Lansing is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan, and the state's sixth largest city. It is located
mostly in Ingham County, although small portion of the city extend into
Clinton County and Eaton
County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 119,128, an
Urbanized Area (UA) population of 300,032, and, as of July 1, 2006, a Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA) population of 454,044[1]. The
even larger Combined Statistical Area (CSA) population, which includes
Shiawassee County, is estimated at 526,956[2].
The Lansing metropolitan area, colloquially
referred to as "Mid-Michigan," is an important center for educational, cultural, governmental, business, and high-tech
manufacturing institutions, including three medical schools (two human medicine and one
veterinary), two nursing schools, two law schools, a
Big Ten Conference university (Michigan
State), the state capitol, the state Supreme Court, an appellate court, a federal
court, the Library of Michigan and Historical Center, and headquarters of
four national insurance companies.
Lansing is the only U.S. state capital (among the 46 located in counties) that is not also a county seat. The county seat of Ingham County is Mason,
Michigan.
History
The area that is now Lansing was originally surveyed in 1825 in what was then dense forest. There would be no roads to this
area for decades to come.[3]
In the winter of 1835 and early 1836, two brothers from New York plotted the area now known as REO Town just south of downtown
Lansing and named it "Biddle City." All of this land lay in a floodplain and was underwater during the majority of the year.
Regardless, the brothers went back to New York, specifically Lansing, New York,
to sell plots for the town that did not exist. They told the residents of Lansing, New York that this new "city" had an area of
65 blocks, contained a church and also a public and academic square. A group of 16 men bought plots in the nonexistent city and
upon reaching the area later that year found they had been scammed. Many in the group too disappointed to stay ended up settling
around what is now Metropolitan Lansing. Those who stayed quickly renamed the area "Lansing Township" in honor of their home
village in New York.[3]
The sleepy settlement of fewer than 20 people would remain dormant until the winter of 1847 when the state constitution
required that the capital be moved from Detroit to a more centralized and safer location in the interior of the state since many
were concerned about Detroit's close proximity to British-controlled Canada, which had captured Detroit in the War of 1812. The United States had recaptured the city in 1813, but these events led to the dire need to
have the center of government relocated away from hostile British
territory. In addition, there was also concern with Detroit's strong influence over Michigan politics, being the largest
city in the state as well as the capital city.[3]
During the multi-day session to determine a new location for the state capital, many cities, including Ann Arbor, Marshall, Jackson,and Calumet (located in the Upper Peninsula),
lobbied hard to win this designation. Unable to publicly reach a consensus due to constant political wrangling, the
Michigan House of Representatives privately chose the Township of
Lansing out of frustration. When announced, many present openly laughed that such an insignificant settlement was now the capital
city of Michigan. Two months later, the governor William L. Greenly signed into law
the act of the legislature officially making Lansing Township the
state capital.[3]
With the announcement that Lansing Township had been made the capital, the small village quickly transformed into the seat of
state government. The legislature gave the settlement the temporary name of the "Town of Michigan." On April 31, 1848, the legislature then gave the settlement the name of "Lansing."
Within months after it became the capital city, individual settlements began to develop along three key points along the
Grand River in the township.[3]
"Lower Village/Town," where present-day Old Town stands, was the oldest of the three villages. It was home to the first house
built in Lansing in 1843 by pioneer James Seymour and his family. Lower Town began to develop in 1847 with the completion of the
Franklin Avenue (now Grand River Avenue) covered bridge over the Grand River.[2]
"Upper Village/Town," where present-day REO Town stands at the confluence of the Grand River and the Red Cedar River. It began to take off in 1847 when the Main Street Bridge was constructed
over the Grand River. This village's focal point was the Benton House, a 4-story hotel which opened in 1848. It was the first
brick building in Lansing and was later razed in 1900..[3]
"Middle Village/Town," where downtown Lansing now stands, was the last of the three villages to develop in 1848 with the
completion of the Michigan Avenue bridge across the Grand River and the completion of the temporary capitol building which sat
where Cooley Law School stands today on Capitol Avenue in between Allegan and Washtenaw Streets, and finally the relocation of
the post office to the village in 1851. This area would grow to become larger than the other two villages up and down river. For
a brief time the combined villages were referred to as "Michigan" but was officially named Lansing in 1848..[4]
In 1859, the settlement having grown to nearly 3,000 and encompassing about square miles ( km²) in area was
incorporated as a city. The boundaries of the original city were Douglas Avenue to the north, Wood and Regent Streets to the
east, Mount Hope Avenue to the south, and Jenison Aveune to the west. These boundaries would remain unchanged until 1916. Lansing
began to grow steadily over the next two decades with the completion of the railroads through the city, a plank road, and the completion of the current capitol building in 1878.
