hamtramck, Michigan is named for him.

Hamtramck was born in Montreal, Canada (then part of New France). He was the son of Charles David Hamtramck, a barber who had immigrated from Trier, Germany (born in Luxembourg), and Canadian Marie Anne Bertin. Hamtramck was baptized in the Catholic Church in August 1756. By the time the American Revolution came to Canada, he was fluent in French, English, German, and Latin.

When General Montgomery's forces invaded Canada, the 1st Canadian Regiment under James Livingston was formed. Hamtramck, age 19, joined on 15 September 1775 and was appointed as regimental commissary. He worked closely with Livingston to supply the new regiment, and was with them when Fort Chambly was captured.

As the regiment moved into Quebec, Hamtramck remained in Montreal to gather supplies, and was appointed by Montgomery to deputy commissary in the Continental Army. The United States was defeated and Montgomery killed at the Battle of Quebec, however. Hamtramck helped raise 26 new recruits and was appointed as their captain. However, Moses Hazen filled other units with his recruits and reduced Hamtramck to lieutenant, leading 10 French Canadians in a New Hampshire regiment under Colonel Timothy Bedel.

In this regiment, Hamtramck participated in the Battle of the Cedars. On 19 May 1776, Hamtramck was captured after Lieutenant Isaac Butterfield surrendered to British Captain George Forster. Iroquois warriors with Forster entered the barracks and killed three men, then stole the belongings of the rest. Captain Forster considered the French Canadians to be traitors and ordered them put in irons. Hamtramck protested that he be treated as an officer. Forster released Hamtramck from his shackles, but refused to return his clothing or release the enlisted men. After capturing more prisoners the next day, Forster had them held on the Island of Montreal. In early June, however, Forster was threatened by American forces under Benedict Arnold, and he marched his company and prisoners to Lake St. Lawrence. Finding no room for the prisoners on the boats there, Forster abandoned them on the shore. They soon broke free from their shackles, and Hamtramck led his unclothed men on a 4 day trek to Montreal, arriving on 8 June, as Arnold was evacuating. Hamtramck located Colonel Hazen, who dismissed the French Canadians to return to their homes.

Hamtramck was warned that he would be considered a traitor if captured, so he travelled to the United States with the defeated army. In July 1776, he travelled to Philadelphia to testify before a Congressional committee investigating the losses in Canada. Hamtramck submitted a four page letter describing his experience, in French, to Congress. On 10 August, Congress passed a resolution that both granted "John Hamptrenk" $350 for his services in Canada and recognized his rank as Captain.

Captain Hamtramck settled briefly with other French Canadian refugees in Esopus, New York. When the new 5th New York Regiment was created under Colonel Lewis DuBois, Hamtramck appealed for one of the open company commands. He also received the endorsements of Colonel Livingston and Colonel Peter Gansevoort, among others. On 17 March 1777, the New Nork Committee of Arrangements gave him command of 7th Company, 5th New York Regiment, dated from 21 November 1776. He reported to Fort Montgomery, where Colonel Hazen found him and charged "Lieut. John Hamtramck" of desertion in the Canadian campaign. Hamtramck demanded a court-martial. The charges were reviewed by General Horatio Gates, who found so many inconsistencies in Hazen's charges that he dismissed them and ordered Hamtramck to report to Colonel Dubois.

Hamtramck reported again to Fort Montgomery, then under the command of General George Clinton. The enlisted stationed at Fort Montgomery challenged him as a young, French speaking officer, but he quickly earned a reputation as a strict disciplinarian, which earned him the respect of General (soon Governor) Clinton. That October, he escaped from Fort Montgomery when it was overrun by the British, swinging a broken musket to clear his path. Half the regiment had been captured, however, leaving Hamtramck again without a unit. He found Colonel Dubois and travelled with other escapees to warn Governor Clinton. That November, following British General Burgoyne's surrender, Hamtramck worked to reorganize and supply 7th Company at New Windsor.

In March 1778, Hamtramck was called as a witness in the courts-martial investigations of Generals Putnam and Clinton. That Spring, the regiment was ordered to White Plains. Although Hamtramck remained with his company, he was too ill to report for duty until September. That Winter he distributed a portion of his company supplies to aid survivors of the Cherry Valley massacre.

In 1779, Hamtramck led his depleted company in the Sullivan Expedition. On 29 August, Hamtramck fought in the Battle of Newtown, charging with the 5th New York Regiment to relieve Colonel George Reid's 2nd New Hampshire Regiment. That Winter, Hamtramck encamped at Morristown with the rest of the Continental Army. In February 1780, he signed a petition with 65 New York officers, regarding the depreciation of currency. It asked that either their pay be increased, or their resignations accepted. Washington acknowledged their situation but refused to accept their resignations. By May, Hamtramck was the senior officer in the 5th New York Regiment, which had only 10 officers remaining. They petitioned Congress to keep the Regiment together.

In response to movements by Wilhelm von Knyphausen, the New York Brigade under General James Clinton marched North to defend the Hudson Valley. The 5th New York Regiment, part of the brigade, established their defense in the area surrounding Fonda, New York. In late June they regiments consolidated at West Point, where the 5th Regiment received a new commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett. At the end of July, the regiment moved to Peekskill, New York, where they were reorganized into a light infantry regiment in a new Division under command of General Lafayette. In this new role they marched the rest of the Summer throughout New York and New Jersey, always with bayonets fixed. In October, the regiment was sent to reinforce West Point again; by this time General Arnold's treason had been discovered.

The New York Brigade was consolidated into two regiments. Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt was given command of the 2nd New York Regiment and selected to keep Captain Hamtramck while excess officers were dismissed. In February 1781, a woodcutting party from Hamtramck's company was attacked by a scouting party under Joseph Brant outside Fort Schuyler, killing Private William Moffet and capturing the others.

That May, Fort Schuyler caught fire, destroying the barracks and most of the fort. Hamtramck was appointed to investigate the fire, No sign of arson was found, but the fort had to be abandoned, so the regiment regarrisoned at Fort Herkimer.

Storming of Redoubt #10

That July, Hamtramck's company was marched to Dobbs Ferry, New York and incorporated into a light infantry battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton. They were marched to the Siege of Yorktown, where Hamtramck's company was the first to occupy an American trench parallel to the British defenses. Under Major Nicholas Fish, Hamtramck led his company in Hamilton's assault on Redoubt 10. That November, Hamtramck's company returned North, escorting prisoners from Yorktown. They wintered at Pompton, New Jersey, unaware that for them, the war was effectively over.

In order to alleviate boredom that Winter, Hamtramck submitted a plan to capture a nearby British post on Bergen Neck. The plan made it all the way to General Washington, who wrote to Hamtramck, disapproving the plan but offering his compliments. Washington and his wife visited the encamped Soldiers that March. General von Steuben inspected the battalion in April and was delighted with their performance.

That Autumn 1782, Hamtramck's company was at full strength, and ordered to the Peekskills to establish a screen against possible British movements. They spent that Winter at New Windsor, New York. He completed his final muster and dismissed his company on 21 May 1783. Without a home in the United States, Hamtramck remained at New Windsor, and unsuccessfully petitioned to remain in the Army. Hamtramck served until 3 June 1783. He was brevet promoted to major at the time of his discharge. That same year, he was among the original members of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati.

Hamtramck petitioned Thomas Mifflin, then the president of Congress, for a position in the newly suggested " Peace Establishment," since he could not return to his home in Canada. His name was among the officers recommended by Washington for this force.

Uniform of the First American Regiment.

On 12 April 1785, with recommendations from three New York generals as well as George Washington, Hamtramck was again appointed as a Captain. This time he served in the First American Regiment, the only standing army remaining from the Continental Army of the American Revolution. In 1786, he was sent from Fort Pitt in command of 160 Soldiers to protect surveyors and remove illegal settlers at Mingo Bottom. That October, he was promoted to major. Hamtramck had Fort Steuben constructed here to aid in the dual mission, completing the fort in early 1787. He had each of the three companies under his command construct one blockhouse in a competition where the first to complete construction would be issued six gallons of whiskey, while the last to complete would dig the ditches. The fort later became the site of Steubenville, Ohio. During this period of initial fort building, Hamtramck wrote that the small army depended on "Providence which by the way, can be depended on more than the Contractor."

In 1787, Hamtramck travelled with the newly promoted General Josiah Harmar to Vincennes in the Illinois Country. The U.S. officers made a treaty with local Native American tribes. Harmar then continued west, leaving Major Hamtramck in command of 95 Soldiers at Fort Patrick Henry. Hamtramck constructed a new fort, which Harmar later wrote and directed to be named Fort Knox, after United States Secretary of War Henry Knox.

In 1788, Hamtramck requested leave to visit New York. Harmar denied his request. In August of that year, about 60 Kentucky militia led by Patrick Brown arrived in Vincennes, seeking revenge against Native Americans. Hamtramck ordered him to return to Kentucky, since peaceful tribes were "under the protection of the United States." Hamtramck reported to Harmar that he was powerless to stop Brown because he had "but nine men fit for duty."

The following year, a detachment of 36 men was attacked near the mouth of the Wabash River, killing 10 and wounding 8. A raiding party led by John Hardin killed a Shawnee party north of Vincennes that same year. The Kentucky raiders paraded their scalp trophies through Vincennes, where Hamtramck lamented that the "provocation" caused "the authority of the United States" to be "so much insulted." He feared that the "this Kentucky affair will end everything" and that Vincennes would pay for their raid.

Due to the lack of U.S. officials, Hamtramck became the de facto government representative in the Vincennes region. His bilingual skills made him effective both with U.S. settlers and the local French speaking residents, with whom Hamtramck was also popular due to his Catholic faith. Hamtramck remained as commander of the fort at Vincennes until 1791. He was successful in negotiating a suspension of hostilities between the Wabash nations and Vincennes. While serving at Vincennes, he met William Wells, an adopted member of the Miami, and informed his family in Kentucky of his residence. This led to a reunion between Wells and his brothers, although he chose to remain with the Miami.

In 1790, Hamtramck was sent a speech by Governor of the Northwest Territory, Arthur St. Clair, which proposed peace. Hamtramck sent copies in French and English to the Wabash nations first by Pierre Gamelin, then by his brother Antoine Gamelin. Blue Jacket responded that the British at Fort Detroit must be consulted, and several Native Americans expressed skepticism that the peace proposal was meant "to take away by degrees" the native lands. Hamtramck reported the rejection to General Harmar, concluding "a war seems inevitable." A delegation of Potawatomi and Miami arrived later in the year. Hamtramck informed them that the governor was no longer in the region to negotiate, and told them to return with all their prisoners if they were sincere.

In August 1790, Hamtramck married Marie Josèphe Edeline, a resident of Vincennes and widow of Nicolas Perrot. They had 3 daughters together. As a reward for his service in the American Revolutionary War, Hamtramck chose bounty lands on the Wabash and Illinois Rivers.

Major Hamtramck was ordered to move that Autumn against Indian villages on the Wabash, Vermilion, and Eel rivers to create a distraction from the main campaign led by General Josiah Harmar. The Hamtramck expedition consisted of his own garrison, with militia from the local French residents and Kentucky. The total force was about 300 men. On 10 October, they arrived at an empty village near the Vermilion River, but lacked the supplies to continue on to more villages with the full force. In addition, several members of both the militia and the Kentucky force had deserted, and Hamtramck knew they were being tracked by Native American warriors. Anticipating a "severe drubbing" if they continued, Hamtramck returned to Vincennes, losing horses to hostile forces along the way and arriving on 26 October 1790. Hamtramck thought his mission had been a failure, but he later learned later that a force of 600 warriors from the Wabash Confederacy- nearly double the size of his own force- had assembled to fight. Hamtramck considered the Wabash force evidence that his primary mission had been accomplished.

That December, General Von Steuben wrote to Alexander Hamilton, "I still fear for Hamtramck. This war is not over, it is only the Commencement of the Hostilities, so will we never learn to be wise that by force of stupidity?"

St. Clair's Defeat

LTC Hamtramck commanded the 1st Sub-legion at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, 20 August 1794.

The following year, Lieutenant Abner Prior relieved Hamtramck as commandant at Vincennes. Hamtramck was ordered to report to Fort Washington with his detachment. They arrived on 15 July 1791, and were sent to Ludlow's Station, 6 miles north of Fort Washington. Major Hamtramck was placed in command of the First American Regiment, with Major David Ziegler as his second in command. They served under General Arthur St. Clair, who was leading a new campaign along the same route Harmar had followed the previous year. Hamtramck selected the site and oversaw the construction of an advance post, named Fort Hamilton. While there, he received a letter from Lieutenant Prior, warning that a large body of Native Americans would oppose St. Clair's march northward.

St. Clair ordered Hamtramck and First American Regiment to the rear in order to protect supply trains and catch deserters. On 4 November 1791, they heard cannon fire in the distance, and Hamtramck led the regiment on a "brisk pace" to catch the main body. They encountered Kentucky militia fleeing from St. Clair's Defeat, who informed them that the entire army had been destroyed. Hamtramck ordered a detachment forward to find the main army, then sent the majority of his command to secure Fort Jefferson, which he presumed would be the next target. The forward detachment made contact with leading elements of St. Clair's retreat and escorted them back to Fort Jefferson, which by nightfall was too crowded for additional refugees. Hamtramck was later criticized by Lieutenant Colonel William Darke, whose son Joseph had died in the battle, for failing to come to the aid of the retreating army, and was relieved of command pending an inquiry and court-martial for the charge of "cowardice and shamefully retreating for fear of the enemy". Hamtramck was acquitted of charges in December, and he returned to Fort Knox.

Hamtramck returned to Vincennes where, in 1792, he negotiated peace with the native nations of the Illinois Country. They had strong ties to the French residents of the region and were therefore less inclined to support the British. That same year, a delegation from Miami and Wea, including William Wells, arrived in Vincennes to claim women and children who had been taken in James Wilkinson's 1791 raid on Battle of Kenapacomaqua.

In February 1793, Hamtramck was relieved at Fort Knox by Captain Thomas Pasteur, and was again ordered to Fort Washington. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of the 1st Sub-legion in the Legion of the United States, led by General Anthony Wayne to secure the Northwest Territory. Hamtramck was opposite James Wilkinson, now a Brigadier General and second-in-command of the Legion. As the Legion grew and organized, a list of promotions and appointments arrived from Henry Knox, which declined to fill a vacancy by BG Thomas Posey. Hamtramck was incensed, writing to Wayne to express his "mortification of seeing myself unnoticed" since "my Command is one wing of the Army, and the other Commanded by a Brigadier General." He requested a brevet promotion to match James Wilkinson in recognition of "eighteen years devoted to the Service of my Country, and that with irreproachable Conduct." Despite his threat to leave the army, Hamtramck was not promoted.

Hamtramck was placed in command of Fort Jefferson in 1793. That October, as Wayne marched the Legion north towards the fort, they heard musket fire. The Legion formed up and hurried to the fort, thinking it to be under attack. Instead, they found Hamtramck training his soldiers in a mock battle.

At the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, Hamtramck was given command of the combined Second and Fourth Sub-legions, on the Legion's left wing. The U.S. victory at Fallen Timbers created a schism in the Western Confederacy and led to the Treaty of Greenville, securing most of the modern state of Ohio for United States settlement.

Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Hamtramck was appointed as the first commandant of Fort Wayne, where he co-owned a large farm with his friend, William Wells. In 1796, he led the garrison to secure Fort Maumee. He was then transferred to Fort Lernoult (later renamed Fort Shelby) and the settlement of Detroit for the United States on 11 July 1796.

In 1798, Hamtramck was given command of the Northwestern military headquarters at Fort Lafayette. At the end of the same year, he was transferred to Fort Adams, Mississippi and given command of the Southwestern Military Department. On 1 April 1801, he was promoted to colonel and sent back to Detroit as part of a reorganization of the Army.

Hamtramck remained in command at Detroit, living in a house on land that is now Gabriel Richard Park near the present bridge to Belle Isle. His 1802 orders detailing 1st Infantry Regiment uniforms was still in effect at the onset of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Colonel Hamtramck died on 11 April 1803 and was buried at Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church. The officers under his command placed a stone to mark his grave, as a "grateful tribute to his merit and his worth." His body was moved in 1817 to the new Saint Anne's, then, in 1869, to Mount Elliott Cemetery. Hamtramck's remains were moved a final time in 1962 to Veterans Park in Hamtramck, Michigan.

Commissary, 1st Canadian Regiment - 15 September 1775

Lieutenant, 2nd Canadian Regiment - 1776 (Congress later recognized him as a Captain during this time)

Captain, 5th New York Regiment - 21 November 1776

Captain, 2nd New York Regiment - 1 January 1783

Discharged - 3 June 1783

Captain, US Infantry Regiment - 12 April 1785

Major, US Infantry Regiment - 20 October 1786

Major, 1st Infantry Regiment - 29 September 1789

Major, 2nd Sub-legion - 4 September 1792

Lieutenant Colonel Commandant, 1st Sub-legion - 18 February 1793

Lieutenant Colonel Commandant, 1st Infantry - 1 November 1796

Colonel, 1st Infantry - 1 April 1802 [109]

In 1827, one of the four townships in Wayne County, Michigan was named for him, a portion of which later became the city of Hamtramck.

Hamtramck's son, John Francis Hamtramck, attended the United States Military Academy under recommendation from William Henry Harrison. He also achieved the rank of Colonel and served in the Mexican-American War.

In the 1962, Col. Hamtramck's remains were moved to Hamtramck, Michigan, the city formed from the township named in his honor. His grave site is incorporated into the Veterans Memorial at the entrance to Veterans Memorial Park, which is the main city park in Hamtramck, Michigan. This monument and the Beth Olem Jewish cemetery are the only remaining grave sites in the City of Hamtramck. The grave site is a Michigan historical marker site. The grave marker text reads:

Colonel John Francis Hamtramck, Esq.

The First United States Regiment of Infantry and Commandant of Detroit and its dependencies.

He departed this life on the 11th of April 1803 aged 48 years, 7 months and 28 days.

True patriotism and zealous attachment to national liberty joined to a laudable ambition led him into military service at an early period of his life.

He was a soldier even before he was a man. He was an active participant in all the dangers, difficulties and honors of the revolutionary war, and his heroism and uniform good conduct procured him the attention and personal thanks of the immortal Washington.

The United States in him have lost a valuable officer and a good citizen, and society a useful and pleasant member.

To his family his loss is incalculable, and his friends never forget the memory of Hamtramck. This humble monument is placed over his remains by the officers who had the honor to serve under his command- A small but grateful tribute to his merit and his worth.

This inscription was restored by the Catholic Study Club of Detroit, Michigan May 30th 1928.

Bald, F. Clever (1948). "Colonel John Francis Hamtramck". Indiana Magazine of History. Indiana University Press. 44 (4): 335-354. JSTOR 27787713.

Calloway, Colin G. (2014). The Victory with No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-938799-1.

Calloway, Colin G. (2018). The Indian World of George Washington. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190652166. LCCN 2017028686.

Catlin, George B. (1930). "Colonel John Francis Hamtramck". Indiana Magazine of History. 26 (3): 237-252. JSTOR 27786450.

Cayton, Andrew R. L. (1996). Frontier Indiana. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-33048-2.

Griffin, Martin (1898). "Colonel John Francis Hamtramck. A Catholic Soldier of the Revolution". The American Catholic Historical Researches. 15 (2): 114-124. JSTOR 44377911.

Otten, William L. (1997). Colonel J.F. Hamtramck. His Life and Times. Volume One (1756-1783). Austin: Otten Publishing. ISBN 0-9657423-0-X. LCCN 97-91610.

Otten, William L. (2003). Colonel J.F. Hamtramck. His Life and Times. Volume Two (1783-1791). Austin: Otten Publishing. ISBN 0-9657423-1-8. LCCN 2003096466.

Poinsatte, Charles (1976). Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828. Allen County, Fort Wayne Historical Society.

Thornbrough, Gayle, ed. (1957). Outpost on the Wabash, 1787-1791. Indiana Historical Society.

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Jean-François Hamtramck (sometimes called John Francis Hamtramck) (1756-1803) was a Canadian who served as an officer in the US Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. In the Revolution, he participated in the Invasion of Quebec, the Sullivan Expedition, and the Siege of Yorktown.

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In 1798 the township of Hamtramck was established. French people from Quebec settled there.

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Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit, except a small common border with the city of Highland Park. Hamtramck lies about five miles from the center of Detroit. The I-75 Freeway roughly runs along this city's western border and I-94 runs near its southern border.

