Маршалл, Мичиган: История и архитектура города будущего Ford Motor Company

Marshall is a city and the county seat of Calhoun County, Michigan. The population was 6,822 at the 2020 census. Marshall is best known for its cross section of 19th and early 20th century architecture and as the future home of Ford Motor Company's BlueOval Battery Park. It has been referred to by the keeper of the National Register of Historic Places as a "virtual textbook of 19th Century American architecture." Its historic center is the Marshall Historic District, one of the nation's largest architecturally significant National Historic Landmark Districts. The Landmark has over 850 buildings, including the Honolulu House.

The town was founded by Sidney Ketchum (1797–1862) in 1830, a land surveyor born in Clinton County, New York, in conjunction with his brother, George Ketchum (1794 1853). The Ketchum brothers explored central lower Michigan in 1830, and in late 1830, Sidney Ketchum obtained government grants for the land on which most of Marshall now stands. The early settlers named the community in honor of Chief Justice of the United States John Marshall from Virginia—whom they greatly admired. This occurred five years before Marshall's death and thus was the first of dozens of communities and counties named for him. The village of Marshall was incorporated March 28, 1836. Marshall was thought to be the frontrunner for state capital, so much so that a Governor's Mansion was built, but the town lost by one vote to Lansing. In the years thereafter, Marshall became known for its patent medicine industry until the Pure Drug Act of 1906. Marshall was involved in the Underground Railroad. When escaped slave Adam Crosswhite fled Kentucky and settled in Marshall with his wife and three children, the people of the town hid him from the posse sent to retrieve him. Those involved were tried in Federal Court and found guilty of denying a man his rightful property. This case and others like it caused the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 to be pushed through Congress.

In 1843, Adam Crosswhite, his wife Sarah and their four children ran away from Francis Giltner's plantation in Hunter's Bottom, Carroll County, Kentucky because the Crosswhites learned that one of their four children was to be sold. The Crosswhites made the tough journey north through Indiana along the Underground Railroad, beginning in Madison, Indiana. They finally settled in Marshall, where they were accepted, and Adam worked and built a cabin. To curry political favor, Detroit entrepreneur Zachariah Chandler supposedly stepped in to pay these costs on Gorham's behalf. Because of the Crosswhite Affair and many others like it, Sen. Henry Clay from Kentucky pushed a new law through Congress in 1850 known as the Fugitive Slave Law, which made it very risky for anyone to help an escaped slave. Two Marshall citizens Rev. John D. Pierce and lawyer Isaac E. Crary, innovated the Michigan school system and established it as part of the state constitution. Their method and format were later adopted by all the states in the old Northwest Territory and became the foundation for the Morrill Land Grant Act in 1862, which established schools like Michigan State University all over the country. Pierce became the country's first state superintendent of public instruction and Crary Michigan's first member of the U. S. House.

In 1968, a large tract of land in Marshall Township, approximately 800 acres, was rezoned to D 2 Park Industrial. The rezoning was sought by Flint industrial real estate developer Robert Gerholz. Gerholtz, a former president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, chose the property because of 4 advantages: 1) proximity to the I 94 & I 69 interchange, 2) access to the railroad, 3) access to hard surface road open to industrial truck travel year round, and 4) proximity to the Kalamazoo River. Over 140 people turned out for rezoning hearing. It was pointed out at the hearing that the 800 acres fully developed with industry could furnish a 100 million dollar tax base which was about 3 times the tax base was at that time. Among the people at the hearing were representatives from Marshall City Schools, city and county officials, county road commission, Marshall businesses, and manufacturing plants including Consumers Power Company. In the years after the rezoning there was regular interest in developing the parcel for a large industrial development. In January 1997 the Gerholtz property was recognized by the Marshall Chamber of Commerce as having "statewide and national attention as one of the best locations in Michigan for large scale industrial development." Volkswagen AG expressed interest in developing a manufacturing plant on the Gerholtz property in 2008. Accordingly, the Marshall City attorney obtained several options for property surrounding the larger parcel as would be needed for the preliminary site plannings as the Gerholtz property alone was not large enough. A lack of short term site readiness for construction caused Volkswagen to shift attention to other potential development. In late 2021 the State of Michigan pushed for the creation of a 100 million dollar fund for industrial development on large tracts of land after Tennessee and Kentucky landed $11.4 billion in investments from the Ford Motor Company and a battery manufacturer. The site was the subject of planning, and it was anticipated that these funds would be used to develop an industrial master plan and traffic impact studies. In September 2022, the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation began promoting the "Marshall Megasite" to industrial manufacturers but did not disclose their plan to the general public. Notices were not sent to Marshall Township residents immediately adjacent to on in close proximity to the project. At the time the proposed development area encompassed up to 1,600 acres of rural land (owned by separate landowners and just under 800 acres of which had previously been zoned D 2 Park Industrial) located in Marshall Township just outside Marshall's city limits. The move was controversial as the land was not yet zoned for heavy industry with the majority, over 1000 acres was zoned agricultural. Marshall Township Residents were informed that a large industrial project was to take place in their community via the announcement of PA 425 Land Transfers to take place in January 2023. There was vocal public opposition to the land transfers, which would take 1,900 acres off of the Marshall Township Tax rolls and put them on the City of Marshall Tax rolls of which a percentage would go back to Marshall Township per the Master PA 425. The transfer enabled the megasite to have access to city utilities such as water and electricity. The Marshall Township Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 for the PA 425 land transfers. The Marshall City Council voted for the transfer as well, although there was significant public opposition to the project. In February 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Ford Motor Company announced the Marshall Megasite would become the site of Ford BlueOval Battery Park. The zoning changes on the property to allow for heavy industry were not made until May 1, 2023 by the Marshall City Council. Residents filed a petition for referendum on the zoning and their petition was rejected by the Marshall City Clerk and the Marshall City Council Members. A lawsuit was filed against the City by the ballot committee named "Committee for Marshall Not the Megasite" The lawsuit was dismissed by the Circuit Court in early January 2024. The Committee for Marshall Not the Megasite have filed an appeal. This committee was countersued by a committee with ties to Governor Whitmer's campaign committee.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.40 square miles (17 km2), of which 6.28 square miles (16 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0 km2) is water.

Marshall is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,088 people, 3,092 households, and 1,840 families residing in the city. The population density was There were 3,394 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 95.1% White, 1.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population. There were 3,092 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

, a north–south freeway connecting with Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the south and Lansing to the north. , an east–west route connecting with Battle Creek and Kalamazoo on the west and Jackson and Detroit on the east. runs through downtown. runs westerly from Marshall through Battle Creek and on to Kalamazoo. has as its northern terminus at BL I 94 (Michigan Avenue) on the west side of Marshall, near I 69.

The city of Marshall provides Demand responsive transport bus service during the week with no service provided on weekends or major holidays. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to nearby Battle Creek, Michigan and Albion, Michigan, operating its Wolverine both directions between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan, via Detroit.

Brooks Field is a non towered General Aviation airfield owned and operated by the city of Marshall. The airport features a single runway (10/28) 3500 x 75 feet, helipad, public and private hangars, lighted wind indicator, segmented circle, compass rose, and a tie down apron.