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57-643: Brush Motor Car Company (1907-1909), later the Brush Runabout Company (1909-1913), was based in Highland Park, Michigan . The company was founded by Alanson Partridge Brush (February 10, 1878, Michigan – March 6, 1952, Michigan). He was a self-taught prolific designer, working with Henry Leland at Oldsmobile , and went on to help design the original one-cylinder Cadillac engine. Although there were many makes of small runabouts of similar size and one to four cylinders at this time (before

114-478: A Tax increment financing district, or potential listing in the National Register of Historic Places . The Highland Park Police Department was headquartered in a building opened at 25 Gerald Street in 1917. In 1984 the police and fire departments were merged into a Public Safety Department . The former police and then public safety headquarters building was vacated in 1999. All operations moved across

171-413: A chain-driven rear axle. Lacking a differential drive, the rear-axle disengaged one of the rear wheels while driving around a curve to avoid undue wear and tear on the drivetrain. A feature of engines designed by Brush was that they ran counter-clockwise instead of the usual clockwise. This was Brush's idea intended to make them safer for a right-handed person to crank-start by hand. Prior to the invention of

228-577: A financier and automobile enthusiast, who presented the AAA with a trophy first awarded to the winner of the 1905 tour. In 1906, the Glidden Tours were the first motor race to use a checkered flag to indicate the end of the race: Sidney Walden divided the courses into sections; the time check at the end of each section was performed by race officials called "checkers." These checkers used checkered flags to identify themselves. The first two days of

285-588: A lower priced version of the car. Sold between 1911 and 1912, the Liberty-Brush was a simplified version of the standard Runabout offered at a lower price. The most distinguishing feature between the two models were the fenders: the Brush had sweeping front and rear fenders that connected at the midpoint of the car in a short running board, whereas the Liberty-Brush had four bicycle type fenders over only

342-464: A male householder with no wife present, and 48.2% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.30. Highland Park had the highest percent of single people, 87%, of any city in Michigan. The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 23.7% of

399-426: A small farming community, on a large ridge at what is now Woodward Avenue and Highland, six miles (9.7 km) north of Detroit. In 1818, prominent Detroit judge Augustus B. Woodward bought the ridge, and platted the village of Woodwardville in 1825. The development of the village failed. Another Detroit judge, Benjamin F. H. Witherell , son of Michigan Supreme Court justice James Witherell , attempted to found

456-693: A stop at the Brush Factory for a tune-up), Chicago and Omaha. Brush used the "Little Cowboys from Oklahoma" in their advertisements. Trans-Australian Trip In 1912, Sid Ferguson, Francis Birtles and a dog named Rex drove a Brush Runabout across the Australian continent. The pair started out on the west coast in Freemantle and ending on the east coast in Sydney, with the trip occurring between March and April of that year. Ferguson and Birtles became

513-630: A village platted as Cassandra on this site in 1836, but this plan also failed. By 1860, the settlement was given a post office under the name of Whitewood. After a succession of closures and reopenings of the rural post office, the settlement was finally incorporated as a village within Greenfield Township and Hamtramck Township under the name of Highland Park in 1889. In 1907, Henry Ford purchased 160 acres (65 ha) just north of Manchester Street between Woodward Avenue and Oakland Street to build an automobile plant. Construction of

570-464: Is a K-8 charter school that was originally authorized by academy. The school's 2008 mathematics and English standardized test scores for 4th grade students were invalidated after cheating had been discovered. In 2013 the school participated in the "Students for Peace" competition in order to reduce the amount of fighting on campus; in 2012 91% of the students had received suspensions because they participated in fighting. In 2016 it had 560 students, and it

627-446: Is governed under the council-mayor form of government. The mayor is the executive and administrative head of the city, and appoints city officers such as the city clerk, city treasurer, city attorney, and finance director as well as other department heads. The city council consists of five members, two members who are elected at large and three who are elected from the city's three electoral districts . The at-large member who receives