The community is known for its rich Polish Heritage and the home of the Paczki (pronounced poonch-key). The paczki is a Polish doughnut. Historically, Fat Tuesday was an opportunity for Polish Catholics to eat all the sugar, eggs, and lard in their house before Lent. Whether Catholic or not, however, Detroiters knew a good holiday when they tasted it and headed to Hamtramck - the city that has in the past made Fat Tuesday a week-long holiday. There is a good reason Detroiters head to Hamtramck: the city's many Polish bakeries don't stop at one or two varieties of the paczki. In addition to eating paczki, Detroiters can head to Hamtramck to simply celebrate them. The Paczki Run is a 5K run through Hamtramck on the Saturday before Paczki Day. The event is apparently aimed at helping people make room for those paczki.

The Polish Art Center is a local institution in Hamtramck. There, one can find many Polish art objects, books, foods, and art from other areas of Europe. The center's selection of Communist-era Polish theatrical and operatic posters is extremely unusual.

History & Demographics

In its earliest days, the area now known as Hamtramck was settled by the French who came largely from Quebec. In 1798, Wayne County was divided into four townships, Detroit, Mackinaw, Sergeant, and Hamtramck. Hamtramck, was named after a French Revolutionary War hero, Colonel Jean Francois Hamtramck (1756-1803). Hamtramck's old world hospitality has its roots in the early 1900's when it was a peaceful German-American farming community with a population of 500. The establishment of the Dodge Brothers automobile plant in 1914 attracted Polish laborers in large numbers and the village quickly flourished.

Between 1910 and 1920 Hamtramck continued to flourish, growing from 3,589 to 46,615: the greatest community growth for that period in the United States. The idea of organizing Hamtramck as a village first arose in 1901. It was finally incorporated as a city in 1922, when it decided to in to protect itself from becoming annexed by Detroit, which completely surrounds Hamtramck. Hamtramck has a strong a diverse economy, however, at one time the automotive industry played a critical role in the city. Chrysler introduced the Dodge (1955) model of its car series here in November 1954.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 7,063 households, and 4,615 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,728.7 inhabitants per square mile. There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 53.6% White, 19.3% African American 0.3% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

Related Links

Detailed Community Profile City Of Hamtramck Web Site Hamtramck Retail Study

Business Development Manager

Nasser M. Kaid
nkaid@waynecounty.com
313.224.4051
Nasser supports business retention and expansion in parts of Western Wayne County and Hamtramck.

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Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit, except a small common border with the city of Highland Park. Hamtramck lies about five miles from the center of Detroit. The I-75 Freeway roughly runs along this city's western border and I-94 runs near its southern border.

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In 1901 Hamtramck was designated a village and mainly consisted of German farmers. In the early 1900s, they had a population of 500 people.

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Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County surrounded almost entirely by the city of Detroit, with the exception of a small portion adjacent to the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park. Hamtramck is approximately two square miles and lies approximately five miles from the center of Detroit, with I-75…

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Saint Florian's Parish is the first Catholic Church in Hamtramck.

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St. Florian Historic District

Location

Roughly bounded by Joseph Campau Ave., Holbrook Ave., Dequindre, Norwalk, Lumpkin, and Yemans Sts., Hamtramck, Michigan

Coordinates

42°23′41″N 83°3′42″W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.39472°N 83.06167°W

Area

83 acres (34 ha)

Built

1908, 1926

Architect
Ralph Adams Cram

Architectural style

Late Gothic Revival, Bungalow/ Craftsman, Polish Cathedral style

NRHP reference No.
84001865[1]

Added to NRHP

September 13, 1984

St. Florian Church is a Roman Catholic Church at 2626 Poland Street in Hamtramck, Michigan. The church was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of the firm Cram and Ferguson.

St. Florian's parish consists of predominantly Polish members whose families were immigrants from Poland and settled in Hamtramck after Dodge opened an automobile factory in 1910. Clergy are of the Society of Christ.

The influx of Polish immigrants created a need for churches. The first Polish Catholic Church in Detroit was St. Albertus (1872), followed by St. Florian (1907) in Hamtramck and six others in surrounding Detroit: Sweetest Heart of Mary (1888); St. Casimir (1882); St. Francis of Assisi (1889); St. Josaphat (1889); St. Stanislaus (1890s); St. John Cantius (1902); St. Hedwig's (1903); and St. Hyacinth (1905).

Streetscape in front of St. Florian.

Cram, who is best known for popularizing Gothic architecture in the United States, was chosen to design the building. He created a magnificent modified English Gothic structure that won an award from American Architect magazine in 1929.

Cram used modern construction techniques that included building on a steel frame and using bricks on the exterior.

Construction on the present edifice began in January 1926 and the church was dedicated on October 21, 1928. Nearly 5,000 people turned out for the dedication of the building. The cornerstone is in both Latin and Polish.

In both its opulence and scale, it is a monumentally grand Polish Cathedral style building. The church's spire rises nearly 200 ft (61 m) above the street and was designed to stand in stark contrast to the smokestacks of Hamtramck's industrial environment. St. Florian is the tallest building in Hamtramck, and its silhouette is used in the city's logo. The church is taller than the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament which houses the seat of the Detroit archdiocese. It seats 1,200 and the altar was made in Italy.

The award-winning opulence of St. Florian's is a reminder of the "humble structure" that preceded it; the prosperity and generosity of parishioners made possible construction of "one of the most attractive churches in the metropolis." The front facade has a "broad Gothic Arch flanked by twin spires notable for the impression they give of lightness and delicateness." Exceptional brickwork is arrayed in a varied horizontal bands.

The interior consists of the nave of six bays topped by a rib vault. The vault is blue with vines painted at the groins. The main aisle is flanked by two smaller aisles. At the Clerestory level of each bay is a small rose window and on the sides are large stained glass windows. "The stained glass work is striking and fitting". and was manufactured by Kase Company in its New York studio. The structure is dominated by an ornate rose window above the organ loft. In each window flanking the nave, the design uses images depicting a familiar narrative story. One window includes the figure of Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who challenged the Catholic Church's traditional view that the earth is the center of the universe. The altar windows depict five Polish saints - Casimir, Florian, Hedwig, Hyacinth and Stanislaus. The nave windows illustrate the joyful and glorious mysteries of the rosary, and other vignettes from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The 1928 Austin electric Pipe organ Opus No. 1526 (3 manuals and 26 ranks) was renovated and rededicated April 13, 2008.

In December 2011, a committee of the Archdiocese of Detroit released its recommendations concerning maintenance and closing of various parishes. It made three contingent recommendations about St. Florian's:
1. By June, 2012, submission to the LDP Committee and Finance Council of a repayment plan for the $1,850,000.00 owed to the Archdiocese;
2. Commitment by the Society of Christ Religious Order commit to continuing to pastor St. Florian, then it would "become a cluster partner of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Sterling Heights. The parishes share the same order of priests, and same mission.";
3. Alternatively, if the Society of Christ Religious Order leaves the parish then (a) it could become 'mission church for the Polish immigrants in the city of Hamtramck'; (b) the parish would be sold to pay off the debt; or (c) if the parish is debt free, its fate would be subject to further discussion.

In 1969, the cardinal archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II, celebrated Mass at St. Florian.

The church also served as a backdrop for some scenes in the Theresa Connelly film Polish Wedding.

Detroit City councilman (and former Mayor) Kenneth Cockrel is a graduate of St. Florian High School, which is now closed.

Consistent with being named for St. Florian - the patron saint of firefighters who is credited with saving Kraków from fire - for more than a decade the church has hosted an annual firefighters' mass on the first Saturday in May. This event is held in conjunction with the St. Florian Strawberry festival.

In 2008, a Mass was celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King to a standing-room-only crowd, Cardinal Adam Maida was the lead celebrant. His English homily was followed by one in Polish by Fr. Tomasz Sielicki, S.Chr., Fr. Mirosław Frankowski's predecessor and now the order's general superior.

The historical marker, Registered Site L2189, was erected in 2007 at Florian Street between Brombach and Latham Streets, in Hamtramck, Wayne County, Michigan. The text indicates:

Saint Florian Church

Saint Florian Parish was founded in 1907 to serve the Detroit area's rapidly expanding Polish Catholic community. By the 1920s Saint Florian was the second largest Catholic parish in Detroit, and it required a larger church. The Reverend John Bonkowski hired Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram to design this building, inspired by the Gothic churches of the Middle Ages. The church's medieval style contrasted with the modern industrial community. Nowakowski and Sons of Hamtramck built the church, and the J.M. Kase & Company made the stained glass in its New York Studio. The working-class parishioners sacrificed to build the church. In 1929 American Architect magazine named it the best new church in America.

The obverse of the marker states:

Saint Florian Historic District

The Saint Florian Historic District is roughly bounded by Holbrook, Joseph Campau Ave., Yemans, and Dequindre Streets. Incorporated as a village in 1901, Hamtramck experienced rapid growth when Eastern European immigrants came to work at nearby Dodge, Ford and Packard automotive plants. The village's population boomed from 3,559 in 1910 to 48,615 in 1920. In the shadow of the magnificent Saint Florian Church, modest houses occupy thirty-foot-wide lots. Platted in 1909 as Whitney's subdivision, the densely developed neighborhood was built in anticipation of an influx of workers to the Dodge Main factory that opened less than one mile from here in 1910. The district reflects the tightly knit Polish community that first lived here.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1; ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

St. Florian 100th Anniversary Book

Tentler, Leslie Woodcock with foreword by Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka (1992). Seasons of Grace: A History of the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2106-2.

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St. Florian Church (Hamtramck, Michigan) - Wikipedia

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St. Florian Historic District Location Roughly bounded by Joseph Campau Ave., Holbrook Ave., Dequindre, Norwalk, Lumpkin, and Yemans Sts., Hamtramck, Michigan Coordinates 42°23′41″N 83°3′42″W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.39472°N 83.06167°W Area 83 acres (34 ha) Built 1908, 1926 Architect Ralph Adams Cram Architectural style Late Gothic Revival, Bungalow/ Craftsman, Polish Cathedral style NRHP reference No.

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Dodge Brothers Motor Company breaks ground for an automotive plant in Hamtramck.

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Between 1910 and 1920 the population grew from 3,589 to 46,615. This was the greatest community growth for that time period in the United States. Part of this is due to the Dodge Brothers automobile factory opening.

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Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit, except a small common border with the city of Highland Park. Hamtramck lies about five miles from the center of Detroit. The I-75 Freeway roughly runs along this city's western border and I-94 runs near its southern border.

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Large influx of Polish Immigrants coming to work in the Dodge plant.

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Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County surrounded almost entirely by the city of Detroit, with the exception of a small portion adjacent to the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park. Hamtramck is approximately two square miles and lies approximately five miles from the center of Detroit, with I-75…

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Dodge Brothers Automobile plant begins operations. The first vehicle made its debut on November 14th, 1914. 249 vehicles were built by the end of this year.

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The Dodge brand's storied history dates back nearly 110 years, and it all began in the small town of Niles, Michigan. John Dodge, the eldest of the Dodge brothers, was born in 1864, while his younger brother Horace was born four years later in 1868.

During their younger years, the idea of fast cars wasn't on the Dodge brothers' radar, but instead, in 1896, Horace was applying for patents for a dirt-resistant bicycle bearing. Just one year later, in 1897, production for the Evans & Dodge Bicycle Company began.

Already mechanically inclined, in 1901, the Dodge brothers started what would be the largest machine shop in Detroit through their budding bicycle business. A short time later, in 1902, the brothers pivoted to supplying engines, transmissions and axles to major customers like Oldsmobile and Northern. The following year, in 1903, a new partnership emerged with automobile industry newcomer Ford Motor Company.

In 1914, the brothers decided it was time to part ways with Ford and introduce their own car. The first Dodge vehicle, built on an all-steel body (the first of its kind), left the plant on Nov. 14, 1914, and by the end of the year, 249 Dodge vehicles were built.

By 1915, Dodge ranked third among America's best-selling automakers. Known for "dependability," Dodge also offered a "winter car" with a removable hardtop and snap-on side glass.

Over the next five years, the brothers produced commercial, civilian and military trucks, along with a 1,155mm (about 3.79 ft) gun recoil system for the Allied armies during WWI. In 1919, Dodge built its 400,000th vehicle, producing a yearly total of more than 100,000 units, all while introducing the brand's first four-door sedan.

In 1920, at the close of the global flu pandemic that caused more than 550,000 deaths in the U.S. and more than 20 million worldwide in just one year, tragedy struck home. Both John and Horace passed away from influenza. At that time, Dodge was the second best-selling car in America.

During the 1920s, the Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company opened its first Canadian plant, surpassed 200,000 vehicles made in a calendar year, produced its 1 millionth Dodge automobile and was acquired by the Chrysler Corporation.

By 1930, Dodge began production of its first eight-cylinder engine and offered its first factory car radio. The company surpassed 3 million vehicles built and introduced 25 th anniversary models with new fastback styling.

1930 Dodge 8-cylinder engine

Fun Fact: The first 8-cylinder engine by Dodge was produced in 1930 and discontinued in 1934. It was later reinstated in 1952.
Throughout the first half of the 1940s, the automobile industry pivoted to help manufacture items needed to help the war efforts. By 1945, Dodge was back to producing vehicles, making its 5 millionth automobile in 1946. The full-size Dodge Meadowbrook and Coronet were introduced in 1949.
Fun Fact: The Dodge brand turned its production to radar units, Sperry Gyro compasses and engines for B-29 military aircrafts to help with war efforts during WWII.
By 1950, Dodge had launched its first hardtop coupe, the Diplomat, and it was the first time a Dodge vehicle entered a NASCAR race. In 1952, the "Red Ram" HEMI ® engine was introduced, the first V8 in a Dodge. In the mid-1950s, the Dodge Firearrow Roadster and Dodge La Femme coupe were revealed. By 1958, the final first-generation HEMI engine was produced for Dodge.
Fun Fact: Specifically marketed to women, the pink-and-white Dodge La Femme coupe included makeup, an umbrella and a rain hat.
In 1960, the world saw the first Dodge Dart, a midsize model. In 1964, the brand celebrated its 50 th anniversary, the Dodge Charger concept debuted and the Coronet made another appearance.

The Dodge Challenger made its debut in 1970 and paced the Indianapolis 500-mile race. In 1976, the compact Aspen was introduced and advertised as "the family car of the future."
Fun Fact: Lee Petty was the first driver to earn a NASCAR victory for Dodge, winning a race in Palm Springs, Florida, in 1953.
In 1981, the Dodge Aries K-car was introduced and was a huge hit, bolstering Chrysler Corporation's sales for several years. The revolutionary Dodge Caravan minivan was introduced in 1984. The '80s ended strong for the Dodge brand with the introduction of the Dynasty in 1988, which became the company's best seller. In 1989, the brand celebrated its 75 th anniversary with the introduction of the Dodge Viper concept, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

1981 Dodge Aries-K advertisement

1989 Dodge Viper concept

Fun Fact: The Dodge Caravan minivan was nicknamed the "Magic Wagon."
In the 1990s, the Dodge lineup consisted of several familiar nameplates, including the Dodge Shadow, Daytona, Intrepid, Caravan and Grand Caravan. Rounding out the decade, Dodge introduced the Power Wagon and Charger concepts and celebrated 15 years of the minivan.

With the new millennium came the all-new Dodge Neon, Stratus Sedan and Stratus Coupe, as well as the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. A big year for the brand, 2003 came with the introduction of the Dodge Magnum, Kahuna and Avenger concept cars, as well as the Tomahawk, a Viper V10-engine-powered motorcycle. The Dodge Caliber concept was unveiled, and the Dodge Magnum was introduced in 2005. By 2006, a new version of the Charger was introduced, bringing back an iconic nameplate and HEMI engine power. In 2009, Dodge and Ram became two separate divisions in order to better focus on their own unique customers' needs.

As part of one of the largest product renaissances, Dodge introduced six all-new or completely redesigned vehicles from 2010 to 2011, including the all-new Durango, Charger, Challenger, Avenger, Grand Caravan and Journey.

On July 1, 2014, the Dodge brand celebrated its 100 th anniversary.

Historic Dodge vehicles lined up in the garage courtyard of Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Michigan, for the 100th Anniversary celebration.

Present day is no different than the first 100 years of industry-breaking innovations from the Dodge brothers and their decedents. Dodge continues to bring passion and horsepower to its lineup of vehicles, which can be found on the dragstrip and among one of the most enthusiastic customer bases in the industry.

The passion of brand followers is on full display at events like the annual MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, where thousands of muscle-car enthusiasts gather to talk shop, tour classic lineups and soak up all things that personify the brand's 100-plus-year history.

While you can still get a healthy dose of speed, burning rubber and HEMI engine power in vehicles like the jaw-dropping Dodge Challenger SRT ® Demon 170, with its 1,025 horsepower and blazing 0-60 time of 1.66 seconds, you also get innovation and future-facing technology.

The brand has worked tirelessly to give enthusiasts the power they desire, with customization options that truly make a one-of-a-kind Dodge vehicle, while working to redefine what future muscle cars look like, sound like and drive like with new concepts, like the battery-electric Dodge Charger Daytona SRT with its patent-pending Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust and the first-ever electrified performance vehicle from Dodge, the 2024 Hornet R/T performance hybrid.

The Brotherhood of Muscle that John and Horace Dodge started more than 100 years ago may have launched on two wheels, but it landed us where we are today, celebrating nearly 110 years of engineering innovation, perseverance and a loyal customer base dedicated to the Brotherhood.

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The Dodge brand's storied history dates back nearly 110 years, and it all began in the small town of Niles, Michigan. John Dodge, the eldest of the...

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Reincorporated as a city, mostly to stop Detroit's attempts at annexing Hamtramck.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 28,433, and was by far the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. It is notable as the only Muslim-majority city in the United States.

Known in the 20th century as a vibrant center of Polish-American life and culture, Hamtramck has attracted new immigrants in the 21st century, especially from Yemen, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2013, it reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the U.S. In 2015, Hamtramck became the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States, with four of the six council members being Muslim. In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim-Americans. In September 2023, the city drew scrutiny for its ban of the rainbow flag and perceived homophobia.

Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean-François Hamtramck, who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit. It was originally known as Hamtramck Township.

Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants moved into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles previously made up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, 14.5% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin whereas in 1970 it was 90% Polish.

Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and Southeastern Europe (especially Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city ( see more at Demographics below). The population was 43,355 in the 1950 Census and 18,372 in 1990.

Hamtramck was primarily farmland, although the Detroit Stove Works employed 1,300 workers to manufacture stoves. In 1901, part of the township incorporated as a village to gain more control over the settlement's affairs, and by 1922 the village was reincorporated as a city to fend off annexation attempts by the neighboring city of Detroit. By the mid-1920s, 78% of the residents of Hamtramck owned their own houses or were buying their houses. Around that time, the factory workers made up 85% of Hamtramck's heads of households. Of those factory workers, about 50% were categorized as not skilled workers. In 1910, the newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created jobs for thousands of workers and led to additional millions of dollars in the city. Dodge Main quickly expanded and became important to Hamtramck. Before the construction of Dodge Main, Hamtramck was a largely rural town. The establishment of the Dodge Main assembly plant led to a large influx of Polish immigrants who pushed out the incumbent German politicians. It was after this that Hamtramck was considered a Polish-American town.

By the end of the 20th century and the closing of Dodge Main, followed closely by General Motors razing of key parts of the Polish neighborhoods, the ethnicity of the region quickly shifted from traditionally Polish descendants to new Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali immigrants. By the elections of 2015, the city is suggested to have been the first to elect a Muslim-majority council in the country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.09 square miles (5.41 km ²), all land.

Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except for its small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn also mostly surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border, and I-94 runs near its southern border.

According to Keith Maheney of the Detroit Free Press, the urban layout assists recent immigrants who do not yet have the credentials to drive an automobile, as Hamtramck is "uniquely walkable" and a "tight size".

Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Poles, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse in subsequent years but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A 2018 survey found that 16 native languages were spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. A motto often associated with the city is "A League of Nations". Neal Rubin of The Detroit News wrote in 2010 that despite the demographic changes, "In a lot of ways, Hamtramck still feels like a Polish enclave."

In 1987, Detroit television station WDIV ran one episode of a local sit-com called Hamtramck which featured former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema and a cameo by manager Sparky Anderson. It was met with poor reviews and protests by many Polish Americans, and was canceled before airing a second episode.[citation needed ]

After six decades of double-digit percentage declines in population between 1930 and 1990, Hamtramck finally started to grow in recent years, with population blossoming almost 55% by the 2020 census, surpassing 28,000 residents. These large population gains were despite a small decrease in households in the past 40 years.

The 8,000-square-foot (740 m ²) Hamtramck Historical Museum and the Polish Art Center are next door to one another.

In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid-back blue-collar neighborhoods. In May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.

In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004, allowing for the prayer calls to be made.

Polish immigrants and residents of Hamtramck and southeastern Michigan celebrate Tłusty Wtorek (Fat Tuesday), known locally as Pączki Day, by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment and free pączki.

Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.

