I just returned from the haunted flint book release party at totem books. Filmmaker michael moore described teardown as a brilliant chronicle of the mad maxization of a oncegreat american. Michaels church building, during the pastorate of rev. Scientists now know exactly how lead got into flints. Flint is the largest city and seat of genesee county, michigan, united states. The researcher should be aware that as the geographic area or topic becomes more specific, the number of published or online sources declines, which is why a visit to the genesee historical collection center on the 2nd floor of the frances willson thompson library to visit primary source documents is a great idea. Since the start of the 20 th century flint began to turn into a booming auto. Flint, city, seat 1836 of genesee county, eastern michigan, u. Genesee county historical society, flint, michigan.
In a 1837 letter to family back east, ann arbor resident sarah c. Its population in 1998 was 1,000 people and it is the fourth largest city in michigan. In a city that once boasted the highest median income in the state thanks to general motors, new u. For the last century, flints history has been dominated by both the auto industry. Rick snyder declares a state of emergency in genesee county due to the lead in flint s drinking water. The books selected here deal with individuals who live or lived in michigan, stories that that relate to our state, or books set in michigan and the great lakes area. City are not just important books, they are useful as history and as. Remembering when gm employed half of flint, michigan. Weird, almost abandoned dort mall flint mi, kmart south dort highway duration. The roots of flint s water crisis go back to when the city decided to switch water authorities. The state said that i was an unfortunate researcher, that i was causing nearhysteria. Michigan activity pass check out passes to great places across the state with your fpl card. Childrens fiction set in michigan central michigan. See more ideas about flint michigan, michigan and michigan usa.
You might enjoy my book about flint called teardown. The following books are good general histories of genesee county and flint from its early years to the modern era. Two new books take distinct approaches to flesh out the picture of such a place. This is an annotated list of michigan related childrens books found in the lucile clarke memorial childrens library, a component part of the clarke historical library. A timeline of the flint water crisis my original intent was to host programs highlighting the work organizations in our community are doing to protect the flint river watershed, says laurie bone, the museums senior curator of programs, mentioning the flint river watershed coalition, the genesee conservation district, and the michigan sea grant.
Over time, the hubris of the big three, of gm, ford and chrysler evident in the declines in product quality, the inroads made by foreign auto manufacturers and the assaults targeted at unions nationwide brought down the u. The flint metropolitan area is located entirely within genesee county. Historian, gary flinn lectures at the flushing historical society from his latest book, a hidden history of flint, michigan. The university of michigan flint is proud of its continued role in the city of flint s rich history and diverse culture. In the spring of 2014, the city, as part of a costcutting plan devised under emergency management, switched its water source from lake huron to the notorious flint. In 1908, durant founded general motors, with headquarters in flint, but later moved to detroit in the mid1920s. Flint, michigan is located in genesee county along the flint river about 60 miles northwest of detroit. It lies along the flint river, 60 miles 100 km northwest of detroit. Moore portrays the regional economic impact of general motors ceo roger smiths action of closing several auto plants in his hometown of flint, michigan, reducing gms employees in that area from 80,000 in 1978 to about 50,000 in 1992. The root cause of the flint lead crisis was corrosion, the new study confirms. History flint, michigan is located in genesee county along the flint river about 60 miles northwest of detroit. That day turned out to be september 23rd 1956, nearly 120 years after sarah penned the first recorded mention of a university of michigan flint campus. His earliest writings were for flint central high school publications the tribal times and the arrow head.
Flint culture and history university of michiganflint. Laid out beginning in 1830 and named for the river which the native americans called pawanunking, river of flint, the settlement progressed as a furtrading, lumbering, and agricultural centre. After warning of elevated lead levels in her patients in flint, mich. Gary flinn is a product of the flint community schools and a graduate of mott community college and michigan state university who has lived in the flint area most of his life. That photo was taken one year prior to the construction of the elementary school, but just after most of the houses were built near the school site. One understandable but unfortunate dimension of the citys growth, as pointed out by robert beckley, in flint michigan and the cowboy economy. October 26 an epa report finds fault with michigans oversight of flints drinking water system, placing the most blame with the michigan deq. The worker behind him with the old style engine is known only as randall. Located along the flint river, 66 miles 106 km northwest of detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as mid michigan. According to the 2010 census, flint has a population of 102,434, making it the seventh largest city in michigan.