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684-678: Is managed by Midwest Management Group. That year it changed its authorizer to Bay Mills Community College out of concern that the Highland Park school district may collapse. Lawrence Technological University was founded in 1932 in Highland Park by the Lawrence brothers as the Lawrence Institute of Technology and adopted its current name in 1989. Lawrence Tech moved to Southfield, Michigan , from its site in Highland Park, Michigan, in 1955. Highland Park Community College

741-602: The Classical Revival style, it was the final element of the Highland Park Civic Center ensemble located on both sides of Gerald Street near Woodward Avenue. It remains as a monument to the rapidly growing and wealthy Highland Park of the 1910s and 1920s. From 1999 to 2001, it also housed the police department, then fell into disuse. As of 2020, it continues to await redevelopment as part of a wider regeneration of downtown Highland Park by means of

798-537: The Glidden Tour . Neither Brush successfully completed the tour. Abernathy Boys In 1910, Jack Abernathy and his two boys, Bud and Temple rode their horses to see former President Theodore Roosevelt at a celebration. The two boys convinced Jack to return to Oklahoma via automobile, and the trio purchased a 1910 Brush Runabout for the trip. Their return trip included stops in Albany, NY, Niagara Falls, Detroit (and

855-503: The Highland Park Ford Plant was completed in 1909, and the area's population dramatically increased in 1913, when Henry Ford opened the plant's first assembly line . The village of Highland Park was incorporated as a city in 1918 to protect its tax base, including its successful Ford plant, from Detroit's expanding boundaries. In 1910, Highland Park, then a village, had 4,120 residents. Between 1910 and 1920 during

912-511: The Model T Ford dominated the low-price market), the Brush has many unusual design details showing the inventiveness of its creator. The Brush Runabout Company, along with Maxwell-Briscoe , Stoddard-Dayton , and others formed Benjamin Briscoe 's United States Motor Company (USMC) from 1910, ending when that company failed in 1913. Runabouts , in general, fell out of vogue quickly, partly due to

969-574: The United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 2.971 square miles (7.69 km ), all land. Highland Park is approximately 6 miles (10 km) north-northwest from Downtown Detroit . It is bounded by McNichols Road (6 Mile Road) to the north, Grand Trunk Western Railroad Holly Subdivision tracks to the east, the alleys of Tuxedo and Tennyson streets to the south, and the Lodge Freeway and Thompson Street to

1026-456: The electric starter , crank-starting a clockwise-running engines frequently resulted in dislocated thumbs and broken forearms if the hand crank kicked back on starting. According to a contemporary review from Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal in 1907, author Hugh Dolnar described the recently introduced Brush as a "...very, very new and also very, very old, as will be seen from the detailed construction illustrations below..." In his critique of

1083-405: The street lights in Highland Park's residential neighborhoods and alleys were removed by the city, due to an inability to pay a $ 60,000 per month electric bill. The street lights were not only turned off, but decommissioned, or removed from their posts. The city advised residents to keep porch lights on to deter crime. The following year, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization , Soulardarity,

1140-429: The "Everyman's Car", Brush designed a light car with a wooden chassis (wooden rails and iron cross-members), friction drive transmission and "underslung" coil springs in tension instead of compression on both sides of each axle. Two gas-powered headlamps provided light, along with a gas-powered light in the rear. The frame, axles, and wheels were made of oak, hickory or maple, and were either left plain or painted to match

1197-514: The 1907 edition of the Glidden Auto Tour were marred by a number of accidents that resulted in the death of one man, Thomas J. Clark , lifelong friend and partner of John K. Stewart , and four other persons severely injured. While trying to make a sharp angle in the road preparatory to crossing a bridge, about two miles east of Bryan, Ohio , Mr. Clark lost control of his Packard that jumped over an embankment. The car turned over and he

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1254-499: The 1910s and 1920s, the police and the municipal government moved to purpose-built buildings in 1917 and 1927, respectively. The first municipal building was expanded and altered several times until it became the headquarters of the Highland Park Fire Department (HPFD), established in 1917. At its peak, the fire department employed about 84 firefighters and had four fire stations across the city. One of them

1311-457: The Brush, Dolnar was referencing the decision to use wooden axles. In addition to the Runabout, Brush advertised a $ 600 "Package Car" (also advertised as the "Delivery Car") based on the same chassis as the runabout. Also offered was a "Coupe" model for $ 850. It is unknown how many (if any at all) of these models were ever produced or sold by Brush. In order to increase sales, Brush introduced