In response to a decision by the city council to ban pride flags on city flagpoles, multiple LGBT activist groups organized into a coalition. The founding group comprised of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA. The launch triggered further acts of civil disobedience including a raising of the Progressive Pride flag by Russ Gordon

Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck

Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.

General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produced the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac CT6, the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick Lacrosse; it was closed in March 2019, and retooled as Factory ZERO to build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 9630 Joseph Campau Ave. It was formerly at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is "to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans."

For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. has manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.

Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.

In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested that the State of Michigan allow it to declare bankruptcy. The request was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.

Hamtramck is home to Detroit City FC (DCFC), a professional American soccer club that plays in United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays their home matches at Keyworth Stadium, which is owned by Hamtramck Public Schools. The club is managed by Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson.

As of the census of 2020, there were 28,433 people residing in the city. The population density was 13,539.52 inhabitants per square mile (5,227.6/km ²). There were 8,139 occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White (people of European, Middle Eastern and North African descent), 10.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 1.1% of the population.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 8,897 households, and 5,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,753.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,924.3/km ²). There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile (1,605.9/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.5% White, 19.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 7,063 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.98.

The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7/km ²), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% White (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:

3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.

There were 8,033 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

From the 1990 census to the 2000 census, the city's population increased by 25%. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that this was "overwhelmingly" due to immigration from majority Muslim countries.

From 1990 to 2000, of all of the municipalities in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Hamtramck had the highest percentage growth in the Asian population. It had 222 Asians according to the 1990 U.S. Census and 2,382 according to the 2000 U.S. Census, an increase of 973%.

Historically, Hamtramck received a lot of immigration from Eastern Europe. In the 20th century, Hamtramck was mostly Polish. George Tysh of the Metro Times stated that "In the early days of the auto industry, Hamtramck's population swelled with Poles, so much so that you were more likely to hear Polish spoken on Joseph Campau than any other tongue." Later waves of immigration brought Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians, Ukrainians, and Yemenis. By 2001 many Bangladeshis, Bosnians, and Iraqi Chaldeans were moving to Hamtramck. As of 2011 almost one in five Hamtramck residents was Asian (excluding those from South-west Asia). As of 2003, over 30 languages are spoken in Hamtramck and more than four religions are present. The four principal religions are, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In June 2013, the city's Human Relations Commission facilitated the raising of flags of 18 countries from which Hamtramck residents emigrated. They are displayed on Joseph Campau Street, with an American flag flying at either end.

In the 1930s, the first group of Bengalis came to Detroit and Hamtramck. The first significant population of Bengalis began arriving in the late 1980s and the Bengalis became a large part of the city's population in the 1990s. The largest growth occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2001 many Bangladeshi Americans had moved from New York City, particularly Astoria, Queens, to Hamtramck and the east side of Detroit. Many moved because of lower costs of living, larger amounts of space, work available in small factories, and the large Muslim community in Metro Detroit. Many Bangladeshi Americans moved into Queens, and then onwards to Metro Detroit.

In 2002, over 80% of the Bangladeshi population within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties lived in Hamtramck and some surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit. That area overall had almost 1,500 ethnic Bangladeshis. Almost 75% of Bangladeshi Michiganders live in Hamtramck.

By 2002, a Bengali business district formed along Conant Avenue and some residents called it "Little Bengal". The district, along Caniff and Conant streets, included markets, stores, mosques, and bakeries owned by Bangladeshis, Indians, and Pakistanis. By 2008 the Bengali business district, between Davison and Harold Street, and partially within the city limits of Detroit, received the honorary title "Bangladesh Avenue" and was to be dedicated as such on November 8, 2008. Akikul H. Shamin, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, estimated that Bangladeshi people operate 80% of the buildings and businesses in the portion of Conant Avenue. As of February 2008 the city planned to erect signage reading "Bangladesh Town" in the business district.

In 2002, the estimate of Hamtramck inhabitants of origins from South Asia was from 7,000 to 10,000. As of 2001, 900 registered students who spoke Bengali and Urdu attended Hamtramck Public Schools.

As of 2006, most of the Middle Eastern population in Hamtramck is Yemeni. Hakim Almasmari wrote in 2006 that "Several streets seem to be populated exclusively by Yemeni Americans, and Yemeni culture pervades the city's social, business, and political life." Many Yemeni restaurants are in Hamtramck, and the Yemeni community operates the Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque ( Arabic: مسجد معاذ بن جبل), which was established in 1976. In 2005 the mosque, located just outside the southeastern border of Hamtramck, was the largest mosque out of the ten within a three-mile radius. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck."

According to Almasmari, some of the first Yemenis to have arrived in Hamtramck said that Yemeni people first arrived in Hamtramck in the 1960s. The "Building Islam in Detroit: Foundations/Forms/Futures" project of the University of Michigan stated that Yemenis began arriving in the 1970s.

In 2013 Dasic Fernandez, a Chilean artist, created a 90-foot (27 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) mural on the Sheeba restaurant celebrating the Yemeni population. The mural depicts a girl in a veil decorated with the blue sky, a farmer wearing a turban, and a woman in a hijab. The Arab American and Chaldean Council and the coalition OneHamtramck commissioned the mural.

In the 2000s, a Bengali mosque named the Al-Islah Jamee Masjid wanted permission to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, from loudspeakers outside of the mosque, and requested permission to do so from the city government. It was one of the newer mosques in Hamtramck. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the request "brought to a head simmering Islamophobic sentiments" in Hamtramck. Muslims and interfaith activists supported the mosque. Some anti-Muslim activists, including some from other states including Kentucky and Ohio, participated in the controversy. Howell added that the controversy, through an "international media storm", gave "a cathartic test of the "freedoms" we were said to be "fighting for" in Afghanistan and Iraq" to the remainder of the United States. In 2004, the city council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan on public streets, making it one of a few U.S. cities to do so. Some individuals had strongly objected to the allowing of the adhan,; some continue to object.

Of course, many residents of Hamtramck argue that the opposition to the call to prayer, 5 times/day, 365 days/year, starting as early as 5:40 am on many days, has nothing to do with "Islamophobia", but rather being disturbed by the loud noise so early in the morning. Most residents argue they want Muslims to be able to practice their religion, but not at the expense of non-Muslim residents peace of mind. For example, one town resident, who just had an operation related to their cancer diagnosis, was unable to get enough sleep because of the loud call to prayer every morning. A Protestant minister claimed the Muslim call to prayer, so early in the morning, prevented his ability to write sermons for his churchs' services. Another resident claimed it made dogs bark and babies wake up and cry, in the early morning hours. A resident named Jeanette Powell said she's not complaining as a way to "bash anyone's religion." She said the call to prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume "overbearing." "Just turn it down a little bit", she said.

On June 13, 2023, the city council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and "nations' flags that represent the international character of [the] City," which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents. Following three hours of public comment, the council passed the resolution unanimously. Current mayor Amer Ghalib opposed displaying the pride flag, but former mayor Karen Majewski had supported displaying it. The council also voted to remove two commissioners of the Hamtramck Human Rights Commissioner for flying the rainbow flag.The move was criticized by senator Stephanie Chang, U.S. representatives Shri Thanedar and Rashida Tlaib, and Detroit mayor Mike Duggan.

In response to a decision by the city council, multiple activist groups organized into a coalition opposing the flag restrictions. The founding group consisted of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA.

Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.

In November 2015, Hamtramck became the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council. In 2022, it became the first American city to have an all-Muslim government. It also now has an all male elected government which has been said to "not reflect the city's makeup." The Wayne County Jail Division operates the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. The city levies a city income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Hamtramck Public Schools headquarters

Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools. Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, Bridge Academy (of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) company), Caniff Liberty Academy and Oakland International Academy are all charter schools, in Hamtramck. Frontier International Academy, a charter school operated by GEE, is in nearby Detroit.

Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the buildings once used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School. The other Catholic primary schools included Our Lady Queen of Apostles and St. Ladislaus Elementary School. The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building as St. Florian.

The parishes that established St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, and St. Ladislaus had been built after 1909. In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in the city. That year, St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles had 1,316 students. JoEllen McNergney Vinyard, author of For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925, wrote that the classrooms were "more crowded than most any Polish parish school in Detroit." In the Catholic schools in Hamtramck there were often 70 students per classroom compared to 45 students per classroom in Hamtramck public schools. It was common for children to attend religious schools selectively during certain periods so they could absorb religious ideals, but go to public school for preschool and later stages. In the 1920s Hamtramck had no Catholic high school and the majority of parents sent their children to public high school. Felician Academy and St. Josephat's Polish Catholic High School, two schools in Detroit, were located several blocks away from the Hamtramck border. Some parents sent their children to those schools.

In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point, St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.

Hamtramck High School

In the 1920s Hamtramck families often sent their children to public school for Kindergarten due to convenience, then moved their children to parochial schools for the years with the most important religious instruction. Therefore, the age group 7 to 12 had the largest Catholic school enrollment. After the critical period ended, many students returned to public school. In 1925 the public schools had 1,467 students aged 14-15 while the non-public schools had 217 students aged 14 and 15. In the early 1920s the annual growth rate of Hamtramck Public Schools buildings was 27% while non-public schools had an annual growth rate of 6% in that period.

Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956, and dedicated on July 1, 1956.

St. Florian Church

1796: Colonel Jean François Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated.

1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.[13]

1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.[13]

1908: Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck.[110]

1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.[111]

1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.[13]

1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built.[110] It has a 1928 Austin Organ Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks,[112] which was newly refurbished in 2008.[113]

1959: Won the Little League World Series of Baseball.[114] Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and was the first Michigan team to win the title;[114] the next time a team from Michigan won the title was Taylor in 2021.[115][116]

1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year-long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.[117]

2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.[118]

2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter[119]

2007: Hamtramck emerges from emergency financial management.

2010: Hamtramck asked the state of Michigan permission to file for bankruptcy protection.

2013: Hamtramck becomes the first Muslim-majority American city.[7][8]

2014: Hamtramck reenters emergency management.[120]

2015: Hamtramck becomes the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council.[7][8]

2018: The city is released from emergency management for the second time.[121]

2022: Hamtramck becomes the first American city with an all-Muslim government.[92]

2023: Hamtramck City Council approves animal sacrifices for religious purposes.[122]

Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, Wimbledon, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies.[124]

Albert M. Bielawski, Michigan State Representative, lived in Hamtramck.

Mike Blyzka, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Danny Brown, rapper

Matt Feazell, cartoonist.

Bob Franke, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck.

Steve Gromek, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennis player and coach[126] inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.[127][128][129]

Truth Martini, pro wrestling manager for Ring of Honor.

Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), son of Elijah Muhammad, leader of American Society of Muslims, born in Hamtramck.[131]

Bill Nahorodny, Major League Baseball catcher.

Lucien Nedzi, Former US Representative

Tom Paciorek, Major League Baseball player, member of the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship; Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Wally Palmar (born Volodymyr Palamarchuk on April 27, 1954, in Hamtramck), singer for The Romantics.

Mitch Ryder, singer, The Detroit Wheels, born in Hamtramck.[132]

Kat Timpf, comedian, columnist, Fox News personality

Rudy Tomjanovich, professional basketball player and coach of Croatian descent for the Houston Rockets, born in Hamtramck;[134] member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Roger Zatkoff (1931-2021), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.[136]

Bob Zurke (1912-1944), pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader

Raymond Zussman (1917-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Toi Derricotte, (born 1941), poet.

1. ^ "Hamtramck". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

2. Seidner, Stanley S. (1976). ^ In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community. New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.

3. ^ "Public Transportation in Michigan: An Economic Development Tool Whose Time Has Come (legislative committee report)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-28.

4. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

5. ^ Tysh, George. "Little Bengal." (Archive) Metro Times. June 5, 2002. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

6. Steele, Micki. "^ Asian-Americans settle in Metro Detroit enclaves Archived 2016-01-02 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News (EN). 2011-04-19. "Almost one in five residents of Troy is Asian. The same is true for Hamtramck."

7. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "^ Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 13. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

8. Piligian, Ellen. "^ Hamtramck's Global Vibe: Bangladesh Avenue." (Archive) Model D Media. October 28, 2008. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

9. DeVito, Lee. "^ WDET explores Hamtramck's Bangladeshi clothing shops" (Archive). Metro Times. May 19, 2014. Retrieved on October 5, 2014.

10. ^ Almasmari, Hakim. "Hamtramck, Michigan: A Yemeni oasis" (Archive). Yemen Observer. November 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 9, 2013.

11. "Masjid Mu'ath Bin Jabal" (Archive). University of Michigan. Retrieved on December 10, 2015.

12. Abdel-Razzaq, Lauren. "^ New mural helps Yemeni immigrants see themselves in Hamtramck Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News. Also at Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine The Republic. December 16, 2013. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.

13. "^ Jail Division Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

14. "^ GEE Academies Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Global Educational Excellence. Retrieved on September 1, 2015. "13200 Conant Street Detroit, MI 48212" and "Frontier is located in the heart of Hamtramck, one of the most diverse cities in the Detroit metropolitan area."

15. "Dickinson West Elementary School." Hamtramck Public Schools. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "2650 Caniff Hamtramck, MI 48212"

16. "^ Welcome to the Hamtramck Public Library." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

17. "^ About Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

18. Kulfan, Ted (August 10, 2010). "'Pinky' Deras: The greatest Little Leaguer there ever was". The Detroit News. Hamtramck, Michigan.

19. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame biography". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.

20. "Hamtramck Hollywood Connection". 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.

21. Rochelle, Larry (2007) ^ Ten Mile Creek (BookSurge Publishing) ISBN 1-4196-6665-7; ISBN 978-1-4196-6665-0, 190 pages, a novel about Toledo, tennis and Hamtramck.

22. "^ Indians Scalp Red Sox As Yankees, Dodgers Falter." Toledo Blade. September 19, 1951. Page 30. Google News 30 of 54. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.

Ashlee, Laura Rose, ed. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030663.

Howell, Sally (June 30, 2010). Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253004543.

Kowalski, Greg (2003). Hamtramck: Soul of a City. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523200.

Vinyard, JoEllen McNergney (January 1, 1998). For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067075.

Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open Library.

Kowalski, Greg. Hamtramck: The World War II Years. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0738551414, ISBN 9780738551418.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1 ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.

Hamtramck Consent Decree (Archive) - United States Department of Justice

Davey, Monica. "Michigan Town Is Left Pleading for Bankruptcy." The New York Times. December 27, 2010.

"Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?" (Archive) CBS Detroit July 19, 2013.

Walker, Marlon A. "Possible fraud cited in Hamtramck primary, information sent to prosecutor's office." Detroit Free Press. September 9, 2013.

Charles Sercombe: "Councilmember's open letter on city manager." The Hamtramck Review, December 30, 2015

Larsen, Deborah J. (May/June 2021). "Michigan's Banglatown". Michigan History. 105 (3). Lansing, Mich.: Historical Society of Michigan.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides.

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The Hamtramck Municipal Hospital which was housed in a Georgian Revival building opened. The mayor of Hamtramck asked the Sisters of Saint Francis to operate the hospital.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 28,433, and was by far the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. It is notable as the only Muslim-majority city in the United States.

Known in the 20th century as a vibrant center of Polish-American life and culture, Hamtramck has attracted new immigrants in the 21st century, especially from Yemen, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2013, it reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the U.S. In 2015, Hamtramck became the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States, with four of the six council members being Muslim. In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim-Americans. In September 2023, the city drew scrutiny for its ban of the rainbow flag and perceived homophobia.

Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean-François Hamtramck, who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit. It was originally known as Hamtramck Township.

Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants moved into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles previously made up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, 14.5% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin whereas in 1970 it was 90% Polish.

Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and Southeastern Europe (especially Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city ( see more at Demographics below). The population was 43,355 in the 1950 Census and 18,372 in 1990.

Hamtramck was primarily farmland, although the Detroit Stove Works employed 1,300 workers to manufacture stoves. In 1901, part of the township incorporated as a village to gain more control over the settlement's affairs, and by 1922 the village was reincorporated as a city to fend off annexation attempts by the neighboring city of Detroit. By the mid-1920s, 78% of the residents of Hamtramck owned their own houses or were buying their houses. Around that time, the factory workers made up 85% of Hamtramck's heads of households. Of those factory workers, about 50% were categorized as not skilled workers. In 1910, the newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created jobs for thousands of workers and led to additional millions of dollars in the city. Dodge Main quickly expanded and became important to Hamtramck. Before the construction of Dodge Main, Hamtramck was a largely rural town. The establishment of the Dodge Main assembly plant led to a large influx of Polish immigrants who pushed out the incumbent German politicians. It was after this that Hamtramck was considered a Polish-American town.

By the end of the 20th century and the closing of Dodge Main, followed closely by General Motors razing of key parts of the Polish neighborhoods, the ethnicity of the region quickly shifted from traditionally Polish descendants to new Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali immigrants. By the elections of 2015, the city is suggested to have been the first to elect a Muslim-majority council in the country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.09 square miles (5.41 km ²), all land.

Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except for its small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn also mostly surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border, and I-94 runs near its southern border.

According to Keith Maheney of the Detroit Free Press, the urban layout assists recent immigrants who do not yet have the credentials to drive an automobile, as Hamtramck is "uniquely walkable" and a "tight size".

Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Poles, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse in subsequent years but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A 2018 survey found that 16 native languages were spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. A motto often associated with the city is "A League of Nations". Neal Rubin of The Detroit News wrote in 2010 that despite the demographic changes, "In a lot of ways, Hamtramck still feels like a Polish enclave."

In 1987, Detroit television station WDIV ran one episode of a local sit-com called Hamtramck which featured former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema and a cameo by manager Sparky Anderson. It was met with poor reviews and protests by many Polish Americans, and was canceled before airing a second episode.[citation needed ]

After six decades of double-digit percentage declines in population between 1930 and 1990, Hamtramck finally started to grow in recent years, with population blossoming almost 55% by the 2020 census, surpassing 28,000 residents. These large population gains were despite a small decrease in households in the past 40 years.

The 8,000-square-foot (740 m ²) Hamtramck Historical Museum and the Polish Art Center are next door to one another.

In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid-back blue-collar neighborhoods. In May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.

In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004, allowing for the prayer calls to be made.

Polish immigrants and residents of Hamtramck and southeastern Michigan celebrate Tłusty Wtorek (Fat Tuesday), known locally as Pączki Day, by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment and free pączki.

Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.

In response to a decision by the city council to ban pride flags on city flagpoles, multiple LGBT activist groups organized into a coalition. The founding group comprised of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA. The launch triggered further acts of civil disobedience including a raising of the Progressive Pride flag by Russ Gordon

Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck

Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.

General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produced the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac CT6, the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick Lacrosse; it was closed in March 2019, and retooled as Factory ZERO to build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 9630 Joseph Campau Ave. It was formerly at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is "to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans."

For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. has manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.

Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.

In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested that the State of Michigan allow it to declare bankruptcy. The request was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.

Hamtramck is home to Detroit City FC (DCFC), a professional American soccer club that plays in United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays their home matches at Keyworth Stadium, which is owned by Hamtramck Public Schools. The club is managed by Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson.

As of the census of 2020, there were 28,433 people residing in the city. The population density was 13,539.52 inhabitants per square mile (5,227.6/km ²). There were 8,139 occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White (people of European, Middle Eastern and North African descent), 10.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 1.1% of the population.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 8,897 households, and 5,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,753.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,924.3/km ²). There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile (1,605.9/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.5% White, 19.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 7,063 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.98.

The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7/km ²), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% White (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:

3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.

There were 8,033 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

From the 1990 census to the 2000 census, the city's population increased by 25%. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that this was "overwhelmingly" due to immigration from majority Muslim countries.

From 1990 to 2000, of all of the municipalities in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Hamtramck had the highest percentage growth in the Asian population. It had 222 Asians according to the 1990 U.S. Census and 2,382 according to the 2000 U.S. Census, an increase of 973%.

Historically, Hamtramck received a lot of immigration from Eastern Europe. In the 20th century, Hamtramck was mostly Polish. George Tysh of the Metro Times stated that "In the early days of the auto industry, Hamtramck's population swelled with Poles, so much so that you were more likely to hear Polish spoken on Joseph Campau than any other tongue." Later waves of immigration brought Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians, Ukrainians, and Yemenis. By 2001 many Bangladeshis, Bosnians, and Iraqi Chaldeans were moving to Hamtramck. As of 2011 almost one in five Hamtramck residents was Asian (excluding those from South-west Asia). As of 2003, over 30 languages are spoken in Hamtramck and more than four religions are present. The four principal religions are, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In June 2013, the city's Human Relations Commission facilitated the raising of flags of 18 countries from which Hamtramck residents emigrated. They are displayed on Joseph Campau Street, with an American flag flying at either end.

