Flint in Genesee County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Boomtown
The Nation Comes to Flint
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021
1. Boomtown Marker
The world came to Flint in search of work, and people from many nationalities and ethnicities found employment here. Within the United States, a great migration of African Americans and whites from the South moved north, swelling Flint's population. Flint's population grew from 13,000 in 1900 to 38,500 in 1910 and to 91600 in 1920. The population grown launched a construction boom that created high-rise bank buildings, stores, hotels and theaters through the community.
"There was work, plenty of work - and when the men came the city stretched itself and strained itself to absorb them so that it was as uncomfortable as an adolescent in knickerbockers..."
-From "Nobody Starves," a novel by Catharine Brody
You Auto Know
Because of the influx of southerners, an area south of Flint earned the nickname "Little Missouri."
Erected by Motorcities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.
Location. 43° 1.965′ N, 83° 40.979′ W. Marker is in Flint, Michigan, in Genesee County. Marker is on James P
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Applewood Estate (approx. 0.7 miles away); Flint (approx. 0.7 miles away); Gatehouse (approx. ¾ mile away); Josiah Dallas Dort (approx. ¾ mile away); Renewing an Old Orchard (approx. ¾ mile away); The Heart of the Farm (approx. ¾ mile away); Flint Automobile Company (approx. ¾ mile away); The Demonstration Garden (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Flint.
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021
2. Boomtown Marker
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021
3. Boomtown Marker
Inset photo (Top left) caption: Flint's first structural steel building, the Flint P. Smith Building, under construction in 1909. Photo courtesy of the Kettering University Archives, Flint.
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021
4. Boomtown Marker
Inset photo (Middle right) caption: Flint was unprepared for the population grown and informal housing developments popped up around the area's factories. Photo courtesy of the Sloan Museum, Flint.
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021
5. Location
Marker is located in the Vietnam Veterans Park along the trail.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 135 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 6, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