1368-570: The Davison Freeway at the edge of the city, where it remained until 2013. A $ 2.7 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enabled construction of a new, purpose-built station. It was built on the site of the old police headquarters, demolished in 2012, at 25 Gerald Street, across the street from the condemned Fire Department headquarters. The new fire station

1425-780: The Robert Blackwell Municipal Building, and the patrol station is in a mini-station in the Model-T Plaza strip mall. It has occupied that facility since 2007. The jail facility there is a makeshift chain-link cage. The police department has a business liaison office in the Woodward Place Plaza. The village of Highland Park's fire department was established in 1911. It was housed in the first municipal building at 20 Gerald Street, designed by Albert E. Williams and opened in 1911. Given Highland Park's rapid growth and industrialization in

1482-830: The US and occasionally into Canada with time limits between check points and a point scoring system to determine a winner of each event. The time limits caused some problems with the inhabitants of where the tour traveled through as autos scared horses, caused personal and property damage and sometimes appeared to not care. The Glidden Tours were revived in 1946 by the Veteran Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA) and have continued since with antique cars traveling premarked routes and stopping in local towns to show off their vehicles, many people dressed in period costume. Original founder Augustus Post participated in every Glidden Tour until his death in 1952. In 1954, Dr. Jay Rice Moody

1539-486: The automotive industry . The killing was considered a racially-motivated hate crime. Known as "The City of Trees", the town was thickly forested until the 1970s. The spread of Dutch elm disease required many old trees to be cut down. From 2001 to 2009, the city was controlled by an emergency financial manager appointed by the State of Michigan due to mounting financial stress. In August 2011, more than two-thirds of

1596-491: The boom associated with the automobile industry, Highland Park's population grew to about 46,500, an increase of 1,081 percent, reaching its peak around 1927. The growth of Highland Park and neighboring Hamtramck broke records for increases of population; both municipalities withstood annexation efforts from Detroit. In 1925, Chrysler Corporation was founded in Highland Park. It purchased the city's Brush - Maxwell plant, which would eventually expand to 150 acres and serve as

1653-628: The building. The Ernest T. Ford Recreation Center serves as a recreation center for the community. The center has a basketball court, exercise equipment, pool tables, table games, and televisions. After a renovation, it re-opened in February 2008. In 1993 Highland Park Community College won the MCCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship against Macomb Community College . Glidden Tour The original Glidden Tours were held from 1904 to 1913. They were named after Charles J. Glidden ,

1710-524: The chief of police, a mayor, and a city councilman, joined this group. Lupp and others were among the 48 men indicted and convicted following the murder of Charles Poole in May 1936; eleven were convicted in that murder. Investigations revealed the Legion had been involved in many other murders or conspiracies to murder during the previous three years, for which another 37 men were convicted. These convictions ended

1767-564: The city's financial operations in December 2000, effectively relegating the mayor, city council, and other elected public officers to advisory roles. Ramona Henderson-Pearson was appointed the city's first emergency financial manager. In 2002, Henderson-Pearson laid off most city workers. She shuttered several city buildings including the McGregor public library and the old Civic Center buildings on Gerald Street. Her successor, Arthur Blackwell,

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1824-504: The city's population was under age 18; 10% was between age 18 and 24; 21.9% was from age 25 to 44; 30% was from age 45 to 64; and 14.4% was age 65 or older. The populace was 49.2% male and 50.8% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 inhabitants per square mile (2,171.0/km ). There were 7,249 housing units at an average density of 2,434.1 per square mile (939.8/km ). The racial makeup

1881-478: The event, the AAA announced that the tour would be a "reliability and endurance" tour, a type of road rally . This attracted automobile manufacturers who competed to test their vehicles and use the events for advertising. The tours were gruelling events: cars broke down, were damaged by accidents, and encountered nearly impassable roads. Drivers and teams did repairs on the run and helped out other drivers having difficulties. The tours went several hundred miles in