In the 1930s, the first group of Bengalis came to Detroit and Hamtramck. The first significant population of Bengalis began arriving in the late 1980s and the Bengalis became a large part of the city's population in the 1990s. The largest growth occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2001 many Bangladeshi Americans had moved from New York City, particularly Astoria, Queens, to Hamtramck and the east side of Detroit. Many moved because of lower costs of living, larger amounts of space, work available in small factories, and the large Muslim community in Metro Detroit. Many Bangladeshi Americans moved into Queens, and then onwards to Metro Detroit.

In 2002, over 80% of the Bangladeshi population within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties lived in Hamtramck and some surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit. That area overall had almost 1,500 ethnic Bangladeshis. Almost 75% of Bangladeshi Michiganders live in Hamtramck.

By 2002, a Bengali business district formed along Conant Avenue and some residents called it "Little Bengal". The district, along Caniff and Conant streets, included markets, stores, mosques, and bakeries owned by Bangladeshis, Indians, and Pakistanis. By 2008 the Bengali business district, between Davison and Harold Street, and partially within the city limits of Detroit, received the honorary title "Bangladesh Avenue" and was to be dedicated as such on November 8, 2008. Akikul H. Shamin, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, estimated that Bangladeshi people operate 80% of the buildings and businesses in the portion of Conant Avenue. As of February 2008 the city planned to erect signage reading "Bangladesh Town" in the business district.

In 2002, the estimate of Hamtramck inhabitants of origins from South Asia was from 7,000 to 10,000. As of 2001, 900 registered students who spoke Bengali and Urdu attended Hamtramck Public Schools.

As of 2006, most of the Middle Eastern population in Hamtramck is Yemeni. Hakim Almasmari wrote in 2006 that "Several streets seem to be populated exclusively by Yemeni Americans, and Yemeni culture pervades the city's social, business, and political life." Many Yemeni restaurants are in Hamtramck, and the Yemeni community operates the Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque ( Arabic: مسجد معاذ بن جبل), which was established in 1976. In 2005 the mosque, located just outside the southeastern border of Hamtramck, was the largest mosque out of the ten within a three-mile radius. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck."

According to Almasmari, some of the first Yemenis to have arrived in Hamtramck said that Yemeni people first arrived in Hamtramck in the 1960s. The "Building Islam in Detroit: Foundations/Forms/Futures" project of the University of Michigan stated that Yemenis began arriving in the 1970s.

In 2013 Dasic Fernandez, a Chilean artist, created a 90-foot (27 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) mural on the Sheeba restaurant celebrating the Yemeni population. The mural depicts a girl in a veil decorated with the blue sky, a farmer wearing a turban, and a woman in a hijab. The Arab American and Chaldean Council and the coalition OneHamtramck commissioned the mural.

In the 2000s, a Bengali mosque named the Al-Islah Jamee Masjid wanted permission to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, from loudspeakers outside of the mosque, and requested permission to do so from the city government. It was one of the newer mosques in Hamtramck. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the request "brought to a head simmering Islamophobic sentiments" in Hamtramck. Muslims and interfaith activists supported the mosque. Some anti-Muslim activists, including some from other states including Kentucky and Ohio, participated in the controversy. Howell added that the controversy, through an "international media storm", gave "a cathartic test of the "freedoms" we were said to be "fighting for" in Afghanistan and Iraq" to the remainder of the United States. In 2004, the city council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan on public streets, making it one of a few U.S. cities to do so. Some individuals had strongly objected to the allowing of the adhan,; some continue to object.

Of course, many residents of Hamtramck argue that the opposition to the call to prayer, 5 times/day, 365 days/year, starting as early as 5:40 am on many days, has nothing to do with "Islamophobia", but rather being disturbed by the loud noise so early in the morning. Many state it is a violation of the 1st Amendment for the town to allow and favor one specific religion to be able to publicly broadcast something that can be heard inside and outside their homes, every day. Most residents argue they want Muslims to be able to practice their religion, but not at the expense of non-Muslim residents peace of mind. For example, one town resident, who just had an operation related to their cancer diagnosis, was unable to get enough sleep because of the loud call to prayer every morning. A Protestant minister claimed the Muslim call to prayer, so early in the morning, prevented his ability to write sermons for his churchs' services. Another resident claimed it made dogs bark and babies wake up and cry, in the early morning hours. A resident named Jeanette Powell said she's not complaining as a way to "bash anyone's religion." She said the call to prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume "overbearing." "Just turn it down a little bit."

On June 13, 2023, the City Council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and "nations' flags that represent the international character of [the] City," which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents. Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously. Current mayor Amer Ghalib opposed displaying the pride flag, but former Mayor Karen Majewski had supported displaying it. The move was criticized by Senator Stephanie Chang, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, U.S.Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

In response to a decision by the city council, multiple activist groups organized into a coalition opposing the flag restrictions. The founding group consisted of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA.

Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.

In November 2015, Hamtramck became the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council. In 2022, it became the first American city to have an all-Muslim government. It also now has an all male elected government which has been said to "not reflect the city's makeup." The Wayne County Jail Division operates the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. The city levies a city income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Hamtramck Public Schools headquarters

Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools. Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, Bridge Academy (of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) company), Caniff Liberty Academy and Oakland International Academy are all charter schools, in Hamtramck. Frontier International Academy, a charter school operated by GEE, is in nearby Detroit.

Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the buildings once used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School. The other Catholic primary schools included Our Lady Queen of Apostles and St. Ladislaus Elementary School. The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building as St. Florian.

The parishes that established St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, and St. Ladislaus had been built after 1909. In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in the city. That year, St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles had 1,316 students. JoEllen McNergney Vinyard, author of For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925, wrote that the classrooms were "more crowded than most any Polish parish school in Detroit." In the Catholic schools in Hamtramck there were often 70 students per classroom compared to 45 students per classroom in Hamtramck public schools. It was common for children to attend religious schools selectively during certain periods so they could absorb religious ideals, but go to public school for preschool and later stages. In the 1920s Hamtramck had no Catholic high school and the majority of parents sent their children to public high school. Felician Academy and St. Josephat's Polish Catholic High School, two schools in Detroit, were located several blocks away from the Hamtramck border. Some parents sent their children to those schools.

In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point, St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.

Hamtramck High School

In the 1920s Hamtramck families often sent their children to public school for Kindergarten due to convenience, then moved their children to parochial schools for the years with the most important religious instruction. Therefore, the age group 7 to 12 had the largest Catholic school enrollment. After the critical period ended, many students returned to public school. In 1925 the public schools had 1,467 students aged 14-15 while the non-public schools had 217 students aged 14 and 15. In the early 1920s the annual growth rate of Hamtramck Public Schools buildings was 27% while non-public schools had an annual growth rate of 6% in that period.

Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956, and dedicated on July 1, 1956.

St. Florian Church

1796: Colonel Jean François Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated.

1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.[13]

1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.[13]

1908: Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck.[107]

1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.[108]

1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.[13]

1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built.[107] It has a 1928 Austin Organ Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks,[109] which was newly refurbished in 2008.[110]

1959: Won the Little League World Series of Baseball.[111] Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and was the first Michigan team to win the title;[111] the next time a team from Michigan won the title was Taylor in 2021.[112][113]

1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year-long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.[114]

2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.[115]

2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter[116]

2007: Hamtramck emerges from emergency financial management.

2010: Hamtramck asked the state of Michigan permission to file for bankruptcy protection.

2013: Hamtramck becomes the first Muslim-majority American city.[7][8]

2014: Hamtramck reenters emergency management.[117]

2015: Hamtramck becomes the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council.[7][8]

2018: The city is released from emergency management for the second time.[118]

2022: Hamtramck becomes the first American city with an all-Muslim government.[89]

2023: Hamtramck City Council approves animal sacrifices for religious purposes.[119]

Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, Wimbledon, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies.[121]

Albert M. Bielawski, Michigan State Representative, lived in Hamtramck.

Mike Blyzka, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Danny Brown, rapper

Matt Feazell, cartoonist.

Bob Franke, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck.

Steve Gromek, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennis player and coach[123] inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.[124][125][126]

Truth Martini, pro wrestling manager for Ring of Honor.

Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), son of Elijah Muhammad, leader of American Society of Muslims, born in Hamtramck.[128]

Bill Nahorodny, Major League Baseball catcher.

Lucien Nedzi, Former US Representative

Tom Paciorek, Major League Baseball player, member of the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship; Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Wally Palmar (born Volodymyr Palamarchuk on April 27, 1954, in Hamtramck), singer for The Romantics.

Mitch Ryder, singer, The Detroit Wheels, born in Hamtramck.[129]

Kat Timpf, comedian, columnist, Fox News personality

Rudy Tomjanovich, professional basketball player and coach of Croatian descent for the Houston Rockets, born in Hamtramck;[131] member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Roger Zatkoff (1931-2021), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.[133]

Bob Zurke (1912-1944), pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader

Raymond Zussman (1917-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Toi Derricotte, (born 1941), poet. Hamtramck.

1. ^ "Hamtramck". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

2. Seidner, Stanley S. (1976). ^ In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community. New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.

3. ^ "General Population Characteristics Michigan, 1980 Census of Population" (PDF). census.gov. August 1982.

4. ^ "Public Transportation in Michigan: An Economic Development Tool Whose Time Has Come (legislative committee report)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-28.

5. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

6. ^ Tysh, George. "Little Bengal." (Archive) Metro Times. June 5, 2002. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

7. Steele, Micki. "^ Asian-Americans settle in Metro Detroit enclaves Archived 2016-01-02 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News (EN). 2011-04-19. "Almost one in five residents of Troy is Asian. The same is true for Hamtramck."

8. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "^ Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 13. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

9. Piligian, Ellen. "^ Hamtramck's Global Vibe: Bangladesh Avenue." (Archive) Model D Media. October 28, 2008. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

10. DeVito, Lee. "^ WDET explores Hamtramck's Bangladeshi clothing shops" (Archive). Metro Times. May 19, 2014. Retrieved on October 5, 2014.

11. ^ Almasmari, Hakim. "Hamtramck, Michigan: A Yemeni oasis" (Archive). Yemen Observer. November 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 9, 2013.

12. "Masjid Mu'ath Bin Jabal" (Archive). University of Michigan. Retrieved on December 10, 2015.

13. Abdel-Razzaq, Lauren. "^ New mural helps Yemeni immigrants see themselves in Hamtramck Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News. Also at Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine The Republic. December 16, 2013. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.

14. "^ Jail Division Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

15. "^ GEE Academies Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Global Educational Excellence. Retrieved on September 1, 2015. "13200 Conant Street Detroit, MI 48212" and "Frontier is located in the heart of Hamtramck, one of the most diverse cities in the Detroit metropolitan area."

16. "Dickinson West Elementary School." Hamtramck Public Schools. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "2650 Caniff Hamtramck, MI 48212"

17. "^ Welcome to the Hamtramck Public Library." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

18. "^ About Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

19. Kulfan, Ted (August 10, 2010). "'Pinky' Deras: The greatest Little Leaguer there ever was". The Detroit News. Hamtramck, Michigan.

20. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame biography". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.

21. "Hamtramck Hollywood Connection". 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.

22. Rochelle, Larry (2007) ^ Ten Mile Creek (BookSurge Publishing) ISBN 1-4196-6665-7; ISBN 978-1-4196-6665-0, 190 pages, a novel about Toledo, tennis and Hamtramck.

23. "^ Indians Scalp Red Sox As Yankees, Dodgers Falter." Toledo Blade. September 19, 1951. Page 30. Google News 30 of 54. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.

Ashlee, Laura Rose, ed. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030663.

Howell, Sally (June 30, 2010). Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253004543.

Kowalski, Greg (2003). Hamtramck: Soul of a City. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523200.

Vinyard, JoEllen McNergney (January 1, 1998). For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067075.

Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open Library.

Kowalski, Greg. Hamtramck: The World War II Years. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0738551414, ISBN 9780738551418.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1 ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.

Hamtramck Consent Decree (Archive) - United States Department of Justice

Davey, Monica. "Michigan Town Is Left Pleading for Bankruptcy." The New York Times. December 27, 2010.

"Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?" (Archive) CBS Detroit July 19, 2013.

Walker, Marlon A. "Possible fraud cited in Hamtramck primary, information sent to prosecutor's office." Detroit Free Press. September 9, 2013.

Charles Sercombe: "Councilmember's open letter on city manager." The Hamtramck Review, December 30, 2015

Larsen, Deborah J. (May/June 2021). "Michigan's Banglatown". Michigan History. 105 (3). Lansing, Mich.: Historical Society of Michigan.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 28,433, and was by far the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. It is notable as the only Muslim-majority city in the United States.

Known in the 20th century as a vibrant center of Polish-American life and culture, Hamtramck has attracted new immigrants in the 21st century, especially from Yemen, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2013, it reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the U.S. In 2015, Hamtramck became the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States, with four of the six council members being Muslim. In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim-Americans. In September 2023, the city drew scrutiny for its ban of the rainbow flag and perceived homophobia.

Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean-François Hamtramck, who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit. It was originally known as Hamtramck Township.

Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants moved into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles previously made up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, 14.5% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin whereas in 1970 it was 90% Polish.

Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and Southeastern Europe (especially Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city ( see more at Demographics below). The population was 43,355 in the 1950 Census and 18,372 in 1990.

Hamtramck was primarily farmland, although the Detroit Stove Works employed 1,300 workers to manufacture stoves. In 1901, part of the township incorporated as a village to gain more control over the settlement's affairs, and by 1922 the village was reincorporated as a city to fend off annexation attempts by the neighboring city of Detroit. By the mid-1920s, 78% of the residents of Hamtramck owned their own houses or were buying their houses. Around that time, the factory workers made up 85% of Hamtramck's heads of households. Of those factory workers, about 50% were categorized as not skilled workers. In 1910, the newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created jobs for thousands of workers and led to additional millions of dollars in the city. Dodge Main quickly expanded and became important to Hamtramck. Before the construction of Dodge Main, Hamtramck was a largely rural town. The establishment of the Dodge Main assembly plant led to a large influx of Polish immigrants who pushed out the incumbent German politicians. It was after this that Hamtramck was considered a Polish-American town.

By the end of the 20th century and the closing of Dodge Main, followed closely by General Motors razing of key parts of the Polish neighborhoods, the ethnicity of the region quickly shifted from traditionally Polish descendants to new Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali immigrants. By the elections of 2015, the city is suggested to have been the first to elect a Muslim-majority council in the country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.09 square miles (5.41 km ²), all land.

Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except for its small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn also mostly surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border, and I-94 runs near its southern border.

According to Keith Maheney of the Detroit Free Press, the urban layout assists recent immigrants who do not yet have the credentials to drive an automobile, as Hamtramck is "uniquely walkable" and a "tight size".

Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Poles, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse in subsequent years but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A 2018 survey found that 16 native languages were spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. A motto often associated with the city is "A League of Nations". Neal Rubin of The Detroit News wrote in 2010 that despite the demographic changes, "In a lot of ways, Hamtramck still feels like a Polish enclave."

In 1987, Detroit television station WDIV ran one episode of a local sit-com called Hamtramck which featured former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema and a cameo by manager Sparky Anderson. It was met with poor reviews and protests by many Polish Americans, and was canceled before airing a second episode.[citation needed ]

After six decades of double-digit percentage declines in population between 1930 and 1990, Hamtramck finally started to grow in recent years, with population blossoming almost 55% by the 2020 census, surpassing 28,000 residents. These large population gains were despite a small decrease in households in the past 40 years.

The 8,000-square-foot (740 m ²) Hamtramck Historical Museum and the Polish Art Center are next door to one another.

In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid-back blue-collar neighborhoods. In May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.

In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004, allowing for the prayer calls to be made.

Polish immigrants and residents of Hamtramck and southeastern Michigan celebrate Tłusty Wtorek (Fat Tuesday), known locally as Pączki Day, by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment and free pączki.

Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.

In response to a decision by the city council to ban pride flags on city flagpoles, multiple LGBT activist groups organized into a coalition. The founding group comprised of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA. The launch triggered further acts of civil disobedience including a raising of the Progressive Pride flag by Russ Gordon

Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck

Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.

General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produced the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac CT6, the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick Lacrosse; it was closed in March 2019, and retooled as Factory ZERO to build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 9630 Joseph Campau Ave. It was formerly at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is "to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans."

For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. has manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.

Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.

In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested that the State of Michigan allow it to declare bankruptcy. The request was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.

Hamtramck is home to Detroit City FC (DCFC), a professional American soccer club that plays in United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays their home matches at Keyworth Stadium, which is owned by Hamtramck Public Schools. The club is managed by Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson.

As of the census of 2020, there were 28,433 people residing in the city. The population density was 13,539.52 inhabitants per square mile (5,227.6/km ²). There were 8,139 occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White (people of European, Middle Eastern and North African descent), 10.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 1.1% of the population.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 8,897 households, and 5,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,753.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,924.3/km ²). There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile (1,605.9/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.5% White, 19.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 7,063 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.98.

The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7/km ²), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% White (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:

3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.

There were 8,033 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

From the 1990 census to the 2000 census, the city's population increased by 25%. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that this was "overwhelmingly" due to immigration from majority Muslim countries.

From 1990 to 2000, of all of the municipalities in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Hamtramck had the highest percentage growth in the Asian population. It had 222 Asians according to the 1990 U.S. Census and 2,382 according to the 2000 U.S. Census, an increase of 973%.

Historically, Hamtramck received a lot of immigration from Eastern Europe. In the 20th century, Hamtramck was mostly Polish. George Tysh of the Metro Times stated that "In the early days of the auto industry, Hamtramck's population swelled with Poles, so much so that you were more likely to hear Polish spoken on Joseph Campau than any other tongue." Later waves of immigration brought Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians, Ukrainians, and Yemenis. By 2001 many Bangladeshis, Bosnians, and Iraqi Chaldeans were moving to Hamtramck. As of 2011 almost one in five Hamtramck residents was Asian (excluding those from South-west Asia). As of 2003, over 30 languages are spoken in Hamtramck and more than four religions are present. The four principal religions are, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In June 2013, the city's Human Relations Commission facilitated the raising of flags of 18 countries from which Hamtramck residents emigrated. They are displayed on Joseph Campau Street, with an American flag flying at either end.

In the 1930s, the first group of Bengalis came to Detroit and Hamtramck. The first significant population of Bengalis began arriving in the late 1980s and the Bengalis became a large part of the city's population in the 1990s. The largest growth occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2001 many Bangladeshi Americans had moved from New York City, particularly Astoria, Queens, to Hamtramck and the east side of Detroit. Many moved because of lower costs of living, larger amounts of space, work available in small factories, and the large Muslim community in Metro Detroit. Many Bangladeshi Americans moved into Queens, and then onwards to Metro Detroit.

In 2002, over 80% of the Bangladeshi population within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties lived in Hamtramck and some surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit. That area overall had almost 1,500 ethnic Bangladeshis. Almost 75% of Bangladeshi Michiganders live in Hamtramck.

By 2002, a Bengali business district formed along Conant Avenue and some residents called it "Little Bengal". The district, along Caniff and Conant streets, included markets, stores, mosques, and bakeries owned by Bangladeshis, Indians, and Pakistanis. By 2008 the Bengali business district, between Davison and Harold Street, and partially within the city limits of Detroit, received the honorary title "Bangladesh Avenue" and was to be dedicated as such on November 8, 2008. Akikul H. Shamin, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, estimated that Bangladeshi people operate 80% of the buildings and businesses in the portion of Conant Avenue. As of February 2008 the city planned to erect signage reading "Bangladesh Town" in the business district.

In 2002, the estimate of Hamtramck inhabitants of origins from South Asia was from 7,000 to 10,000. As of 2001, 900 registered students who spoke Bengali and Urdu attended Hamtramck Public Schools.

As of 2006, most of the Middle Eastern population in Hamtramck is Yemeni. Hakim Almasmari wrote in 2006 that "Several streets seem to be populated exclusively by Yemeni Americans, and Yemeni culture pervades the city's social, business, and political life." Many Yemeni restaurants are in Hamtramck, and the Yemeni community operates the Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque ( Arabic: مسجد معاذ بن جبل), which was established in 1976. In 2005 the mosque, located just outside the southeastern border of Hamtramck, was the largest mosque out of the ten within a three-mile radius. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck."

According to Almasmari, some of the first Yemenis to have arrived in Hamtramck said that Yemeni people first arrived in Hamtramck in the 1960s. The "Building Islam in Detroit: Foundations/Forms/Futures" project of the University of Michigan stated that Yemenis began arriving in the 1970s.

In 2013 Dasic Fernandez, a Chilean artist, created a 90-foot (27 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) mural on the Sheeba restaurant celebrating the Yemeni population. The mural depicts a girl in a veil decorated with the blue sky, a farmer wearing a turban, and a woman in a hijab. The Arab American and Chaldean Council and the coalition OneHamtramck commissioned the mural.

