Текумсе (Мичиган): История и современность города

Tecumseh is a city in Lenawee County in the U. S. state of Michigan, near the River Raisin. Tecumseh is about 60 mile (97 km) southwest of Detroit, 25 mile (40 km) south of Ann Arbor, and 40 mile (64 km) north of Toledo, Ohio. The main street of downtown is Chicago Boulevard, also designated as M 50. It crosses the River Raisin a few miles east of M 52. The city is surrounded on three sides by Tecumseh Township, but the two are politically independent. Raisin Township borders the southern edge of the city. In 2009 the city was rated by CNNMoney as #93 among the 100 best small towns to live in.

The boundaries of Lenawee County were laid out by a proclamation of the Territorial Governor, Lewis Cass, on September 10, 1822. Lenawee remained attached to Monroe County, out of which it was formed, until an act of the Territorial Legislature passed on December 26, 1826, organized the county government. The first Anglo American settlement in the county was made two years earlier, on May 21, 1824, in Tecumseh. The settlers, consisting of fifteen men, eleven women, and six children, all came from Jefferson County, New York along Lake Erie. In 1823, Musgrove Evans had located the land and persuaded General Joseph W. Brown and the others to move to the site. Brown and Evans, along with Austin Eli Wing, purchased land there and platted the village of Tecumseh in 1824. These founders appealed to Governor Cass to locate the county seat of Lenawee at Tecumseh. This was accomplished by an act of the Territorial Legislature on June 30, 1824, although county government was not organized for another year and a half. The city was named after Shawnee chief Tecumseh, whose people had historically controlled that territory. Tecumseh remained the county seat until 1838, when it was transferred to Adrian. The Township of Tecumseh was organized on April 12, 1837, initially encompassing the entire northern third of the county.

Tecumseh is located in Southeast Michigan. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.94 square miles (15 km2), of which 5.70 square miles (15 km2) is land and 0.24 square miles (1 km2) is water.

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,521 people, 3,604 households, and 2,304 families residing in the city. The population density was There were 3,957 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 96.0% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.4% of the population. There were 3,604 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 39.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

In 2010, the city began hosting the Tecumseh Ice Sculpting Festival in the downtown area on the penultimate weekend in January. Another festival is Appleumpkin (held the second weekend in October to celebrate harvest); it attracts approximately 30,000 tourists annually from around the region. The city of Tecumseh holds several other events each year, such as the Classic Car and Bike Show, Divas at Dusk, Holiday Open House, Annual Pet Parade and Sidewalk Sales. Tecumseh celebrates the annual Art Trail. This features sculptures throughout Tecumseh, which are changed on an annual basis. The related annual Art Walk pairs local artists and merchants. The Carnegie Preservation League is a local non profit that saved a historical landmark building and renovated it to create lofts and gallery space for local artists.

The Southern Michigan Railroad Society operates a railroad as a living museum; the route runs through Tecumseh. Tourists also come for the city's proximity to the Michigan International Speedway (M. I. S.). The M 50 corridor has many antique dealers, cafes and fine dining restaurants.

The city of Tecumseh is home to Tecumseh Public Schools. The system includes one traditional high school, Tecumseh High School (grades 9–12); one alternative high school, Tecumseh Alternative High School; one middle school, Tecumseh Middle School (grades 5 8); two early education elementary (grades Y5, K 2) schools, Sutton Early Learning Center and Tecumseh Acres Early Learning Center; and two intermediate elementary (grades 3 4) schools, Patterson Intermediate Learning Center and Herrick Park Intermediate Learning Center. Tecumseh students have access to the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD) and the Southern Michigan Center for Science and Industry. Tecumseh Public Schools seek to provide a myriad of educational opportunities to create a work ready workforce, including industry specific programs to focus on the needs of area businesses. Tecumseh Public Schools has a graduation rate of 96.84%, with more than 65% of graduates enrolling in post secondary education. Tecumseh's central location provides easy access to major universities, including the top 10 that graduates choose: Jackson College, Washtenaw Community College, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, Siena Heights University, Western Michigan University, the University of Michigan, all in Michigan, and the University of Toledo in Ohio.

A horse, Don Juan, that belonged to General George Armstrong Custer is buried in Tecumseh. The horse had been sent to a friend living in Tecumseh after the General's death.