1938-490: The first persons to successfully undertake such a trip. Highland Park, Michigan Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan . An enclave of Detroit , Highland Park is located roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Downtown Detroit , and is surrounded by Detroit on most sides. As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 8,977. The area that became Highland Park began as

1995-453: The former Chrysler headquarters. The plant on the site of the former Chrysler headquarters opened in June 2010. The gear-reduction starter Chrysler used from the early 1960s through the late 1980s garnered the nickname "Highland Park Hummingbird" after Chrysler's hometown and the starter's distinctive cranking sound. Despite Chrysler's departure, the city remains associated with Chrysler in

2052-574: The lack of protection from the weather. After Brush and the other companies of the USMC folded into Maxwell Motor Company , President Walter Flanders wrote in 1913 document "Why We Did Not Use All Our Plants", the Brush factory in Detroit (along with the Flanders and Sampson Plants) were to remain open and running as factories. The modern successor is Stellantis North America/Chrysler . Touted as

2109-726: The minds of auto enthusiasts. Highland Park is served by Highland Park Schools , which was reorganized in 2012 as the Highland Park Public School Academy System, a public school academy district. The academy operates one school, Barber Preparatory Academy, a K-8 school . For high school education, students are zoned to Northwestern High School in the Detroit Public Schools Community District . Highland Park Community High School of Highland Park Schools closed in 2015. George Washington Carver Academy

2166-531: The most votes becomes council president for that term. The mayor and city council members are limited to four consecutive four-year terms in office , though are eligible to run for office again one year after the conclusion of their fourth consecutive term. The city levies an income tax of 2 percent on residents and 1 percent on nonresidents. However, using the Public Act 72 of 1990, Governor John Engler appointed an emergency financial manager to take over

2223-423: The population. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.0% were under 5 years of age, and 23.8% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 11,776 people, 4,645 households, and 2,406 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,963.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,530.5/km ). There were 6,090 housing units at an average density of 2,050.5 per square mile (791.7/km ). The racial makeup

2280-470: The reign of the Legion. In 1944, the Davison Freeway was opened as the country's first modern depressed urban freeway , running through the center of the city. It was completely reconstructed and widened in 1996 and 1997 to improve its safety. Ford Motor Company demolished large sections of its Highland Park plant in the late 1950s. With the loss of industrial jobs, the city suffered many of

2337-425: The same difficulties as Detroit: declines in population and tax base accompanied by an increase in street crime. White flight from the city accelerated after the 1967 Detroit 12th Street Riot . Ford's last operation at the factory, the production of tractors at its Model T plant, was discontinued in 1973, and in 1981 the entire property was sold to a private developer for general industrial usage. The city population

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2394-581: The site of the company's headquarters for the next 70 years. Arthur Lupp of Highland Park founded the Michigan branch of the Black Legion in 1931; it was a secret vigilante group related to the Ku Klux Klan , which had been prominent in Detroit in the 1920s. The Legion had a similar nativist bent and its members were opposed to immigrants, Catholics, Jews, blacks, labor organizers, etc. Many public and business officials of Highland Park, including

2451-510: The street into the old Municipal Building, which in turn was vacated in 2001 with all functions moving to the Robert Blackwell Municipal Building. In December 2001, the city police department was formally disbanded, at which time the Wayne County Sheriff Department took over policing the city. The Highland Park Police Department was re-established on July 1, 2007. The police administrative offices are located in

2508-588: The trim. Wider axles were available for use in the Southern region of the United States, where a 60-inch tread fit wagon ruts on country roads. The horn was located next to the engine cover, with a metal tube running to a squeeze bulb affixed near the driver. A small storage area was provided in the rear, with a drawer accessible under the rear of the seat. The engines were a single-cylinder, four-stroke water cooled design, producing 6BHP, with power going to

2565-480: The west. As of the 2020 census , there were 8,977 people, 3,917 households, and 1,845 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,021.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,166.6/km ). There were 5,137 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 5.7% White , 88.2% African American , 0.5% Native American , 0.5% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.8% from some other races and 4.2% from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of