In the 2000s, a Bengali mosque named the Al-Islah Jamee Masjid wanted permission to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, from loudspeakers outside of the mosque, and requested permission to do so from the city government. It was one of the newer mosques in Hamtramck. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the request "brought to a head simmering Islamophobic sentiments" in Hamtramck. Muslims and interfaith activists supported the mosque. Some anti-Muslim activists, including some from other states including Kentucky and Ohio, participated in the controversy. Howell added that the controversy, through an "international media storm", gave "a cathartic test of the "freedoms" we were said to be "fighting for" in Afghanistan and Iraq" to the remainder of the United States. In 2004, the city council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan on public streets, making it one of a few U.S. cities to do so. Some individuals had strongly objected to the allowing of the adhan,; some continue to object.

Of course, many residents of Hamtramck argue that the opposition to the call to prayer, 5 times/day, 365 days/year, starting as early as 5:40 am on many days, has nothing to do with "Islamophobia", but rather being disturbed by the loud noise so early in the morning. Many state it is a violation of the 1st Amendment for the town to allow and favor one specific religion to be able to publicly broadcast something that can be heard inside and outside their homes, every day. Most residents argue they want Muslims to be able to practice their religion, but not at the expense of non-Muslim residents peace of mind. For example, one town resident, who just had an operation related to their cancer diagnosis, was unable to get enough sleep because of the loud call to prayer every morning. A Protestant minister claimed the Muslim call to prayer, so early in the morning, prevented his ability to write sermons for his churchs' services. Another resident claimed it made dogs bark and babies wake up and cry, in the early morning hours. A resident named Jeanette Powell said she's not complaining as a way to "bash anyone's religion." She said the call to prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume "overbearing." "Just turn it down a little bit."

On June 13, 2023, the City Council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and "nations' flags that represent the international character of [the] City," which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents. Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously. Current mayor Amer Ghalib opposed displaying the pride flag, but former Mayor Karen Majewski had supported displaying it. The move was criticized by Senator Stephanie Chang, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, U.S.Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

In response to a decision by the city council, multiple activist groups organized into a coalition opposing the flag restrictions. The founding group consisted of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA.

Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.

In November 2015, Hamtramck became the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council. In 2022, it became the first American city to have an all-Muslim government. It also now has an all male elected government which has been said to "not reflect the city's makeup." The Wayne County Jail Division operates the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. The city levies a city income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Hamtramck Public Schools headquarters

Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools. Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, Bridge Academy (of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) company), Caniff Liberty Academy and Oakland International Academy are all charter schools, in Hamtramck. Frontier International Academy, a charter school operated by GEE, is in nearby Detroit.

Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the buildings once used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School. The other Catholic primary schools included Our Lady Queen of Apostles and St. Ladislaus Elementary School. The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building as St. Florian.

The parishes that established St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, and St. Ladislaus had been built after 1909. In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in the city. That year, St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles had 1,316 students. JoEllen McNergney Vinyard, author of For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925, wrote that the classrooms were "more crowded than most any Polish parish school in Detroit." In the Catholic schools in Hamtramck there were often 70 students per classroom compared to 45 students per classroom in Hamtramck public schools. It was common for children to attend religious schools selectively during certain periods so they could absorb religious ideals, but go to public school for preschool and later stages. In the 1920s Hamtramck had no Catholic high school and the majority of parents sent their children to public high school. Felician Academy and St. Josephat's Polish Catholic High School, two schools in Detroit, were located several blocks away from the Hamtramck border. Some parents sent their children to those schools.

In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point, St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.

Hamtramck High School

In the 1920s Hamtramck families often sent their children to public school for Kindergarten due to convenience, then moved their children to parochial schools for the years with the most important religious instruction. Therefore, the age group 7 to 12 had the largest Catholic school enrollment. After the critical period ended, many students returned to public school. In 1925 the public schools had 1,467 students aged 14-15 while the non-public schools had 217 students aged 14 and 15. In the early 1920s the annual growth rate of Hamtramck Public Schools buildings was 27% while non-public schools had an annual growth rate of 6% in that period.

Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956, and dedicated on July 1, 1956.

St. Florian Church

1796: Colonel Jean François Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated.

1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.[13]

1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.[13]

1908: Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck.[107]

1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.[108]

1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.[13]

1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built.[107] It has a 1928 Austin Organ Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks,[109] which was newly refurbished in 2008.[110]

1959: Won the Little League World Series of Baseball.[111] Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and was the first Michigan team to win the title;[111] the next time a team from Michigan won the title was Taylor in 2021.[112][113]

1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year-long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.[114]

2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.[115]

2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter[116]

2007: Hamtramck emerges from emergency financial management.

2010: Hamtramck asked the state of Michigan permission to file for bankruptcy protection.

2013: Hamtramck becomes the first Muslim-majority American city.[7][8]

2014: Hamtramck reenters emergency management.[117]

2015: Hamtramck becomes the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council.[7][8]

2018: The city is released from emergency management for the second time.[118]

2022: Hamtramck becomes the first American city with an all-Muslim government.[89]

2023: Hamtramck City Council approves animal sacrifices for religious purposes.[119]

Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, Wimbledon, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies.[121]

Albert M. Bielawski, Michigan State Representative, lived in Hamtramck.

Mike Blyzka, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Danny Brown, rapper

Matt Feazell, cartoonist.

Bob Franke, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck.

Steve Gromek, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennis player and coach[123] inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.[124][125][126]

Truth Martini, pro wrestling manager for Ring of Honor.

Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), son of Elijah Muhammad, leader of American Society of Muslims, born in Hamtramck.[128]

Bill Nahorodny, Major League Baseball catcher.

Lucien Nedzi, Former US Representative

Tom Paciorek, Major League Baseball player, member of the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship; Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Wally Palmar (born Volodymyr Palamarchuk on April 27, 1954, in Hamtramck), singer for The Romantics.

Mitch Ryder, singer, The Detroit Wheels, born in Hamtramck.[129]

Kat Timpf, comedian, columnist, Fox News personality

Rudy Tomjanovich, professional basketball player and coach of Croatian descent for the Houston Rockets, born in Hamtramck;[131] member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Roger Zatkoff (1931-2021), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.[133]

Bob Zurke (1912-1944), pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader

Raymond Zussman (1917-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Toi Derricotte, (born 1941), poet. Hamtramck.

1. ^ "Hamtramck". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

2. Seidner, Stanley S. (1976). ^ In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community. New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.

3. ^ "General Population Characteristics Michigan, 1980 Census of Population" (PDF). census.gov. August 1982.

4. ^ "Public Transportation in Michigan: An Economic Development Tool Whose Time Has Come (legislative committee report)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-28.

5. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

6. ^ Tysh, George. "Little Bengal." (Archive) Metro Times. June 5, 2002. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

7. Steele, Micki. "^ Asian-Americans settle in Metro Detroit enclaves Archived 2016-01-02 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News (EN). 2011-04-19. "Almost one in five residents of Troy is Asian. The same is true for Hamtramck."

8. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "^ Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 13. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

9. Piligian, Ellen. "^ Hamtramck's Global Vibe: Bangladesh Avenue." (Archive) Model D Media. October 28, 2008. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

10. DeVito, Lee. "^ WDET explores Hamtramck's Bangladeshi clothing shops" (Archive). Metro Times. May 19, 2014. Retrieved on October 5, 2014.

11. ^ Almasmari, Hakim. "Hamtramck, Michigan: A Yemeni oasis" (Archive). Yemen Observer. November 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 9, 2013.

12. "Masjid Mu'ath Bin Jabal" (Archive). University of Michigan. Retrieved on December 10, 2015.

13. Abdel-Razzaq, Lauren. "^ New mural helps Yemeni immigrants see themselves in Hamtramck Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News. Also at Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine The Republic. December 16, 2013. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.

14. "^ Jail Division Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

15. "^ GEE Academies Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Global Educational Excellence. Retrieved on September 1, 2015. "13200 Conant Street Detroit, MI 48212" and "Frontier is located in the heart of Hamtramck, one of the most diverse cities in the Detroit metropolitan area."

16. "Dickinson West Elementary School." Hamtramck Public Schools. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "2650 Caniff Hamtramck, MI 48212"

17. "^ Welcome to the Hamtramck Public Library." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

18. "^ About Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

19. Kulfan, Ted (August 10, 2010). "'Pinky' Deras: The greatest Little Leaguer there ever was". The Detroit News. Hamtramck, Michigan.

20. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame biography". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.

21. "Hamtramck Hollywood Connection". 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.

22. Rochelle, Larry (2007) ^ Ten Mile Creek (BookSurge Publishing) ISBN 1-4196-6665-7; ISBN 978-1-4196-6665-0, 190 pages, a novel about Toledo, tennis and Hamtramck.

23. "^ Indians Scalp Red Sox As Yankees, Dodgers Falter." Toledo Blade. September 19, 1951. Page 30. Google News 30 of 54. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.

Ashlee, Laura Rose, ed. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030663.

Howell, Sally (June 30, 2010). Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253004543.

Kowalski, Greg (2003). Hamtramck: Soul of a City. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523200.

Vinyard, JoEllen McNergney (January 1, 1998). For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067075.

Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open Library.

Kowalski, Greg. Hamtramck: The World War II Years. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0738551414, ISBN 9780738551418.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1 ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.

Hamtramck Consent Decree (Archive) - United States Department of Justice

Davey, Monica. "Michigan Town Is Left Pleading for Bankruptcy." The New York Times. December 27, 2010.

"Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?" (Archive) CBS Detroit July 19, 2013.

Walker, Marlon A. "Possible fraud cited in Hamtramck primary, information sent to prosecutor's office." Detroit Free Press. September 9, 2013.

Charles Sercombe: "Councilmember's open letter on city manager." The Hamtramck Review, December 30, 2015

Larsen, Deborah J. (May/June 2021). "Michigan's Banglatown". Michigan History. 105 (3). Lansing, Mich.: Historical Society of Michigan.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides.

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United Auto Workers strike- Auto plant workers involved in the 1945 GM strike that involved 200,000 workers and impacted 96 GM plants

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Hamtramck's Polish Art Center is opened.

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Hamtramck Little League team won the Little League World Series of Baseball.

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The St. Francis Hospital closed and then became the new Hamtramck city hall.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 28,433, and was by far the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. It is notable as the only Muslim-majority city in the United States.

Known in the 20th century as a vibrant center of Polish-American life and culture, Hamtramck has attracted new immigrants in the 21st century, especially from Yemen, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2013, it reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the U.S. In 2015, Hamtramck became the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States, with four of the six council members being Muslim. In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim-Americans. In September 2023, the city drew scrutiny for its ban of the rainbow flag and perceived homophobia.

Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean-François Hamtramck, who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit. It was originally known as Hamtramck Township.

Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants moved into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles previously made up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, 14.5% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin whereas in 1970 it was 90% Polish.

Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and Southeastern Europe (especially Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city ( see more at Demographics below). The population was 43,355 in the 1950 Census and 18,372 in 1990.

Hamtramck was primarily farmland, although the Detroit Stove Works employed 1,300 workers to manufacture stoves. In 1901, part of the township incorporated as a village to gain more control over the settlement's affairs, and by 1922 the village was reincorporated as a city to fend off annexation attempts by the neighboring city of Detroit. By the mid-1920s, 78% of the residents of Hamtramck owned their own houses or were buying their houses. Around that time, the factory workers made up 85% of Hamtramck's heads of households. Of those factory workers, about 50% were categorized as not skilled workers. In 1910, the newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created jobs for thousands of workers and led to additional millions of dollars in the city. Dodge Main quickly expanded and became important to Hamtramck. Before the construction of Dodge Main, Hamtramck was a largely rural town. The establishment of the Dodge Main assembly plant led to a large influx of Polish immigrants who pushed out the incumbent German politicians. It was after this that Hamtramck was considered a Polish-American town.

By the end of the 20th century and the closing of Dodge Main, followed closely by General Motors razing of key parts of the Polish neighborhoods, the ethnicity of the region quickly shifted from traditionally Polish descendants to new Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali immigrants. By the elections of 2015, the city is suggested to have been the first to elect a Muslim-majority council in the country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.09 square miles (5.41 km ²), all land.

Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except for its small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn also mostly surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border, and I-94 runs near its southern border.

According to Keith Maheney of the Detroit Free Press, the urban layout assists recent immigrants who do not yet have the credentials to drive an automobile, as Hamtramck is "uniquely walkable" and a "tight size".

Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Poles, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse in subsequent years but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A 2018 survey found that 16 native languages were spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. A motto often associated with the city is "A League of Nations". Neal Rubin of The Detroit News wrote in 2010 that despite the demographic changes, "In a lot of ways, Hamtramck still feels like a Polish enclave."

In 1987, Detroit television station WDIV ran one episode of a local sit-com called Hamtramck which featured former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema and a cameo by manager Sparky Anderson. It was met with poor reviews and protests by many Polish Americans, and was canceled before airing a second episode.[citation needed ]

After six decades of double-digit percentage declines in population between 1930 and 1990, Hamtramck finally started to grow in recent years, with population blossoming almost 55% by the 2020 census, surpassing 28,000 residents. These large population gains were despite a small decrease in households in the past 40 years.

The 8,000-square-foot (740 m ²) Hamtramck Historical Museum and the Polish Art Center are next door to one another.

In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid-back blue-collar neighborhoods. In May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.

In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004, allowing for the prayer calls to be made.

Polish immigrants and residents of Hamtramck and southeastern Michigan celebrate Tłusty Wtorek (Fat Tuesday), known locally as Pączki Day, by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment and free pączki.

Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.

In response to a decision by the city council to ban pride flags on city flagpoles, multiple LGBT activist groups organized into a coalition. The founding group comprised of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA. The launch triggered further acts of civil disobedience including a raising of the Progressive Pride flag by Russ Gordon

Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck

Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.

General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produced the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac CT6, the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick Lacrosse; it was closed in March 2019, and retooled as Factory ZERO to build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 9630 Joseph Campau Ave. It was formerly at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is "to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans."

For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. has manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.

Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.

In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested that the State of Michigan allow it to declare bankruptcy. The request was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.

Hamtramck is home to Detroit City FC (DCFC), a professional American soccer club that plays in United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays their home matches at Keyworth Stadium, which is owned by Hamtramck Public Schools. The club is managed by Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson.

As of the census of 2020, there were 28,433 people residing in the city. The population density was 13,539.52 inhabitants per square mile (5,227.6/km ²). There were 8,139 occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White (people of European, Middle Eastern and North African descent), 10.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 1.1% of the population.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 8,897 households, and 5,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,753.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,924.3/km ²). There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile (1,605.9/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.5% White, 19.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 7,063 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.98.

The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7/km ²), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% White (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:

3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.

There were 8,033 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

From the 1990 census to the 2000 census, the city's population increased by 25%. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that this was "overwhelmingly" due to immigration from majority Muslim countries.

From 1990 to 2000, of all of the municipalities in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Hamtramck had the highest percentage growth in the Asian population. It had 222 Asians according to the 1990 U.S. Census and 2,382 according to the 2000 U.S. Census, an increase of 973%.

Historically, Hamtramck received a lot of immigration from Eastern Europe. In the 20th century, Hamtramck was mostly Polish. George Tysh of the Metro Times stated that "In the early days of the auto industry, Hamtramck's population swelled with Poles, so much so that you were more likely to hear Polish spoken on Joseph Campau than any other tongue." Later waves of immigration brought Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians, Ukrainians, and Yemenis. By 2001 many Bangladeshis, Bosnians, and Iraqi Chaldeans were moving to Hamtramck. As of 2011 almost one in five Hamtramck residents was Asian (excluding those from South-west Asia). As of 2003, over 30 languages are spoken in Hamtramck and more than four religions are present. The four principal religions are, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In June 2013, the city's Human Relations Commission facilitated the raising of flags of 18 countries from which Hamtramck residents emigrated. They are displayed on Joseph Campau Street, with an American flag flying at either end.

In the 1930s, the first group of Bengalis came to Detroit and Hamtramck. The first significant population of Bengalis began arriving in the late 1980s and the Bengalis became a large part of the city's population in the 1990s. The largest growth occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2001 many Bangladeshi Americans had moved from New York City, particularly Astoria, Queens, to Hamtramck and the east side of Detroit. Many moved because of lower costs of living, larger amounts of space, work available in small factories, and the large Muslim community in Metro Detroit. Many Bangladeshi Americans moved into Queens, and then onwards to Metro Detroit.

In 2002, over 80% of the Bangladeshi population within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties lived in Hamtramck and some surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit. That area overall had almost 1,500 ethnic Bangladeshis. Almost 75% of Bangladeshi Michiganders live in Hamtramck.

By 2002, a Bengali business district formed along Conant Avenue and some residents called it "Little Bengal". The district, along Caniff and Conant streets, included markets, stores, mosques, and bakeries owned by Bangladeshis, Indians, and Pakistanis. By 2008 the Bengali business district, between Davison and Harold Street, and partially within the city limits of Detroit, received the honorary title "Bangladesh Avenue" and was to be dedicated as such on November 8, 2008. Akikul H. Shamin, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, estimated that Bangladeshi people operate 80% of the buildings and businesses in the portion of Conant Avenue. As of February 2008 the city planned to erect signage reading "Bangladesh Town" in the business district.

In 2002, the estimate of Hamtramck inhabitants of origins from South Asia was from 7,000 to 10,000. As of 2001, 900 registered students who spoke Bengali and Urdu attended Hamtramck Public Schools.

As of 2006, most of the Middle Eastern population in Hamtramck is Yemeni. Hakim Almasmari wrote in 2006 that "Several streets seem to be populated exclusively by Yemeni Americans, and Yemeni culture pervades the city's social, business, and political life." Many Yemeni restaurants are in Hamtramck, and the Yemeni community operates the Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque ( Arabic: مسجد معاذ بن جبل), which was established in 1976. In 2005 the mosque, located just outside the southeastern border of Hamtramck, was the largest mosque out of the ten within a three-mile radius. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck."

According to Almasmari, some of the first Yemenis to have arrived in Hamtramck said that Yemeni people first arrived in Hamtramck in the 1960s. The "Building Islam in Detroit: Foundations/Forms/Futures" project of the University of Michigan stated that Yemenis began arriving in the 1970s.

In 2013 Dasic Fernandez, a Chilean artist, created a 90-foot (27 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) mural on the Sheeba restaurant celebrating the Yemeni population. The mural depicts a girl in a veil decorated with the blue sky, a farmer wearing a turban, and a woman in a hijab. The Arab American and Chaldean Council and the coalition OneHamtramck commissioned the mural.

In the 2000s, a Bengali mosque named the Al-Islah Jamee Masjid wanted permission to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, from loudspeakers outside of the mosque, and requested permission to do so from the city government. It was one of the newer mosques in Hamtramck. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the request "brought to a head simmering Islamophobic sentiments" in Hamtramck. Muslims and interfaith activists supported the mosque. Some anti-Muslim activists, including some from other states including Kentucky and Ohio, participated in the controversy. Howell added that the controversy, through an "international media storm", gave "a cathartic test of the "freedoms" we were said to be "fighting for" in Afghanistan and Iraq" to the remainder of the United States. In 2004, the city council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan on public streets, making it one of a few U.S. cities to do so. Some individuals had strongly objected to the allowing of the adhan,; some continue to object.

Of course, many residents of Hamtramck argue that the opposition to the call to prayer, 5 times/day, 365 days/year, starting as early as 5:40 am on many days, has nothing to do with "Islamophobia", but rather being disturbed by the loud noise so early in the morning. Many state it is a violation of the 1st Amendment for the town to allow and favor one specific religion to be able to publicly broadcast something that can be heard inside and outside their homes, every day. Most residents argue they want Muslims to be able to practice their religion, but not at the expense of non-Muslim residents peace of mind. For example, one town resident, who just had an operation related to their cancer diagnosis, was unable to get enough sleep because of the loud call to prayer every morning. A Protestant minister claimed the Muslim call to prayer, so early in the morning, prevented his ability to write sermons for his churchs' services. Another resident claimed it made dogs bark and babies wake up and cry, in the early morning hours. A resident named Jeanette Powell said she's not complaining as a way to "bash anyone's religion." She said the call to prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume "overbearing." "Just turn it down a little bit."

On June 13, 2023, the City Council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and "nations' flags that represent the international character of [the] City," which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents. Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously. Current mayor Amer Ghalib opposed displaying the pride flag, but former Mayor Karen Majewski had supported displaying it. The move was criticized by Senator Stephanie Chang, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, U.S.Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

In response to a decision by the city council, multiple activist groups organized into a coalition opposing the flag restrictions. The founding group consisted of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA.

Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.