Michagan is one of the main settings in the book euclid avenue 1915 cp06289 looking east from e. It originated in 1819 as a trading post opened by jacob smith. Gary is the author of remembering flint, michigan, published by the history press. Over the past several decades, general motors plants in genesee county have experienced renamings, management shifts, openings, closures, reopenings, and spinoffs. In general motors heyday, chevrolet and buick were there, of course, but flint where gm was founded in 1908 also had other lesserknown gm. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 124,943. The rise and fall of flint, michigan beginning in the 1800s. This is flint, michigan, in all its pain and all its glory.
A 150year timeline of the flint water crisis pacific. Below are select resources with insights into both. The flint water crisis begins on april 25, 2014 officials from flint, michigan switched the citys water supply to the flint river as a costcutting measure for the struggling city. Although it was once a thriving industrial centre, the city of flint in souteastern michigan. Buick factory history flint, michigan factory history.
For the last century, flint s history has been dominated by both the auto industry and car culture. President obama declared a state of emergency less than two weeks later. Flint is the home of the watson family and is in the north, so most of the civil rights drama is avoided there. The global financial crisis in 2008 struck fling really hard people lost their jobs and crime rates rose. For 50 years, flint had purchased its water from detroit, its neighbor 70 miles to south. During the sitdown strike of 19361937, the united automobile workers succeeded over general motors. Besides the uncommon sense, he also contributed articles for your magazine, the flint journal and downtown flint revival magazine.
On page 169 of the flint journals centennial book picture history of flint is a 1920 aerial photo of the civic park neighborhood. Flint, mi almost half of the people in the city of flint are living in poverty. Flint, michigan is a city which previously relied on its auto industry, and still does to an extent. The history of the flint schools would not be complete without mention of the st. This is a guide to researching various topics of flint s history. In the year of 1856 a small, oneroom building was erected on the south side of the old st. The faygo book is the social history of a company that has forgeda bond with a city and its residents for more than a century. Heres how flint went from boom town to nations highest. Live in flint all of my life and didnt know a lot of the stories in this book. The poisoned city recounts the gripping story of flints poisoned water through the. Remembering flint, michigan stories from the vehicle city, published in 2010, and hidden history of flint, published in. The city was founded in 1819 by jacob smith, a fur trader, and was incorporated in 1855. Once modern metropolis with highprofit automotive business and progressive citizens, the city was a prospering and vital part of the midwest.
Flint water crisis, public health crisis april 2014june 2016 involving the municipal water supply system of flint, michigan, which resulted in residents being exposed to dangerous levels of lead. Celebrating 150 years of preserving genesee county history. Memoir of a vanishing city, a michigan notable book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd annual northern california book award for creative nonfiction. Laid out beginning in 1830 and named for the river which the native americans called pawanunking, river of flint, the settlement progressed as a furtrading, lumbering, and agricultural. Anna clarks book on the flint water crisis rises to a great challenge. See more ideas about history, flint michigan and michigan. The modern history of flint, michigan isnt an easy one. When the people of flint, michigan, turned on their faucets in april of 2014, the water. It was an overflow crowd there and authors roxanne rhoads and joe schipani were glad i was there. The following books are set in flint or relate to the city.
Gary flinn is a product of the flint community schools and a graduate of mott community college and michigan state university who lived in the flint area most of his life. A rapidly growing city, the population of flint according to the 1860 u. Group on goodreads for monthly reading challenges, discussion of the fiction only book club titles, to check out. Browse, borrow, and enjoy titles from the flint public library digital collection. Mdhhs assessment of behavioral health needs for flint. A full account of the flint, michigan, water scandal, an american tragedy, with new.
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