Most of what is known as Lansing today is the direct result of the city becoming an industrial powerhouse which began with the
founding of Olds Motor Vehicle Company in August of 1897. The company went through many
changes, including a buyout, between its founding to 1905 when founder Ransom E. Olds
started his new company REO Motor Car Company, which would last in Lansing for
another 70 years. Over the next decades, the city would see itself transformed into a major American industrial center for the
manufacturing of automobiles and automobile parts among other industries. The city
continued to grow in area too. By 1956, the city had grown to square miles ( km²), and doubled in size over the next
decade to its current size of roughly square miles ( km²).[5]
Today, the city's economy is now diversified among government service, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, banking, and
education.
Timeline
- 1825 - Lansing Township is surveyed.
- 1836 - A group of New York speculators plot and market a non-existent city known as "Biddle City." The New Yorkers that
bought into the idea arrive in Lansing to discover that the plots they had bought are located in a marsh, and are underwater.
Some of the pioneers stay, but develop a village in what is now Old Town Lansing a mile north of the non-existent "Biddle
City."
- 1847 - The state capital is moved from Detroit to Lansing Township.
- 1855 - Michigan State University is founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.
- 1859 - The city of Lansing is officially incorporated with about 3,000 citizens inside of 7.5 square miles.
- 1879 - New State Capitol dedicated. The structure cost $1,510,130.
- 1881 - Michigan Millers Insurance Company is founded.
- 1897 - Ransom E. Olds drives his first car down a Lansing street. He would later
found Oldsmobile, which became a General Motors
division in 1908, and Diamond REO.
- 1904 - The "most extensive flood in 135 years of local history" causes the Grand
River to overflow its banks in March 24-27, leading to major damage and one death.[4] Bridges at Logan Street, Kalamazoo Street, Cedar Street and Mt. Hope Road are all
washed away. The Kalamazoo St. bridge lodges against the Michigan Avenue bridge; it is later salvaged and re-erected at Kalamazoo
Street.[5]
- 1910 - The population of the city nearly doubles from the 1900 census to hit 31,229.
- 1912 - The Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is founded.
- 1916 - Auto-Owners Insurance Company is founded.
- 1929 - The Lansing Symphony Orchestra is founded.
- 1940 - Lansing's population stagnates, only rising by 356 over the decade to 78,753.
- 1954 - Frandor Mall opens - first in the area, and 2nd in the state.
- 1956 - The city reaches square miles ( km²) in size.
- 1957 - Lansing Community College is founded.
- 1960 - The city's population finally breaks the 100,000 mark at 107,807.
- 1961 - Jackson National Life Insurance Company is founded.
- 1965 - The city reaches square miles ( km²) in size.
- 1970 - Lansing reaches its peak population of 131,546.
- 1972 - The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is founded.
- 1980 - Lansing's population declines for the first time losing 989 to hit 130,414.
- 1989 - The Library of Michigan and Historical Center near the Capitol Complex is
dedicated.
- 1992 - The Michigan State Capitol completes an extensive renovation to
restore it to its original grandeur.
- 1998 - Mayor David Hollister signs a 425
Agreement with Alaiedon Township in September to facilitate the
development of the headquarters of Jackson National Life Insurance Company.
- 1999 - Mayor David Hollister signs a 425
Agreement with Meridian Township in November to facilitate
the development of the Governor's Collection/College Fields upscale housing
development and golf course.
- 2000 - Lansing's population experiences its greatest drop in its history, falling over 6% over the preceding decade to
119,128.
- 2001 - GM opens new assembly plant, Lansing Grand River Assembly.
Builds the Cadillac CTS, STS, SRX and V-Series. The architecture of the assembly plant
resembles a high-tech research facility instead of a traditional factory.
- 2002 - The Hall of Justice (Michigan
Supreme Court building) at the West-end of the Capitol Complex is dedicated.
- 2004 - Last Oldsmobile rolls off the assembly line at Lansing Car Assembly on April 29. This same year the
Thomas M. Cooley Law School becomes the largest law school in the
nation.
- 2005 - Mayor Tony Benavides signs a series of three 425
Agreements with Delta Township and General Motors facilitating the development General Motors' Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant.
- 2006 - GM opens state of the art facility in nearby Delta Charter Township. As with the 2001 assembly plant built in Lansing, the Delta
plant resembles a high-tech research facility and not a traditional factory.