In November 2015, Hamtramck became the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council. In 2022, it became the first American city to have an all-Muslim government. It also now has an all male elected government which has been said to "not reflect the city's makeup." The Wayne County Jail Division operates the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. The city levies a city income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Hamtramck Public Schools headquarters

Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools. Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, Bridge Academy (of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) company), Caniff Liberty Academy and Oakland International Academy are all charter schools, in Hamtramck. Frontier International Academy, a charter school operated by GEE, is in nearby Detroit.

Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the buildings once used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School. The other Catholic primary schools included Our Lady Queen of Apostles and St. Ladislaus Elementary School. The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building as St. Florian.

The parishes that established St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, and St. Ladislaus had been built after 1909. In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in the city. That year, St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles had 1,316 students. JoEllen McNergney Vinyard, author of For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925, wrote that the classrooms were "more crowded than most any Polish parish school in Detroit." In the Catholic schools in Hamtramck there were often 70 students per classroom compared to 45 students per classroom in Hamtramck public schools. It was common for children to attend religious schools selectively during certain periods so they could absorb religious ideals, but go to public school for preschool and later stages. In the 1920s Hamtramck had no Catholic high school and the majority of parents sent their children to public high school. Felician Academy and St. Josephat's Polish Catholic High School, two schools in Detroit, were located several blocks away from the Hamtramck border. Some parents sent their children to those schools.

In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point, St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.

Hamtramck High School

In the 1920s Hamtramck families often sent their children to public school for Kindergarten due to convenience, then moved their children to parochial schools for the years with the most important religious instruction. Therefore, the age group 7 to 12 had the largest Catholic school enrollment. After the critical period ended, many students returned to public school. In 1925 the public schools had 1,467 students aged 14-15 while the non-public schools had 217 students aged 14 and 15. In the early 1920s the annual growth rate of Hamtramck Public Schools buildings was 27% while non-public schools had an annual growth rate of 6% in that period.

Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956, and dedicated on July 1, 1956.

St. Florian Church

1796: Colonel Jean François Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated.

1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.[13]

1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.[13]

1908: Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck.[107]

1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.[108]

1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.[13]

1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built.[107] It has a 1928 Austin Organ Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks,[109] which was newly refurbished in 2008.[110]

1959: Won the Little League World Series of Baseball.[111] Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and was the first Michigan team to win the title;[111] the next time a team from Michigan won the title was Taylor in 2021.[112][113]

1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year-long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.[114]

2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.[115]

2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter[116]

2007: Hamtramck emerges from emergency financial management.

2010: Hamtramck asked the state of Michigan permission to file for bankruptcy protection.

2013: Hamtramck becomes the first Muslim-majority American city.[7][8]

2014: Hamtramck reenters emergency management.[117]

2015: Hamtramck becomes the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council.[7][8]

2018: The city is released from emergency management for the second time.[118]

2022: Hamtramck becomes the first American city with an all-Muslim government.[89]

2023: Hamtramck City Council approves animal sacrifices for religious purposes.[119]

Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, Wimbledon, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies.[121]

Albert M. Bielawski, Michigan State Representative, lived in Hamtramck.

Mike Blyzka, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Danny Brown, rapper

Matt Feazell, cartoonist.

Bob Franke, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck.

Steve Gromek, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennis player and coach[123] inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.[124][125][126]

Truth Martini, pro wrestling manager for Ring of Honor.

Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), son of Elijah Muhammad, leader of American Society of Muslims, born in Hamtramck.[128]

Bill Nahorodny, Major League Baseball catcher.

Lucien Nedzi, Former US Representative

Tom Paciorek, Major League Baseball player, member of the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship; Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Wally Palmar (born Volodymyr Palamarchuk on April 27, 1954, in Hamtramck), singer for The Romantics.

Mitch Ryder, singer, The Detroit Wheels, born in Hamtramck.[129]

Kat Timpf, comedian, columnist, Fox News personality

Rudy Tomjanovich, professional basketball player and coach of Croatian descent for the Houston Rockets, born in Hamtramck;[131] member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Roger Zatkoff (1931-2021), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.[133]

Bob Zurke (1912-1944), pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader

Raymond Zussman (1917-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Toi Derricotte, (born 1941), poet. Hamtramck.

1. ^ "Hamtramck". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

2. Seidner, Stanley S. (1976). ^ In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community. New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.

3. ^ "General Population Characteristics Michigan, 1980 Census of Population" (PDF). census.gov. August 1982.

4. ^ "Public Transportation in Michigan: An Economic Development Tool Whose Time Has Come (legislative committee report)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-28.

5. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

6. ^ Tysh, George. "Little Bengal." (Archive) Metro Times. June 5, 2002. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

7. Steele, Micki. "^ Asian-Americans settle in Metro Detroit enclaves Archived 2016-01-02 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News (EN). 2011-04-19. "Almost one in five residents of Troy is Asian. The same is true for Hamtramck."

8. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "^ Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 13. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

9. Piligian, Ellen. "^ Hamtramck's Global Vibe: Bangladesh Avenue." (Archive) Model D Media. October 28, 2008. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

10. DeVito, Lee. "^ WDET explores Hamtramck's Bangladeshi clothing shops" (Archive). Metro Times. May 19, 2014. Retrieved on October 5, 2014.

11. ^ Almasmari, Hakim. "Hamtramck, Michigan: A Yemeni oasis" (Archive). Yemen Observer. November 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 9, 2013.

12. "Masjid Mu'ath Bin Jabal" (Archive). University of Michigan. Retrieved on December 10, 2015.

13. Abdel-Razzaq, Lauren. "^ New mural helps Yemeni immigrants see themselves in Hamtramck Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News. Also at Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine The Republic. December 16, 2013. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.

14. "^ Jail Division Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

15. "^ GEE Academies Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Global Educational Excellence. Retrieved on September 1, 2015. "13200 Conant Street Detroit, MI 48212" and "Frontier is located in the heart of Hamtramck, one of the most diverse cities in the Detroit metropolitan area."

16. "Dickinson West Elementary School." Hamtramck Public Schools. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "2650 Caniff Hamtramck, MI 48212"

17. "^ Welcome to the Hamtramck Public Library." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

18. "^ About Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

19. Kulfan, Ted (August 10, 2010). "'Pinky' Deras: The greatest Little Leaguer there ever was". The Detroit News. Hamtramck, Michigan.

20. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame biography". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.

21. "Hamtramck Hollywood Connection". 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.

22. Rochelle, Larry (2007) ^ Ten Mile Creek (BookSurge Publishing) ISBN 1-4196-6665-7; ISBN 978-1-4196-6665-0, 190 pages, a novel about Toledo, tennis and Hamtramck.

23. "^ Indians Scalp Red Sox As Yankees, Dodgers Falter." Toledo Blade. September 19, 1951. Page 30. Google News 30 of 54. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.

Ashlee, Laura Rose, ed. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030663.

Howell, Sally (June 30, 2010). Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253004543.

Kowalski, Greg (2003). Hamtramck: Soul of a City. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523200.

Vinyard, JoEllen McNergney (January 1, 1998). For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067075.

Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open Library.

Kowalski, Greg. Hamtramck: The World War II Years. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0738551414, ISBN 9780738551418.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1 ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.

Hamtramck Consent Decree (Archive) - United States Department of Justice

Davey, Monica. "Michigan Town Is Left Pleading for Bankruptcy." The New York Times. December 27, 2010.

"Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?" (Archive) CBS Detroit July 19, 2013.

Walker, Marlon A. "Possible fraud cited in Hamtramck primary, information sent to prosecutor's office." Detroit Free Press. September 9, 2013.

Charles Sercombe: "Councilmember's open letter on city manager." The Hamtramck Review, December 30, 2015

Larsen, Deborah J. (May/June 2021). "Michigan's Banglatown". Michigan History. 105 (3). Lansing, Mich.: Historical Society of Michigan.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides.

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Dodge Main plant closes and is demolished.

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Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly, also referred to as Factory Zero and GM Poletown, is a General Motors automobile assembly plant straddling the border between Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. It is located about three miles (five km) from GM's corporate headquarters.

The planning and construction of the facility led to the nearly complete demolition of Detroit's Poletown neighborhood that "had been a destination for Polish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century, but it was also home to African Americans and more recent immigrants from Albania, Yugoslavia, Yemen, and the Philippines." The City of Detroit's use of eminent domain to displace thousands of residents on behalf of a private corporation led to the Michigan Supreme Court case, Poletown Neighborhood Council v. Detroit permitting the practice to continue in the state until 2004, when, in Wayne v. Hathcock, the court reversed the decision. The site also included "Dodge Main," originally built in 1911, which had closed in 1980 and was demolished in 1981. It replaced GM's Detroit Assembly on Clark Avenue, south of Michigan Avenue ( U.S. Route 12) in Detroit, which was the primary facility for all Cadillacs starting in 1921. The first of GM's "BOC" (Buick/Oldsmobile/Cadillac) Group vehicles to roll off the assembly line on February 4, 1985, was a Cadillac Eldorado.

The plant builds vehicles for GM's Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac divisions and had approximately 1,800 hourly and salaried employees in early 2017, and 924 in late 2022. Since opening in 1985, more than 4 million vehicles have been built at the plant.

As of May 2020, the plant is being retooled to produce electric vehicles, including the all-new GMC Hummer EV.

Dodge (1911-1980)

The Dodge Factory, or "Dodge Main" as it became known, occupied 67 acres (0.27 km ²) on the edge of the village of Hamtramck, which is surrounded by the city of Detroit. Plant 4, on Conant Avenue, was separated only from the main plant structures by a railroad right-of-way, which was also the boundary line between the two cities. The plant started off as just a few buildings but it grew rapidly as needed, where it ended up as 35 separate buildings, to include a foundry, before it was demolished. The original plant was designed by noted industrial designer and architect Albert Kahn Associates but were replaced in 1912 by the architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, due to a disagreement with the Dodge brothers. Reflecting an engineering philosophy the brothers shared, the plant was vastly overbuilt.

Factory assembly line in 1916

There were two railroads crossing the area, and plenty of open land at the time. One of the railroad lines went north to the nearby Highland Park Ford Plant which had just opened earlier. The original intent was to continue providing parts and subassemblies, and ship them to Ford. It also included the first time a car manufacturer used a vehicle test track, including a portion where newly manufactured cars would drive up a ramp, to test the powertrain durability and the brakes on the way down.

John and Horace had grown up on factory floors and machine shops, and they made sure their employees were well cared for. The Dodge facility had a complete medical facility, with doctors and nurses on duty at all times, an efficient plant security department, and a well-equipped firefighting department with direct contact with the local Hamtramck Fire Department.

The plant included a "welfare department" that looked after workers' social needs and, reflecting the innovative nature of the Dodge brothers, a machine shop they called "the Playpen," where employees who wanted to fix or invent things could indulge in their ideas after hours. The facility had an executive dining room for senior plant and corporate officials and a cafeteria for office and plant employees, complete with a fully equipped kitchen; a smaller facility in Plant 4 prepared hot food for distribution directly to the factory areas via small trolleys. The factory was approximately two miles south of Lynch Road Assembly, which built Plymouth products exclusively until 1962. When the Chrysler C platform was introduced in 1965, the factory manufactured Dodge and Plymouth products that shared the platform.

By the 1970s, manufacturing and assembly needs began to diminish. A few small buildings around the facility were demolished, and others were repurposed to uses like research and record storage. By 1979, only 5,200 hourly employees remained at the plant, a sliver of the 36,000 employees that worked there during the peak in the 1940s. Dodge was struggling financially, and in an effort to cut costs it announced in spring 1979 that the plant would be closing. The plant subsequently closed on January 4, 1980.

General Motors (1981-present)

The facility remained dormant until 1981, when General Motors moved to purchase the plant for $1 to build a new factory. The 362 acres (1.46 km ²) acquired also was home to a large Polish community that was part of an area that is sometimes referred to as Poletown. The proposed GM facility included land that was home to 4,200 residents, 1,400 homes, several churches (including Immaculate Conception Church) and 140 businesses, plus the old Dodge factory. The residential area had been north of the Dodge facility. GM's acquisition of part of the property through eminent domain, and the subsequent clearing of this section of the neighborhood, was the subject of various protests and court battles. Eventually, the case went to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of General Motors, stating that economic development is a legitimate use of eminent domain. Detroit Mayor Coleman Young sided with GM, seeking new jobs and investments for the struggling area.

The site is near (south) of another GM facility at the time, called Chevrolet Gear & Axle Division, which itself was the combination of two former factories, called Detroit Gear and Axle and Detroit Forge, which had occupied the location at Holbrook Avenue to the south, Lumpkin Street to the east, Poland Avenue to the north and I-75 to the west. (That factory was demolished in 2014, having occupied its location since 1917.)

While some residents protested the GM's sweeping development plans, others supported the efforts to build the new plant. Gary Campbell, a Poletown resident and bar owner, accused those opposing the new plant of presenting the opinions of a small minority as if they represented the entire neighborhood. The controversy led to national news attention and the involvement of Ralph Nader and the Gray Panthers. Protests centered around the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church. The Detroit Archdiocese supported the relocations and had already agreed to sell the two Catholic churches that were in the area. However, Joseph Karasiewicz, the priest at one of the parishes, defied his local Cardinal and fought to keep his building from being sold. The Archdiocese stood firm in its support of the sale. A 29-day sit-in at the Immaculate Conception Church came to an end on July 14, 1981, when police forcibly evicted 20 people from the church. Twelve people were arrested; only three of the twelve arrested were from Poletown. Shortly afterward, the site targeted for the plant was razed and construction began on the new $500 million auto assembly plant. The controversy inspired at least one short film: "Poletown Lives!"

A small Jewish cemetery, Beth Olem, occupies part of the grounds of the GM Assembly at the extreme northwest corner of the property, next to the water treatment facility. The older pre-existing auto plant parking lot engulfed the small cemetery long before General Motors built the new assembly plant. Visitation is currently limited to twice a year on the Sundays preceding Rosh Hashana and Passover.

The plans went forward and GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant was opened in February 1985. Cadillac K-body production was consolidated there in the 1990s. The Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly later received the contract for the production of Chevrolet Volt, which uses the Delta II/Voltec body. On April 21, 2010, GM announced it would invest $121 million into the Detroit/Hamtramck factory to ensure GM could keep up with the demand for the next generation Chevrolet Malibu. In May 2011, GM announced it would invest $69 million in the plant for the Chevrolet Impala. In 2013, production of the Cadillac ELR (a Cadillac equivalent of the Chevrolet Volt) began, followed two years later by production of the Cadillac CT6 and then the third-generation Buick LaCrosse.

In December 2016, GM announced they would soon eliminate the second shift and 1,300 jobs at the plant, less than twelve months after the second shift was added. Then in October 2017, GM indicated there would be an additional reduction in production at the plant, citing falling sales and excess inventory of sedans (which were made there), resulting in about 200 additional jobs lost. In 2018 the utilization rate at the plant was only 28 percent of the 230,000 unit production capability. Subsequently, on November 26, 2018, GM announced that the plant would be "unallocated" in 2019.

In February, 2019, General Motors (GM) announced that production of the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac CT6 would continue at Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly until early 2020. Coincident with the discontinuation of the CT6 and Impala in 2020, the factory began a retooling to build electric vehicles, starting with the GMC Hummer EV.

The first GMC Hummer EV Pickup rolled off the assembly line at the rebranded Factory Zero on December 17, 2021.

Chrysler Corp.

General Motors

Miner, Scott; Waddell, Richard L. (June 1985). "GM goes high-tech in the inner city - Poletown". Ward's Auto World. Archived from the original on 2006-10-11.

Winter, Drew (Nov 1991). "Update: the machines that didn't change the world - robots in the automobile industry". Ward's Auto World. Archived from the original on 2005-05-10.

"Condemn nation". The (Colorado Springs) Gazette (August 4, 2004).

"GM Commits to Volt Production in Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan 2010".

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. MI-6, "Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company Plant, Between Joseph Campau & Conant Avenues, Hamtramck, Wayne County, MI", 313 photos, 46 data pages, 10 photo caption pages

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Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly, also referred to as Factory Zero and GM Poletown, is a General Motors automobile assembly plant straddling the border between Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. It is located about three miles (five km) from GM's corporate headquarters.

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Poletown Neighborhood Council v. City of Detroit- The Poletown Neightborhood Council enters a court case with the city of Detroit in attempt to preserve the neighborhood instead of its demolition to make way for the GM plant.

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Six churches and the homes of 4,200 Poletown neighborhood residents are demolished to make way for the General Motor's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant. GM plant opened in 1985.

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Poletown, the Detroit neighborhood demolished for GM plant

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Historical photos showing Poletown, the Detroit neighborhood demolished for a General Motor's plant

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Hamtramck's Disney Land is created, inspired by Disney Land as well as Ukrainian folk music.

-Naya

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The Al-Islah Mosque was opened, following the Sunni tradition and was founded by immigrants from Bangladesh, of which a large community exists in Hamtramck.

-Naya

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Hamtramck's City Council approves the "call to prayer," in which mosques will broadcast a call to prayer on speakerphones. This led to outrage amongst some non-Muslim residents of Hamtramck.

-Naya

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In 2013 Hamtramck reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the United States.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 28,433, and was by far the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. It is notable as the only Muslim-majority city in the United States.

Known in the 20th century as a vibrant center of Polish-American life and culture, Hamtramck has attracted new immigrants in the 21st century, especially from Yemen, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2013, it reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the U.S. In 2015, Hamtramck became the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States, with four of the six council members being Muslim. In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim-Americans. In September 2023, the city drew scrutiny for its ban of the rainbow flag and perceived homophobia.

Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean-François Hamtramck, who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit. It was originally known as Hamtramck Township.

Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants moved into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles previously made up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, 14.5% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin whereas in 1970 it was 90% Polish.

Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and Southeastern Europe (especially Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city ( see more at Demographics below). The population was 43,355 in the 1950 Census and 18,372 in 1990.

Hamtramck was primarily farmland, although the Detroit Stove Works employed 1,300 workers to manufacture stoves. In 1901, part of the township incorporated as a village to gain more control over the settlement's affairs, and by 1922 the village was reincorporated as a city to fend off annexation attempts by the neighboring city of Detroit. By the mid-1920s, 78% of the residents of Hamtramck owned their own houses or were buying their houses. Around that time, the factory workers made up 85% of Hamtramck's heads of households. Of those factory workers, about 50% were categorized as not skilled workers. In 1910, the newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created jobs for thousands of workers and led to additional millions of dollars in the city. Dodge Main quickly expanded and became important to Hamtramck. Before the construction of Dodge Main, Hamtramck was a largely rural town. The establishment of the Dodge Main assembly plant led to a large influx of Polish immigrants who pushed out the incumbent German politicians. It was after this that Hamtramck was considered a Polish-American town.

By the end of the 20th century and the closing of Dodge Main, followed closely by General Motors razing of key parts of the Polish neighborhoods, the ethnicity of the region quickly shifted from traditionally Polish descendants to new Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali immigrants. By the elections of 2015, the city is suggested to have been the first to elect a Muslim-majority council in the country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.09 square miles (5.41 km ²), all land.

Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except for its small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn also mostly surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border, and I-94 runs near its southern border.

According to Keith Maheney of the Detroit Free Press, the urban layout assists recent immigrants who do not yet have the credentials to drive an automobile, as Hamtramck is "uniquely walkable" and a "tight size".

Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Poles, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse in subsequent years but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A 2018 survey found that 16 native languages were spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. A motto often associated with the city is "A League of Nations". Neal Rubin of The Detroit News wrote in 2010 that despite the demographic changes, "In a lot of ways, Hamtramck still feels like a Polish enclave."

In 1987, Detroit television station WDIV ran one episode of a local sit-com called Hamtramck which featured former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema and a cameo by manager Sparky Anderson. It was met with poor reviews and protests by many Polish Americans, and was canceled before airing a second episode.[citation needed ]

After six decades of double-digit percentage declines in population between 1930 and 1990, Hamtramck finally started to grow in recent years, with population blossoming almost 55% by the 2020 census, surpassing 28,000 residents. These large population gains were despite a small decrease in households in the past 40 years.

The 8,000-square-foot (740 m ²) Hamtramck Historical Museum and the Polish Art Center are next door to one another.

In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid-back blue-collar neighborhoods. In May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.

In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004, allowing for the prayer calls to be made.

Polish immigrants and residents of Hamtramck and southeastern Michigan celebrate Tłusty Wtorek (Fat Tuesday), known locally as Pączki Day, by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment and free pączki.

Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.

In response to a decision by the city council to ban pride flags on city flagpoles, multiple LGBT activist groups organized into a coalition. The founding group comprised of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA. The launch triggered further acts of civil disobedience including a raising of the Progressive Pride flag by Russ Gordon

Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck

Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.

General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produced the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac CT6, the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick Lacrosse; it was closed in March 2019, and retooled as Factory ZERO to build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 9630 Joseph Campau Ave. It was formerly at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is "to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans."