2622-511: The wheels. While the standard Brush sold in the $ 450 - $ 850 range, the Liberty-Brush was extensively advertised at a $ 350 price. Pikes Peak In 1908, Fred and Florence Trinkle took their 7BHP Brush Runabout. It was the third car to make it to the top of Pikes Peak under its own power. The trip to the top of Pikes Peak was part of the Trinkle's "Across America" trip, covering 2,340 miles. Glidden Tour In 1909, two Brush Runabouts participated in

2679-411: Was $ 17,737, and the median family income was $ 26,484. Males had a median income of $ 31,014 versus $ 26,186 for females. The city's per capita income was $ 12,121. About 32.1% of families and 38.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 47.1% of those under age 18 and 30.8% of those age 65 or over. Between the 1990 Census and the 2000 Census, the population fell by 17%. Highland Park

2736-409: Was 3.2% White , 93.5% African American , 0.3% Native American , 0.4% Asian , 0.4% from other races , and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 4,645 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 13.0% were married couples living together, 32.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had

2793-554: Was 4.11% White , 93.44% African American , 0.27% Native American , 0.24% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.25% from other races , and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population. There were 6,199 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 17.0% were married couples living together, 33.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who

2850-461: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.43. 29.1% of the city's population was under the age of 18, 8.6% was from age 18 to 24, 27.5% was from age 25 to 44, 20.2% was from age 45 to 64, and 14.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males. The city's median household income

2907-502: Was Engine 4, Ladder 3 at 19–21 Sturtevant Street, near Hamilton Avenue (demolished in 2013). Highland Park's shrinking population and tax base took its toll. In 1984 the police and fire departments were merged into a Public Safety Department. The fire department again became a separate entity in 2005. By that time, the headquarters building on Gerald Street was deemed uninhabitable. The department moved to an old, 40000 sq. ft. warehouse at 12900 Oakland Park Boulevard, near Oakland Avenue and

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2964-586: Was appointed in 2005 and fired in April 2009 for over-payments that he received. The third and final emergency financial manager, Robert Mason, returned the city to local control in July 2009. The city administration works out of the Robert B. Blackwell Municipal Building at 12050 Woodward Avenue. The old Municipal Building at 28‒30 Gerald Street was opened in 1927. Designed by Marcus Burrowes and Frank Eurich, Jr. in

3021-524: Was crushed between the steering wheel, suffering several ribs broken and serious internal injuries, from which he succumbed four days later at Bryan hospital. It is believed that Mr. Clark was demonstrating the Stewart speedometer on the 1907 Glidden Auto Tour. At the turn of the century automobile travel was difficult as the road systems around the world were generally not well suited for the horseless carriage . To bring more awareness and sponsorship to

3078-515: Was formed to restore streetlighting to the city's residential neighborhoods and alleyways in the form of solar street lights . On November 20, 2013, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department filed a lawsuit against the City of Highland Park regarding unpaid sewage services and water totaling $ 17.7 million. In 2020, the two cities settled out of court for an unspecified amount. According to

3135-439: Was in Highland Park before its 1996 closing. It had been known as Highland Park Junior College. In 1918 Katherine and Tracy McGregor, wealthy individuals, deeded the property of a facility for "homeless, crippled, and backward children." The McGregor Public Library opened on that site in 1924. The library closed in 2002. Around 2007 the city began efforts to re-open the library. However, little action has taken place to re-open

3192-451: Was majority black and impoverished by the 1980s. Chrysler, the city's last major private sector employer, moved its corporate headquarters from Highland Park to Auburn Hills between 1991 and 1993, paying the city $ 44 million in compensation. The move dislocated a total of 6,000 jobs over this period. On June 19, 1982, drafter Vincent Chin was beaten to death in Highland Park by two automotive workers in retaliation for Japan's success in

3249-642: Was opened on September 3, 2013. Chrysler was headquartered in Highland Park. In 1992 the company announced it would move its headquarters to its technology center in Auburn Hills , approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of the original headquarters site. The company planned to accomplish the move by 1995. In 1992 Chrysler had 25% of Highland Park's tax base and contributed 50% of the city's budget. Chrysler had about 5,000 employees in Highland Park when it moved. In 2009 Magna International announced plans to start an automotive seat production operation in

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