Geography and climate
The North Lansing dam of the Grand River. The
Lansing River Trail and Ottawa Street
Power Station are visible behind.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 91.3 km² (35.2 sq mi). 90.8 km² (35.0
sq mi) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 sq mi) of it (0.57%) is water. This figure includes two 425 Agreements with Alaiedon Township and
Meridian Township, but not the four 425 Agreements with Delta Township since
2000.
Under Michigan law, 425 Agreements are only temporary land sharing agreements, and do
not count as official annexations. The Census Bureau, however, for
statistical purposes, does count these as annexations. Not counting the temporary 425
Agreements, though, Lansing administers 34.1 sq mi, total.
Lansing is located in the south central part of the lower peninsula where the Grand
River meets the Red Cedar River. The city occupies most of what had
formerly been part of Lansing Charter Township. It has also annexed
adjacent tracts of land in Delta Charter Township and Windsor Township in Eaton County to the west and Delhi Charter Township in Ingham County to the south. The city also controls three
non-contiguous tracts of land through 425 Agreements (conditional land transfer
agreements) with Meridian Charter Township, Delta Charter Township, and Alaiedon
Township in Ingham County to the southeast.
The Ottawa Street Power Station
Lansing elevation ranges between feet ( m) above sea level on the far
south side of Lansing along Northrup Street near the Cedar Street intersection, to feet ( m) above sea level along the
Grand River.
The Grand River, the largest river in Michigan, flows through downtown Lansing; and the Red Cedar River, a tributary of the
Grand River, flows through the campus at Michigan State University. There are two lakes in the area, Park Lake and
Lake Lansing, both northeast of the city. Lake Lansing is approximately 500
acres (2 km²) in size and is a summer favorite for swimmers, boaters, and fishermen. Michigan State
University Sailing Club and the Lansing Sailing Club are located on Lake Lansing, where sailing regattas are hosted throughout
the summer.
The city of Lansing operates a total of 3.6 sq mi (9.3 km²) of parkland, of which 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km²) is parkland, 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) are golflands, and 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²) are cemetery lands. This figure includes the Waverly Hills Golf
Course and adjacent Michigan Avenue Park, which are part of Lansing
Township, but operated by the City of Lansing. The figure, however, does not include the Ingham County parklands within the borders of Lansing.[6]
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec High °F |
66 |
69 |
79 |
86 |
94 |
99 |
100 |
100 |
97 |
89 |
77 |
69 |
| Norm High °F |
29.4 |
32.6 |
43.5 |
56.6 |
69.4 |
78.1 |
82.1 |
79.7 |
72 |
59.8 |
46 |
34.1 |
| Norm Low °F |
13.9 |
15.4 |
24.3 |
34.5 |
44.8 |
54.3 |
58.4 |
57 |
48.9 |
38.6 |
30.1 |
19.7 |
| Rec Low °F |
-29 |
-25 |
-15 |
-2 |
19 |
30 |
37 |
35 |
22 |
15 |
4 |
-18 |
| Precip (in) |
1.61 |
1.45 |
2.33 |
3.09 |
2.71 |
3.6 |
2.68 |
3.46 |
3.48 |
2.29 |
2.66 |
2.17 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [6] |
Neighborhoods
The Boji Tower, Lansing's tallest building, loacated Downtown
The city's downtown is dominated by state
government buildings, especially the State Capitol; but downtown has also
experienced recent growth in new restaurants, retail stores and residential developments. Downtown Lansing has a historic city market that is one of the oldest continuously
operating farmers' markets in the United States. Upriver and north of downtown is historic Old Town Lansing with many architecturally
significant buildings dating to the mid-1800s. Directly south of downtown on the other side of I-496 along Washington Avenue lies "REO Town," the birthplace of the automobile in the United States, is
where Ransom Eli Olds built factories along Washington Avenue. Ransom Eli Olds' home, which once overlooked the factories along Washington Ave., was displaced by
I-496.
Lansing is generally divided into four sections: Eastside, Westside, Northwestside, and the Southside. Each section containins
a diverse array of neighborhoods. The Eastside,
located east of the Grand River and north of the Red Cedar River, is the most
ethnically diverse side of Lansing, with foreign-born citizens making up more of its population than any other side in the city.
The Eastside's commercial districts are located mainly along Michigan Avenue, and to a lesser extent along Kalamazoo Street. It
is anchored by Frandor Shopping Center on the very eastern edge of the eastside.