For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. has manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.

Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.

In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested that the State of Michigan allow it to declare bankruptcy. The request was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.

Hamtramck is home to Detroit City FC (DCFC), a professional American soccer club that plays in United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays their home matches at Keyworth Stadium, which is owned by Hamtramck Public Schools. The club is managed by Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson.

As of the census of 2020, there were 28,433 people residing in the city. The population density was 13,539.52 inhabitants per square mile (5,227.6/km ²). There were 8,139 occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White (people of European, Middle Eastern and North African descent), 10.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 1.1% of the population.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 8,897 households, and 5,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,753.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,924.3/km ²). There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile (1,605.9/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.5% White, 19.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 7,063 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.98.

The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7/km ²), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% White (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:

3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.

There were 8,033 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

From the 1990 census to the 2000 census, the city's population increased by 25%. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that this was "overwhelmingly" due to immigration from majority Muslim countries.

From 1990 to 2000, of all of the municipalities in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Hamtramck had the highest percentage growth in the Asian population. It had 222 Asians according to the 1990 U.S. Census and 2,382 according to the 2000 U.S. Census, an increase of 973%.

Historically, Hamtramck received a lot of immigration from Eastern Europe. In the 20th century, Hamtramck was mostly Polish. George Tysh of the Metro Times stated that "In the early days of the auto industry, Hamtramck's population swelled with Poles, so much so that you were more likely to hear Polish spoken on Joseph Campau than any other tongue." Later waves of immigration brought Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians, Ukrainians, and Yemenis. By 2001 many Bangladeshis, Bosnians, and Iraqi Chaldeans were moving to Hamtramck. As of 2011 almost one in five Hamtramck residents was Asian (excluding those from South-west Asia). As of 2003, over 30 languages are spoken in Hamtramck and more than four religions are present. The four principal religions are, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In June 2013, the city's Human Relations Commission facilitated the raising of flags of 18 countries from which Hamtramck residents emigrated. They are displayed on Joseph Campau Street, with an American flag flying at either end.

In the 1930s, the first group of Bengalis came to Detroit and Hamtramck. The first significant population of Bengalis began arriving in the late 1980s and the Bengalis became a large part of the city's population in the 1990s. The largest growth occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2001 many Bangladeshi Americans had moved from New York City, particularly Astoria, Queens, to Hamtramck and the east side of Detroit. Many moved because of lower costs of living, larger amounts of space, work available in small factories, and the large Muslim community in Metro Detroit. Many Bangladeshi Americans moved into Queens, and then onwards to Metro Detroit.

In 2002, over 80% of the Bangladeshi population within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties lived in Hamtramck and some surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit. That area overall had almost 1,500 ethnic Bangladeshis. Almost 75% of Bangladeshi Michiganders live in Hamtramck.

By 2002, a Bengali business district formed along Conant Avenue and some residents called it "Little Bengal". The district, along Caniff and Conant streets, included markets, stores, mosques, and bakeries owned by Bangladeshis, Indians, and Pakistanis. By 2008 the Bengali business district, between Davison and Harold Street, and partially within the city limits of Detroit, received the honorary title "Bangladesh Avenue" and was to be dedicated as such on November 8, 2008. Akikul H. Shamin, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, estimated that Bangladeshi people operate 80% of the buildings and businesses in the portion of Conant Avenue. As of February 2008 the city planned to erect signage reading "Bangladesh Town" in the business district.

In 2002, the estimate of Hamtramck inhabitants of origins from South Asia was from 7,000 to 10,000. As of 2001, 900 registered students who spoke Bengali and Urdu attended Hamtramck Public Schools.

As of 2006, most of the Middle Eastern population in Hamtramck is Yemeni. Hakim Almasmari wrote in 2006 that "Several streets seem to be populated exclusively by Yemeni Americans, and Yemeni culture pervades the city's social, business, and political life." Many Yemeni restaurants are in Hamtramck, and the Yemeni community operates the Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque ( Arabic: مسجد معاذ بن جبل), which was established in 1976. In 2005 the mosque, located just outside the southeastern border of Hamtramck, was the largest mosque out of the ten within a three-mile radius. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck."

According to Almasmari, some of the first Yemenis to have arrived in Hamtramck said that Yemeni people first arrived in Hamtramck in the 1960s. The "Building Islam in Detroit: Foundations/Forms/Futures" project of the University of Michigan stated that Yemenis began arriving in the 1970s.

In 2013 Dasic Fernandez, a Chilean artist, created a 90-foot (27 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) mural on the Sheeba restaurant celebrating the Yemeni population. The mural depicts a girl in a veil decorated with the blue sky, a farmer wearing a turban, and a woman in a hijab. The Arab American and Chaldean Council and the coalition OneHamtramck commissioned the mural.

In the 2000s, a Bengali mosque named the Al-Islah Jamee Masjid wanted permission to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, from loudspeakers outside of the mosque, and requested permission to do so from the city government. It was one of the newer mosques in Hamtramck. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the request "brought to a head simmering Islamophobic sentiments" in Hamtramck. Muslims and interfaith activists supported the mosque. Some anti-Muslim activists, including some from other states including Kentucky and Ohio, participated in the controversy. Howell added that the controversy, through an "international media storm", gave "a cathartic test of the "freedoms" we were said to be "fighting for" in Afghanistan and Iraq" to the remainder of the United States. In 2004, the city council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan on public streets, making it one of a few U.S. cities to do so. Some individuals had strongly objected to the allowing of the adhan,; some continue to object.

Of course, many residents of Hamtramck argue that the opposition to the call to prayer, 5 times/day, 365 days/year, starting as early as 5:40 am on many days, has nothing to do with "Islamophobia", but rather being disturbed by the loud noise so early in the morning. Many state it is a violation of the 1st Amendment for the town to allow and favor one specific religion to be able to publicly broadcast something that can be heard inside and outside their homes, every day. Most residents argue they want Muslims to be able to practice their religion, but not at the expense of non-Muslim residents peace of mind. For example, one town resident, who just had an operation related to their cancer diagnosis, was unable to get enough sleep because of the loud call to prayer every morning. A Protestant minister claimed the Muslim call to prayer, so early in the morning, prevented his ability to write sermons for his churchs' services. Another resident claimed it made dogs bark and babies wake up and cry, in the early morning hours. A resident named Jeanette Powell said she's not complaining as a way to "bash anyone's religion." She said the call to prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume "overbearing." "Just turn it down a little bit."

On June 13, 2023, the City Council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and "nations' flags that represent the international character of [the] City," which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents. Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously. Current mayor Amer Ghalib opposed displaying the pride flag, but former Mayor Karen Majewski had supported displaying it. The move was criticized by Senator Stephanie Chang, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, U.S.Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

In response to a decision by the city council, multiple activist groups organized into a coalition opposing the flag restrictions. The founding group consisted of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA.

Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.

In November 2015, Hamtramck became the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council. In 2022, it became the first American city to have an all-Muslim government. It also now has an all male elected government which has been said to "not reflect the city's makeup." The Wayne County Jail Division operates the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. The city levies a city income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Hamtramck Public Schools headquarters

Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools. Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, Bridge Academy (of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) company), Caniff Liberty Academy and Oakland International Academy are all charter schools, in Hamtramck. Frontier International Academy, a charter school operated by GEE, is in nearby Detroit.

Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the buildings once used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School. The other Catholic primary schools included Our Lady Queen of Apostles and St. Ladislaus Elementary School. The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building as St. Florian.

The parishes that established St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, and St. Ladislaus had been built after 1909. In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in the city. That year, St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles had 1,316 students. JoEllen McNergney Vinyard, author of For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925, wrote that the classrooms were "more crowded than most any Polish parish school in Detroit." In the Catholic schools in Hamtramck there were often 70 students per classroom compared to 45 students per classroom in Hamtramck public schools. It was common for children to attend religious schools selectively during certain periods so they could absorb religious ideals, but go to public school for preschool and later stages. In the 1920s Hamtramck had no Catholic high school and the majority of parents sent their children to public high school. Felician Academy and St. Josephat's Polish Catholic High School, two schools in Detroit, were located several blocks away from the Hamtramck border. Some parents sent their children to those schools.

In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point, St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.

Hamtramck High School

In the 1920s Hamtramck families often sent their children to public school for Kindergarten due to convenience, then moved their children to parochial schools for the years with the most important religious instruction. Therefore, the age group 7 to 12 had the largest Catholic school enrollment. After the critical period ended, many students returned to public school. In 1925 the public schools had 1,467 students aged 14-15 while the non-public schools had 217 students aged 14 and 15. In the early 1920s the annual growth rate of Hamtramck Public Schools buildings was 27% while non-public schools had an annual growth rate of 6% in that period.

Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956, and dedicated on July 1, 1956.

St. Florian Church

1796: Colonel Jean François Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated.

1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.[13]

1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.[13]

1908: Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck.[107]

1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.[108]

1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.[13]

1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built.[107] It has a 1928 Austin Organ Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks,[109] which was newly refurbished in 2008.[110]

1959: Won the Little League World Series of Baseball.[111] Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and was the first Michigan team to win the title;[111] the next time a team from Michigan won the title was Taylor in 2021.[112][113]

1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year-long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.[114]

2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.[115]

2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter[116]

2007: Hamtramck emerges from emergency financial management.

2010: Hamtramck asked the state of Michigan permission to file for bankruptcy protection.

2013: Hamtramck becomes the first Muslim-majority American city.[7][8]

2014: Hamtramck reenters emergency management.[117]

2015: Hamtramck becomes the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council.[7][8]

2018: The city is released from emergency management for the second time.[118]

2022: Hamtramck becomes the first American city with an all-Muslim government.[89]

2023: Hamtramck City Council approves animal sacrifices for religious purposes.[119]

Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, Wimbledon, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies.[121]

Albert M. Bielawski, Michigan State Representative, lived in Hamtramck.

Mike Blyzka, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Danny Brown, rapper

Matt Feazell, cartoonist.

Bob Franke, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck.

Steve Gromek, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennis player and coach[123] inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.[124][125][126]

Truth Martini, pro wrestling manager for Ring of Honor.

Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), son of Elijah Muhammad, leader of American Society of Muslims, born in Hamtramck.[128]

Bill Nahorodny, Major League Baseball catcher.

Lucien Nedzi, Former US Representative

Tom Paciorek, Major League Baseball player, member of the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship; Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Wally Palmar (born Volodymyr Palamarchuk on April 27, 1954, in Hamtramck), singer for The Romantics.

Mitch Ryder, singer, The Detroit Wheels, born in Hamtramck.[129]

Kat Timpf, comedian, columnist, Fox News personality

Rudy Tomjanovich, professional basketball player and coach of Croatian descent for the Houston Rockets, born in Hamtramck;[131] member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Roger Zatkoff (1931-2021), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.[133]

Bob Zurke (1912-1944), pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader

Raymond Zussman (1917-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Toi Derricotte, (born 1941), poet. Hamtramck.

1. ^ "Hamtramck". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

2. Seidner, Stanley S. (1976). ^ In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community. New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.

3. ^ "General Population Characteristics Michigan, 1980 Census of Population" (PDF). census.gov. August 1982.

4. ^ "Public Transportation in Michigan: An Economic Development Tool Whose Time Has Come (legislative committee report)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-28.

5. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

6. ^ Tysh, George. "Little Bengal." (Archive) Metro Times. June 5, 2002. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

7. Steele, Micki. "^ Asian-Americans settle in Metro Detroit enclaves Archived 2016-01-02 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News (EN). 2011-04-19. "Almost one in five residents of Troy is Asian. The same is true for Hamtramck."

8. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "^ Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 13. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

9. Piligian, Ellen. "^ Hamtramck's Global Vibe: Bangladesh Avenue." (Archive) Model D Media. October 28, 2008. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

10. DeVito, Lee. "^ WDET explores Hamtramck's Bangladeshi clothing shops" (Archive). Metro Times. May 19, 2014. Retrieved on October 5, 2014.

11. ^ Almasmari, Hakim. "Hamtramck, Michigan: A Yemeni oasis" (Archive). Yemen Observer. November 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 9, 2013.

12. "Masjid Mu'ath Bin Jabal" (Archive). University of Michigan. Retrieved on December 10, 2015.

13. Abdel-Razzaq, Lauren. "^ New mural helps Yemeni immigrants see themselves in Hamtramck Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News. Also at Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine The Republic. December 16, 2013. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.

14. "^ Jail Division Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

15. "^ GEE Academies Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Global Educational Excellence. Retrieved on September 1, 2015. "13200 Conant Street Detroit, MI 48212" and "Frontier is located in the heart of Hamtramck, one of the most diverse cities in the Detroit metropolitan area."

16. "Dickinson West Elementary School." Hamtramck Public Schools. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "2650 Caniff Hamtramck, MI 48212"

17. "^ Welcome to the Hamtramck Public Library." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

18. "^ About Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

19. Kulfan, Ted (August 10, 2010). "'Pinky' Deras: The greatest Little Leaguer there ever was". The Detroit News. Hamtramck, Michigan.

20. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame biography". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.

21. "Hamtramck Hollywood Connection". 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.

22. Rochelle, Larry (2007) ^ Ten Mile Creek (BookSurge Publishing) ISBN 1-4196-6665-7; ISBN 978-1-4196-6665-0, 190 pages, a novel about Toledo, tennis and Hamtramck.

23. "^ Indians Scalp Red Sox As Yankees, Dodgers Falter." Toledo Blade. September 19, 1951. Page 30. Google News 30 of 54. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.

Ashlee, Laura Rose, ed. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030663.

Howell, Sally (June 30, 2010). Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253004543.

Kowalski, Greg (2003). Hamtramck: Soul of a City. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523200.

Vinyard, JoEllen McNergney (January 1, 1998). For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067075.

Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open Library.

Kowalski, Greg. Hamtramck: The World War II Years. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0738551414, ISBN 9780738551418.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1 ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.

Hamtramck Consent Decree (Archive) - United States Department of Justice

Davey, Monica. "Michigan Town Is Left Pleading for Bankruptcy." The New York Times. December 27, 2010.

"Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?" (Archive) CBS Detroit July 19, 2013.

Walker, Marlon A. "Possible fraud cited in Hamtramck primary, information sent to prosecutor's office." Detroit Free Press. September 9, 2013.

Charles Sercombe: "Councilmember's open letter on city manager." The Hamtramck Review, December 30, 2015

Larsen, Deborah J. (May/June 2021). "Michigan's Banglatown". Michigan History. 105 (3). Lansing, Mich.: Historical Society of Michigan.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides.

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Said to have elected the first Muslim-Majority council in the country.

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In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim Americans.

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Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 28,433, and was by far the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. It is notable as the only Muslim-majority city in the United States.

Known in the 20th century as a vibrant center of Polish-American life and culture, Hamtramck has attracted new immigrants in the 21st century, especially from Yemen, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2013, it reportedly became the first Muslim-majority city in the U.S. In 2015, Hamtramck became the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States, with four of the six council members being Muslim. In November 2021, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim-American city council and a Muslim mayor, becoming the first municipality in the United States to be governed entirely by Muslim-Americans. In September 2023, the city drew scrutiny for its ban of the rainbow flag and perceived homophobia.

Hamtramck is named for the French-Canadian soldier Jean-François Hamtramck, who was the first American commander of Fort Shelby, the fortification at Detroit. It was originally known as Hamtramck Township.

Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers, but Polish immigrants moved into the area when the Dodge Brothers plant opened in 1914. Poles previously made up a large proportion of the population. It is sometimes confused with Poletown, a traditional Polish neighborhood, which used to lie mostly in the city of Detroit and includes a small part of Hamtramck. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, 14.5% of Hamtramck's population is of Polish origin whereas in 1970 it was 90% Polish.

Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and Southeastern Europe (especially Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%, making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city ( see more at Demographics below). The population was 43,355 in the 1950 Census and 18,372 in 1990.

Hamtramck was primarily farmland, although the Detroit Stove Works employed 1,300 workers to manufacture stoves. In 1901, part of the township incorporated as a village to gain more control over the settlement's affairs, and by 1922 the village was reincorporated as a city to fend off annexation attempts by the neighboring city of Detroit. By the mid-1920s, 78% of the residents of Hamtramck owned their own houses or were buying their houses. Around that time, the factory workers made up 85% of Hamtramck's heads of households. Of those factory workers, about 50% were categorized as not skilled workers. In 1910, the newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created jobs for thousands of workers and led to additional millions of dollars in the city. Dodge Main quickly expanded and became important to Hamtramck. Before the construction of Dodge Main, Hamtramck was a largely rural town. The establishment of the Dodge Main assembly plant led to a large influx of Polish immigrants who pushed out the incumbent German politicians. It was after this that Hamtramck was considered a Polish-American town.

By the end of the 20th century and the closing of Dodge Main, followed closely by General Motors razing of key parts of the Polish neighborhoods, the ethnicity of the region quickly shifted from traditionally Polish descendants to new Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali immigrants. By the elections of 2015, the city is suggested to have been the first to elect a Muslim-majority council in the country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.09 square miles (5.41 km ²), all land.

Hamtramck is mostly surrounded by Detroit except for its small common border with the city of Highland Park, which is in turn also mostly surrounded by Detroit. Hamtramck lies about 5 miles (8 km) from the center of Detroit. The I-75 freeway roughly runs along this city's western border, and I-94 runs near its southern border.

According to Keith Maheney of the Detroit Free Press, the urban layout assists recent immigrants who do not yet have the credentials to drive an automobile, as Hamtramck is "uniquely walkable" and a "tight size".

Hamtramck flourished from 1910 to 1920 as thousands of European immigrants, particularly Poles, were attracted by the growing automobile industry. The city has grown increasingly ethnically diverse in subsequent years but still bears many reminders of its Polish ancestry in family names, street names and businesses. A 2018 survey found that 16 native languages were spoken by Hamtramck schoolchildren. A motto often associated with the city is "A League of Nations". Neal Rubin of The Detroit News wrote in 2010 that despite the demographic changes, "In a lot of ways, Hamtramck still feels like a Polish enclave."

In 1987, Detroit television station WDIV ran one episode of a local sit-com called Hamtramck which featured former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema and a cameo by manager Sparky Anderson. It was met with poor reviews and protests by many Polish Americans, and was canceled before airing a second episode.[citation needed ]

After six decades of double-digit percentage declines in population between 1930 and 1990, Hamtramck finally started to grow in recent years, with population blossoming almost 55% by the 2020 census, surpassing 28,000 residents. These large population gains were despite a small decrease in households in the past 40 years.

The 8,000-square-foot (740 m ²) Hamtramck Historical Museum and the Polish Art Center are next door to one another.

In 1997, the Utne Reader named Hamtramck one of "the 15 hippest neighborhoods in the U.S. and Canada" in part for its punk and alternative music scene, its Buddhist temple, its cultural diversity, and its laid-back blue-collar neighborhoods. In May 2003, Maxim Blender selected Hamtramck as the second "Most Rock N' Roll City" in the U.S., behind Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. Hamtramck is home of several of Michigan's most distinguished music venues.

In January 2004, members of the Al-Islah Islamic Center requested permission to use loudspeakers for the purpose of broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. This request set off a contentious debate in the city, about the noise that would be caused by the call to prayer, eventually garnering national attention. Ultimately Hamtramck amended its noise ordinance in July 2004, allowing for the prayer calls to be made.

Polish immigrants and residents of Hamtramck and southeastern Michigan celebrate Tłusty Wtorek (Fat Tuesday), known locally as Pączki Day, by lining up at the city's numerous Polish bakeries to purchase pączki. On Pączki Day, several local bars host parties with live entertainment and free pączki.

Held annually in the first weekend in May at grounds at St. Florian Church.

In response to a decision by the city council to ban pride flags on city flagpoles, multiple LGBT activist groups organized into a coalition. The founding group comprised of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA. The launch triggered further acts of civil disobedience including a raising of the Progressive Pride flag by Russ Gordon

Planet Ant Film & Video Festival in Hamtramck

Held at the Planet Ant Theater, the festival celebrates independent movies and the people who make them, featuring comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and music videos.

General Motors' Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, one of the automaker's premiere facilities, produced the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac CT6, the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick Lacrosse; it was closed in March 2019, and retooled as Factory ZERO to build the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Detroit is located at 9630 Joseph Campau Ave. It was formerly at 11756 Charest Street. The Museum's purpose is "to educate and inform the general public about the culture, art, and history of Ukrainians, their immigration to the United States and the contributions of Americans of Ukrainian descent to America; to engage in research in these areas; to maintain archives for the deposit of documents and other records relating to these topics; to acquire, preserve, exhibit artifacts of artistic, historical, and scientific value relating to these subjects; to sponsor public programs in order to study and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian Americans."

For more than 85 years, Kowalski Sausage Co. has manufactured meat products at 2270 Holbrook Street, which are distributed in the metropolitan Detroit area.

Notwithstanding the statement in the credits that it was filmed "in Detroit, Michigan", the 1998 Indie film Polish Wedding was filmed mainly in Hamtramck, particularly at a house on Wyandotte Street. Theresa Connelly, who wrote and directed the film, had spent her childhood in Hamtramck.

In December 2010, citing general budget woes and the city of Detroit withholding a portion of shared revenue for the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant straddling the border of both cities, Hamtramck requested that the State of Michigan allow it to declare bankruptcy. The request was denied. Receivership was avoided when a deal was struck between the city and Detroit which required Detroit to pay $3.2 million in collected taxes to Hamtramck in exchange for Hamtramck paying Detroit nearly the same amount for a water and sewage bill that was in arrears.

Hamtramck is home to Detroit City FC (DCFC), a professional American soccer club that plays in United Soccer League Championship (USLC), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays their home matches at Keyworth Stadium, which is owned by Hamtramck Public Schools. The club is managed by Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson.

As of the census of 2020, there were 28,433 people residing in the city. The population density was 13,539.52 inhabitants per square mile (5,227.6/km ²). There were 8,139 occupied housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White (people of European, Middle Eastern and North African descent), 10.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 26.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 1.1% of the population.

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,423 people, 8,897 households, and 5,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,753.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,924.3/km ²). There were 8,693 housing units at an average density of 4,159.3 per square mile (1,605.9/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.5% White, 19.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 21.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 7,063 households, of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.98.

The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,976 people, 8,033 households, and 4,851 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,900.5 per square mile (4,208.7/km ²), making it the most densely populated city in Michigan. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of 4,219.6 per square mile (1,629.2/km ²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.96% White (which includes people of Middle Eastern ancestry), 15.12% African American, 0.43% Native American, 10.37% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 11.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

In the 2000 census, major ancestry groups reported by Hamtramck residents were as follows:

3.1% of Hamtramck's population reported Albanian ancestry. This made it the second most Albanian place in the United States by percentage of the population, second only to Fairview, North Carolina.

There were 8,033 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% 18 through 24, 31.9% 25 through 44, 17.7% 45 through 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,616, and the median income for a family was $30,496. Males had a median income of $29,368 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,691. About 24.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

From the 1990 census to the 2000 census, the city's population increased by 25%. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that this was "overwhelmingly" due to immigration from majority Muslim countries.

From 1990 to 2000, of all of the municipalities in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Hamtramck had the highest percentage growth in the Asian population. It had 222 Asians according to the 1990 U.S. Census and 2,382 according to the 2000 U.S. Census, an increase of 973%.

Historically, Hamtramck received a lot of immigration from Eastern Europe. In the 20th century, Hamtramck was mostly Polish. George Tysh of the Metro Times stated that "In the early days of the auto industry, Hamtramck's population swelled with Poles, so much so that you were more likely to hear Polish spoken on Joseph Campau than any other tongue." Later waves of immigration brought Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians, Ukrainians, and Yemenis. By 2001 many Bangladeshis, Bosnians, and Iraqi Chaldeans were moving to Hamtramck. As of 2011 almost one in five Hamtramck residents was Asian (excluding those from South-west Asia). As of 2003, over 30 languages are spoken in Hamtramck and more than four religions are present. The four principal religions are, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In June 2013, the city's Human Relations Commission facilitated the raising of flags of 18 countries from which Hamtramck residents emigrated. They are displayed on Joseph Campau Street, with an American flag flying at either end.

In the 1930s, the first group of Bengalis came to Detroit and Hamtramck. The first significant population of Bengalis began arriving in the late 1980s and the Bengalis became a large part of the city's population in the 1990s. The largest growth occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2001 many Bangladeshi Americans had moved from New York City, particularly Astoria, Queens, to Hamtramck and the east side of Detroit. Many moved because of lower costs of living, larger amounts of space, work available in small factories, and the large Muslim community in Metro Detroit. Many Bangladeshi Americans moved into Queens, and then onwards to Metro Detroit.

In 2002, over 80% of the Bangladeshi population within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties lived in Hamtramck and some surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit. That area overall had almost 1,500 ethnic Bangladeshis. Almost 75% of Bangladeshi Michiganders live in Hamtramck.

By 2002, a Bengali business district formed along Conant Avenue and some residents called it "Little Bengal". The district, along Caniff and Conant streets, included markets, stores, mosques, and bakeries owned by Bangladeshis, Indians, and Pakistanis. By 2008 the Bengali business district, between Davison and Harold Street, and partially within the city limits of Detroit, received the honorary title "Bangladesh Avenue" and was to be dedicated as such on November 8, 2008. Akikul H. Shamin, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, estimated that Bangladeshi people operate 80% of the buildings and businesses in the portion of Conant Avenue. As of February 2008 the city planned to erect signage reading "Bangladesh Town" in the business district.

In 2002, the estimate of Hamtramck inhabitants of origins from South Asia was from 7,000 to 10,000. As of 2001, 900 registered students who spoke Bengali and Urdu attended Hamtramck Public Schools.

As of 2006, most of the Middle Eastern population in Hamtramck is Yemeni. Hakim Almasmari wrote in 2006 that "Several streets seem to be populated exclusively by Yemeni Americans, and Yemeni culture pervades the city's social, business, and political life." Many Yemeni restaurants are in Hamtramck, and the Yemeni community operates the Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque ( Arabic: مسجد معاذ بن جبل), which was established in 1976. In 2005 the mosque, located just outside the southeastern border of Hamtramck, was the largest mosque out of the ten within a three-mile radius. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck."

According to Almasmari, some of the first Yemenis to have arrived in Hamtramck said that Yemeni people first arrived in Hamtramck in the 1960s. The "Building Islam in Detroit: Foundations/Forms/Futures" project of the University of Michigan stated that Yemenis began arriving in the 1970s.

In 2013 Dasic Fernandez, a Chilean artist, created a 90-foot (27 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) mural on the Sheeba restaurant celebrating the Yemeni population. The mural depicts a girl in a veil decorated with the blue sky, a farmer wearing a turban, and a woman in a hijab. The Arab American and Chaldean Council and the coalition OneHamtramck commissioned the mural.

In the 2000s, a Bengali mosque named the Al-Islah Jamee Masjid wanted permission to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, from loudspeakers outside of the mosque, and requested permission to do so from the city government. It was one of the newer mosques in Hamtramck. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the request "brought to a head simmering Islamophobic sentiments" in Hamtramck. Muslims and interfaith activists supported the mosque. Some anti-Muslim activists, including some from other states including Kentucky and Ohio, participated in the controversy. Howell added that the controversy, through an "international media storm", gave "a cathartic test of the "freedoms" we were said to be "fighting for" in Afghanistan and Iraq" to the remainder of the United States. In 2004, the city council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan on public streets, making it one of a few U.S. cities to do so. Some individuals had strongly objected to the allowing of the adhan,; some continue to object.

Of course, many residents of Hamtramck argue that the opposition to the call to prayer, 5 times/day, 365 days/year, starting as early as 5:40 am on many days, has nothing to do with "Islamophobia", but rather being disturbed by the loud noise so early in the morning. Many state it is a violation of the 1st Amendment for the town to allow and favor one specific religion to be able to publicly broadcast something that can be heard inside and outside their homes, every day. Most residents argue they want Muslims to be able to practice their religion, but not at the expense of non-Muslim residents peace of mind. For example, one town resident, who just had an operation related to their cancer diagnosis, was unable to get enough sleep because of the loud call to prayer every morning. A Protestant minister claimed the Muslim call to prayer, so early in the morning, prevented his ability to write sermons for his churchs' services. Another resident claimed it made dogs bark and babies wake up and cry, in the early morning hours. A resident named Jeanette Powell said she's not complaining as a way to "bash anyone's religion." She said the call to prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume "overbearing." "Just turn it down a little bit."

On June 13, 2023, the City Council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and "nations' flags that represent the international character of [the] City," which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents. Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously. Current mayor Amer Ghalib opposed displaying the pride flag, but former Mayor Karen Majewski had supported displaying it. The move was criticized by Senator Stephanie Chang, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, U.S.Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

In response to a decision by the city council, multiple activist groups organized into a coalition opposing the flag restrictions. The founding group consisted of individual activists, AntiTransphobe Detroit, Michigan General Defense Committee, and the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. Notable speakers at the event were Dana Nessel, Rev. Strickland, Grace of AtA, and Josh of HQA.

Hamtramck is governed under a council-manager form of government in which the elected mayor of the city is the chief executive officer. The city council consists of six seats. Though part of the council, the mayor is elected separately and votes only in the case of a tie and on ordinances and contracts. The city council hires a city manager, who becomes the city's chief administrative officer. The city manager has the vested powers and responsibility to appoint and remove all city employees and department heads, prepare the city's budget, and other city functions.

In November 2015, Hamtramck became the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council. In 2022, it became the first American city to have an all-Muslim government. It also now has an all male elected government which has been said to "not reflect the city's makeup." The Wayne County Jail Division operates the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. The city levies a city income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Hamtramck Public Schools headquarters

Hamtramck is served by Hamtramck Public Schools. Hamtramck High School is the public high school of Hamtramck. In addition Hanley International Academy, Frontier International Academy, Hamtramck Academy, Bridge Academy (of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) company), Caniff Liberty Academy and Oakland International Academy are all charter schools, in Hamtramck. Frontier International Academy, a charter school operated by GEE, is in nearby Detroit.

Hamtramck was historically a Polish Catholic community, so it housed Catholic schools by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. One of the buildings once used by Hanley charter school was previously St. Florian Elementary School. The other Catholic primary schools included Our Lady Queen of Apostles and St. Ladislaus Elementary School. The city also housed St. Florian High School, a Catholic high school which opened in 1940 and was located in another wing of the same building as St. Florian.

The parishes that established St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, and St. Ladislaus had been built after 1909. In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in the city. That year, St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students, and Our Lady Queen of Apostles had 1,316 students. JoEllen McNergney Vinyard, author of For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925, wrote that the classrooms were "more crowded than most any Polish parish school in Detroit." In the Catholic schools in Hamtramck there were often 70 students per classroom compared to 45 students per classroom in Hamtramck public schools. It was common for children to attend religious schools selectively during certain periods so they could absorb religious ideals, but go to public school for preschool and later stages. In the 1920s Hamtramck had no Catholic high school and the majority of parents sent their children to public high school. Felician Academy and St. Josephat's Polish Catholic High School, two schools in Detroit, were located several blocks away from the Hamtramck border. Some parents sent their children to those schools.

In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building. In the fall of 2002, St. Florian High and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods merged to form Trinity Catholic High School in Harper Woods. At that point, St. Florian Elementary remained open. In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck. During the same year, the archdiocese announced that Trinity High School would close.

Hamtramck High School

In the 1920s Hamtramck families often sent their children to public school for Kindergarten due to convenience, then moved their children to parochial schools for the years with the most important religious instruction. Therefore, the age group 7 to 12 had the largest Catholic school enrollment. After the critical period ended, many students returned to public school. In 1925 the public schools had 1,467 students aged 14-15 while the non-public schools had 217 students aged 14 and 15. In the early 1920s the annual growth rate of Hamtramck Public Schools buildings was 27% while non-public schools had an annual growth rate of 6% in that period.

Hamtramck Public Library Albert J. Zak Memorial is located at 2360 Caniff. The Tau Beta Association founded the library in November 1918. The library opened at its second location, the second floor of a professional building, on November 14, 1938. In 1951 the City Hall branch opened in the first floor of the municipal building; it was dedicated on January 22, 1952. The current library received its groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 1955. It was completed on May 31, 1956, and dedicated on July 1, 1956.

St. Florian Church

1796: Colonel Jean François Hamtramck took possession of Detroit after British troops evacuated.

1798: The Township of Hamtramck was established.[13]

1901: Hamtramck was established as a village.[13]

1908: Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church parish is the first Catholic church in Hamtramck.[107]

1914: Dodge Brothers plant begins operations.[108]

1922: Hamtramck is incorporated as a city to protect itself from annexation by Detroit; Peter C. Jezewski is the first mayor.[13]

1926: St. Florian's present edifice is built.[107] It has a 1928 Austin Organ Opus #1528 that contains 3 Manuals and 40 ranks,[109] which was newly refurbished in 2008.[110]

1959: Won the Little League World Series of Baseball.[111] Hamtramck was a hotbed of baseball activity at the time, and was the first Michigan team to win the title;[111] the next time a team from Michigan won the title was Taylor in 2021.[112][113]

1996: In November, voters pass the Ordinance to Preserve Parkland in Hamtramck by a 64% vote, after a year-long campaign, marking the first time an ordinance was ever enacted in the City by a referendum vote of the population.[114]

2000: Hamtramck goes into Emergency Financial Status after running million dollar deficits and political in-fighting. Gov. Engler appoints Louis Schimmel as Emergency Financial Manager.[115]

2005: Hamtramck voters ratify a new City Charter[116]

2007: Hamtramck emerges from emergency financial management.

2010: Hamtramck asked the state of Michigan permission to file for bankruptcy protection.

2013: Hamtramck becomes the first Muslim-majority American city.[7][8]

2014: Hamtramck reenters emergency management.[117]

2015: Hamtramck becomes the first American city to elect a Muslim-majority city council.[7][8]

2018: The city is released from emergency management for the second time.[118]

2022: Hamtramck becomes the first American city with an all-Muslim government.[89]

2023: Hamtramck City Council approves animal sacrifices for religious purposes.[119]

Jane Bartkowicz, tennis player and girls single winner at The Championships, Wimbledon, was born in Hamtramck, and her skills were developed under the tutelage of the Hoxies.[121]

Albert M. Bielawski, Michigan State Representative, lived in Hamtramck.

Mike Blyzka, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Danny Brown, rapper

Matt Feazell, cartoonist.

Bob Franke, singer-songwriter, born in Hamtramck.

Steve Gromek, Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Hamtramck.

Jean Hoxie, Hamtramck tennis player and coach[123] inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.[124][125][126]

Truth Martini, pro wrestling manager for Ring of Honor.

Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), son of Elijah Muhammad, leader of American Society of Muslims, born in Hamtramck.[128]

Bill Nahorodny, Major League Baseball catcher.

Lucien Nedzi, Former US Representative

Tom Paciorek, Major League Baseball player, member of the 1961 Hamtramck team that won the Pony League World Series championship; Paciorek is enshrined into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Wally Palmar (born Volodymyr Palamarchuk on April 27, 1954, in Hamtramck), singer for The Romantics.

Mitch Ryder, singer, The Detroit Wheels, born in Hamtramck.[129]

Kat Timpf, comedian, columnist, Fox News personality

Rudy Tomjanovich, professional basketball player and coach of Croatian descent for the Houston Rockets, born in Hamtramck;[131] member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Roger Zatkoff (1931-2021), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.[133]

Bob Zurke (1912-1944), pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader

Raymond Zussman (1917-1944), recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Toi Derricotte, (born 1941), poet. Hamtramck.

1. ^ "Hamtramck". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

2. Seidner, Stanley S. (1976). ^ In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community. New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.

3. ^ "General Population Characteristics Michigan, 1980 Census of Population" (PDF). census.gov. August 1982.

4. ^ "Public Transportation in Michigan: An Economic Development Tool Whose Time Has Come (legislative committee report)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-28.

5. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

6. ^ Tysh, George. "Little Bengal." (Archive) Metro Times. June 5, 2002. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

7. Steele, Micki. "^ Asian-Americans settle in Metro Detroit enclaves Archived 2016-01-02 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News (EN). 2011-04-19. "Almost one in five residents of Troy is Asian. The same is true for Hamtramck."

8. Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "^ Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 13. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

9. Piligian, Ellen. "^ Hamtramck's Global Vibe: Bangladesh Avenue." (Archive) Model D Media. October 28, 2008. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.

10. DeVito, Lee. "^ WDET explores Hamtramck's Bangladeshi clothing shops" (Archive). Metro Times. May 19, 2014. Retrieved on October 5, 2014.

11. ^ Almasmari, Hakim. "Hamtramck, Michigan: A Yemeni oasis" (Archive). Yemen Observer. November 21, 2006. Retrieved on September 9, 2013.

12. "Masjid Mu'ath Bin Jabal" (Archive). University of Michigan. Retrieved on December 10, 2015.

13. Abdel-Razzaq, Lauren. "^ New mural helps Yemeni immigrants see themselves in Hamtramck Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine." The Detroit News. Also at Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine The Republic. December 16, 2013. Retrieved on January 6, 2014.

14. "^ Jail Division Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

15. "^ GEE Academies Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Global Educational Excellence. Retrieved on September 1, 2015. "13200 Conant Street Detroit, MI 48212" and "Frontier is located in the heart of Hamtramck, one of the most diverse cities in the Detroit metropolitan area."

16. "Dickinson West Elementary School." Hamtramck Public Schools. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "2650 Caniff Hamtramck, MI 48212"

17. "^ Welcome to the Hamtramck Public Library." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

18. "^ About Archived 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hamtramck Public Library. Retrieved on April 26, 2009.

19. Kulfan, Ted (August 10, 2010). "'Pinky' Deras: The greatest Little Leaguer there ever was". The Detroit News. Hamtramck, Michigan.

20. ^ "Michigan Sports Hall of Fame biography". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.

21. "Hamtramck Hollywood Connection". 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.

22. Rochelle, Larry (2007) ^ Ten Mile Creek (BookSurge Publishing) ISBN 1-4196-6665-7; ISBN 978-1-4196-6665-0, 190 pages, a novel about Toledo, tennis and Hamtramck.

23. "^ Indians Scalp Red Sox As Yankees, Dodgers Falter." Toledo Blade. September 19, 1951. Page 30. Google News 30 of 54. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.

Ashlee, Laura Rose, ed. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030663.

Howell, Sally (June 30, 2010). Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit". Located in: Shryock, Andrew (editor). Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253004543.

Kowalski, Greg (2003). Hamtramck: Soul of a City. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523200.

Vinyard, JoEllen McNergney (January 1, 1998). For Faith and Fortune: The Education of Catholic Immigrants in Detroit, 1805-1925. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067075.

Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, in various formats at Open Library.

Kowalski, Greg. Hamtramck: The World War II Years. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0738551414, ISBN 9780738551418.

Kowalski, Greg, Hamtramck: The Driven City (Arcadia Publishing) 160 pages. ISBN 0-7385-2380-1 ISBN 978-0-7385-2380-4.

Serafino, Frank, (1983) West of Warsaw. Avenue Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-910977-00-5 ISBN 0-910977-00-3.

St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, Michigan, 1908-1983 Published in 1985, s.n. (Hamtramck, Mich) (English and Polish) 400 p. Open Library.

Wodka, Joseph. Some Correlates of Political Stability in a Polish-Language Voting Precinct in the Detroit Metropolitan Area; 1959 thesis.

Hamtramck Consent Decree (Archive) - United States Department of Justice

Davey, Monica. "Michigan Town Is Left Pleading for Bankruptcy." The New York Times. December 27, 2010.

"Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?" (Archive) CBS Detroit July 19, 2013.

Walker, Marlon A. "Possible fraud cited in Hamtramck primary, information sent to prosecutor's office." Detroit Free Press. September 9, 2013.

Charles Sercombe: "Councilmember's open letter on city manager." The Hamtramck Review, December 30, 2015

Larsen, Deborah J. (May/June 2021). "Michigan's Banglatown". Michigan History. 105 (3). Lansing, Mich.: Historical Society of Michigan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hamtramck ( ham-TRAM-ik ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An enclave of Detroit, Hamtramck is located roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Detroit, and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides.

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Hamtramck's City Council votes to allow religious animal sacrifices.

-Naya

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HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - After months of debate, the Hamtramck City Council voted to allow religious animal sacrifices.

The city's attorney said imposing restrictions would be unconstitutional. He said animal religious sacrifices is, and has been legal in Michigan.

"I think many people may be surprised to know that public animal sacrifice is allowed in every city in the state that the state of Michigan allows," the attorney said.

The attorney advised council to do away with proposed restrictions. He pointed to a 1993 Supreme Court ruling prohibiting restricting religious animal sacrifice.

Those restrictions included notifying the city ahead of a sacrifice, scheduling a post-sacrifice inspection to ensure the area was adequately cleaned and sanitized, and keeping it out of public view.

"The concern is is that these Muslim families are not disposing of the animals appropriately or there are blood in the streets and it is scaring children. But we have not seen any proof of that," Nour Ali with the Council of American Islamic Relations Michigan said.

Ultimately, the council voted to pass a new language that is nearly identical to the state and federal statutes on religious animal sacrifice.

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Hamtramck City Council votes to allow religious animal sacrifices

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After months of debate, the Hamtramck City Council voted to allow religious animal sacrifices.

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Hamtramck's City Council unanimously elected to ban the pride flag, creating uproar.

-Naya