The Westside, roughly located north, west, and south of the Grand River as it
curves through the city, is sometimes regarded the city's most socio-economically diverse section. This side also contains
Lansing's downtown area, though this neighborhood is often included as an area all its own. Outside downtown, this side is
largely a collection of residential neighborhoods and is served by only one other commercial area along Saginaw Street. However,
it also includes a small part of the Old Town Commercial Association.
The Northwestside, generally located north of the Grand River, with the city limits
defining its north and western borders, is physically the smallest side of the city. This part of the city includes suburban
areas and some more rural areas. North of Grand River Avenue, the main street of the side, lie warehouses and light industrial
areas served by a major rail line that runs through Lansing. The most notable landmark of this side is Lansing's airport:
Capital City Airport.
The Southside, usually described as the neighborhoods located south of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers and the I-496 freeway, is physically the largest and most populous side of
the city, and contains some of the city's most healthy neighborhoods. The area is largely suburban in nature (south of Mount Hope
Road near the northern edge), and is served by numerous commercial strips along Cedar Street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Waverly Road,
which run north/south. The large Edgewood District is located in the southernmost part of the Southside and is sometimes referred
to as South Lansing. Though it is the largest area of the city by both physical size and population, it has often been regarded
by Southside citizens as Lansing's most overlooked and forgotten area, as most of Lansing's attention in recent decades has been
put into the revitalization of the city's historic core located mostly on small parts of both the East and Westsides.
Demographics
Michigan's State Capitol in Lansing
As of the census² of 2000, there were
119,128 people, 49,505 households, and 28,366 families residing in the city. The population
density was 1,312.3/km² (3,399.0/sq mi). There were 53,159 housing units at an average density of 585.6/km²
(1,516.8/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 65.28% White (61.4% non-Hispanic White), 21.91% African American, 0.80% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.54% from other races, and 4.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.98% of the population. The city's foreign-born
population stood at 5.9%.
Of Michigan's major cities, Lansing has the highest number of persons that report themselves as "mixed race," and the highest
number of persons that report their ethnicty as "Native American."
There were 49,505 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were
non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from
45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,833, and the median
income for a family was $41,283. Males had a median income of $32,648 versus $27,051 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,924. About 13.2% of families and 16.9% of the population were
below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65
or over.
Government
Municipal Government
Lansing is administered under a Mayor-council government, and more
specifically a "strong mayor" setup in which the city's mayor is given most of
the city's administrative powers such as the appointment of department heads, and drafting and administering the city budget,
though the council must approve it. The mayor is currently elected at-large every four
years. Lansing is different than most cities in that its 8-member city council is elected
from 4 wards/districts as well as 4 member elected at-large/citywide. The reasoning behind this is that every ward of the city
gets equal representation, but that wards with often underrepresented neighborhoods also have the possibility of representation
on the council.
Lansing City Hall & Lansing Police Department Central Precinct
The current mayor is Virgil Bernero, who took office on January 1, 2006. The city council members are Harold Leeman (1st Ward and
Council President), Sandy Allen (2nd Ward), William Matt (3rd Ward)[7],
Tim Kaltenbach (4th Ward), Kathie Dunbar (at-large), Brian Jeffries (at-large and Council Vice President), Derrick Quinney
(at-large) and Carol Wood (at-large).
State and Federal Representation
Lansing currently lies mostly within the boundaries of Michigan's 8th
congressional district, which has been represented by Republican
congressman Mike J. Rogers since 2001. The small portion of
the city that extends into Eaton County is located in Michigan's 7th congressional district, which has been represented by
Republican congressman Tim Walberg
since 2006.
At the state level, Lansing is located in the 23rd district of the Michigan Senate, which has been represented by Democratic state senator Gretchen Whitmer
since January 1, 2007. The small portion of the city that
extends into Eaton County is located in the 24th district of the Michigan Senate, which is currently represented by Republican state senator Patricia L.
Birkholz. The city lies in the 67th, 68th, 69th, and 71st districts of the Michigan State House of Representatives, represented by Democratic state representative Barb Byrum, Democratic state
representative Joan Bauer, Democratic state representative
Mark Meadows, and Republican
state representative Rick Jones,
respectively.
Despite Lansing not being a designated county seat, many county offices and
courts are still located within downtown Lansing, including the county circuit court.
Economy
The Lansing metropolitan area's major industries are government, education, insurance, healthcare, and
automobile manufacturing. Being the state capital, many state government workers reside in
the area.
Michigan State University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and Lansing Community
College are significant employers in the region.
The former
Oldsmobile Headquarters and the Otto Eckert Power Station
General Motors has offices and a hi-tech manufacturing
facility in Lansing and several manufacturing facilities immediately outside the city, as well, in nearby Lansing and
Delta townships. The Lansing area is headquarters to four major national insurance companies: Auto-Owners Insurance Company, Jackson National
Life, the Accident Fund, and Michigan Millers Insurance Company. The Lansing area is also
home to rapidly growing financial companies such as Siena Capital Management and Capitol
Bancorp Limited.
Lansing has a number of technology companies in the fields of information
technology and Biotechnology. The recent decline of the auto industry in the region has increased the region's awareness of the importance of engaging a
strategy to grow the high-technology sector. An initiative called Prima Civitas, created by Michigan State University, in
cooperation with the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, under the direction of former Lansing mayor David Hollister, is spearheading focused economic
development in the technology sector in the region.
Early availability of high-speed Internet in 1996, as well as the MSU,
Cooley Law School, and LCC student population, fostered an intellectual environment for information technology companies to
incubate.
"Cool City" and downtown redevelopment
Several urban renewal projects by private developers are adding higher end apartments
and condominiums to the Lansing market. The Arbaugh, a former department store across
from Cooley Law School was converted into apartments in 2005. Motor Wheel
Lofts [8], an industrial site will be converted
into loft-style living spaces in mid 2006 . The Stadium District [9], a combination retail and residential complex that will be adjacent to the
Oldsmobile Park baseball stadium, is scheduled to be
completed in 2007. In May, 2006, the historically significant Mutual Building located on Capitol Avenue was purchased by The
Christman Company to be renovated back to its original grandeur and used as the company's headquarters. Additional downtown
developments include the renovation of the historic Hollister Building, and the expansion of the former Abrams Aerial Building.
In addition, Lansing is home of the two Liquid Web, Inc.'s Datacenters.
List of Largest Metro Lansing Employers - 2005[7]
| Company/Organization |
Sector |
Local Full-time Employment |
| State of Michigan |
Government |
14,355 |
| Michigan State University |
Higher Education |
10,500 |
| General Motors Corporation |
Automobile Manufacturing |
6,300 |
| Sparrow Health System |
Healthcare |
6,000 |
| Lansing Community College |
Higher Education |
3,180 |
| Ingham Regional Medical Center |
Healthcare |
2,500 |
| Lansing Public School District |
Primary Education |
2,106 |
| Meijer |
Warehousing, Retailer, Grocer |
2,000 |
| Auto-Owners Insurance |
Insurance |
1,500 |
| Peckham, Inc. |
Manufacturing |
1,400 |
| Jackson National Life |
Insurance |
1,393 |
| Ingham County |
Government |
1,258 |
| City of Lansing |
Government |
1,240 |
| United States Postal Service |
Government |
1,200 |
| Wal-Mart |
Retailer |
1,185 |
| Dart Container |
Container Manufacturer |
1,144 |
Education
J.W. Sexton High School, Westside Lansing
Michigan State University, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is known as
"the pioneer land grant college," located in neighboring East Lansing. MSU has the largest land campus in the United States and is home to several
nationally and internationally recognized academic and research oriented programs. Michigan State offers over 200 programs of
study and is home to fourteen different degree-granting schools and colleges including three medical schools, a law school, and
numerous PhD programs. It is the only university in the nation with three medical schools. MSU is consistently one of the top
three programs in the United States for study abroad programs. Michigan State University is
the oldest agricultural college in the United States.
The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation
and is located in downtown Lansing. Cooley is fully accredited by the American Bar
Association. A majority of Cooley students are from out-of-state.
Lansing Community College offers more than 500 areas of study to over
18,000 students at its main facilities in Lansing, and another 5,000 students at twenty-nine extension centers and a site in
Otsu, Japan. Lansing Community College recently demolished Old Central, which was the first
building on LCC's campus. Old Central provided additional classrooms for the community
college and also had the duty of serving as Lansing's first public high school
(established in the late 1880s as Lansing Central High School). A new state of the art building is currently being erected in its
place, known as the University Center. The University Center will allow LCC students to take courses and eventually earn a degree
from other Michigan institutions.
Other institutions of higher education include Western Michigan University (branch campus in Delta Township), Davenport University in Downtown Lansing, Central
Michigan University (branch campus), and Great Lakes Christian
College.
Eastern High School, Eastside Lansing
Public and Private Primary Schools
Culture
Music
![1]](http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/c/c5/250px-Lansing_Ingham.png)
