Hamtramck's border with Detroit on Oliver Street.
This is the seventh installment of Detroit Urbanism's series on the borders of the City of Detroit. As with the City of Highland Park (covered in part six), because the City of Hamtramck is enclosed entirely within Detroit, this article will focus on the historical development of the city-within-a-city in order to see how this segment of Detroit's border came to be.
Hamtramck Township
Detail from an 1876 map of Wayne County, with Hamtramck Township highlighted, and the present-day borders of the City of Hamtramck outlined in blue.
(University of Michigan)
According to Greg Kowalski's Hamtramck Through the Years, Hamtramck Township was created in 1798 and restructured in 1818 and 1827. (p. 23-24) The township was named for Colonel Jean François Hamtramck, under whose command Captain Moses Porter raised the US flag over Detroit's Fort Lernoult for the first time on July 11, 1796. Colonel Hamtramck later settled in the township that bore his name, in a home overlooking the Detroit River. He died here in 1803 at age 45.
By the late nineteenth century, most of the township's industrial and residential development was focused along the Detroit River and around two unincorporated villages: Leesville (at Gratiot and Harper avenues) and Norris (at Mount Elliott and Nevada streets). As late as the 1880s, the area that was to become the Village of Hamtramck was like any other rural section of the township. The image below shows part of an 1885 map of Hamtramck Township with the borders of the City of Hamtramck as they exist today superimposed over it. Only a very small portion of land had been subdivided into town lots at the very southern end of the future city. Most buildings (indicated here by yellow rectangles) lay on large lots centered around what is now Joseph Campau Avenue—then called Chene Street—south of Holbrook Avenue.
Detail from an 1885 map of Hamtramck Township with today's borders of the City of Hamtramck outlined in blue.
(University of Michigan)
The Beginnings of a Village
Around the time of the economic boom of the early 1890s, real estate developers purchased much of the farmland on the outskirts of Detroit for the purpose of creating subdivisions. Any homes built in these rural outskirts would have lacked basic city services, such as running water, sewers, sidewalks, and street lighting. Just south of what would become the Village of Hamtramck, the City of Detroit was growing, having annexed parts of Hamtramck Township in 1891. The nearby Village of Highland Park also expanded in 1893. The south and west borders of the future Village of Hamtramck would be determined by these neighboring municipalities.
Below is a Sanborn fire insurance map showing the nucleus of the future village as was in 1897, showing how sparse building activity remained at the time.
Detail from an 1897 Sanborn fire insurance map of the vicinity of Detroit.
(Library of Congress)
As seen in the image above, the Kraft House or Kraft Hotel was located at the corner of Denton and Chene (later renamed Joseph Campau). This combination hotel, saloon and grocery store was owned and operated by German immigrants, Christopher and Mary (Thurling) Kraft.
The "Kroft" House [sic], from an 1897 Sanborn fire insurance map of the vicinity of Detroit.
(Library of Congress)
By the late 1890s, several factors were converging which ensured that a flourishing village could be established on this spot. Several railroad lines crossed this territory, namely: the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railroad; the Detroit and Bay City Railroad; the Michigan Central Railroad; and the Grand Trunk Railroad.
Detail from a 1905 US Geological Survey map of the Detroit area, showing the several railway lines which crossed the Village of Hamtramck. The portion of the map shaded in grey represents Detroit's city limits at the time.
(Historical Topo Map Explorer)
These railroad shipping facilities attracted several large employers to the area: the Acme While Lead and Color Works, a paint company; Rumsey Manufacturing, makers of horse carriages; American Radiator, manufacturers of cast-iron home radiators; and Russell Wheel and Foundry, a steel company that specialized in railroad cars and rail car wheels.
Detail from a 1904 map of the Village of Hamtramck, showing the several industries that have located along the railway lines.
(University of Michigan)
By the turn of the century, the area was amassing the amenities of a modern village. The Chene street car line terminated just south of the Grand Trunk Railroad tracks, just south of the Kraft Hotel, giving residents access to Detroit's transportation network. In January 1898, a two-story brick schoolhouse was completed on Alice Street, replacing a wooden structure that had been built two years prior. The local school district served 380 pupils at the time. ("New Holbrook School." Detroit Free Press, Jan. 1, 1898.) On April 5, 1899, the Kraft House was designated a US Post Office, with Christopher Kraft serving as the its first postmaster. ("Minor Michigan Matters." Detroit Free Press, Apr. 27, 1899.) In July 1899, the North Detroit Electric Railway was incorporated. This four-mile electric streetcar line began on Joseph Campau Avenue in front of the Kraft Hotel, ran northward to Davison Avenue, and continued to the unincorporated village of Norris, which was also known as North Detroit. This line was in operation by the end of 1900. ("New electric ry. completed." Detroit Free Press, Dec. 1, 1900.)
Threat of Annexation
Early in 1901, certain proponents of expanding Detroit's borders were seeking to introduce laws at the state level which would have added portions of Springwells, Gratiot, Greenfield, and Hamtramck townships to the city. ("Annexation bills galore." Detroit Free Press, Feb. 17, 1901.) The Detroit Free Press editorial board opposed the scheme, complaining, "we have heretofore extended our boundaries in the interest of real estate speculation." ("Municipal expansion." Detroit Free Press, Feb. 18, 1901.) The proposal would have extended Detroit's 1891 annexation of Hamtramck Township northward another 1,800 feet between Saint Aubin and Field streets. ("No action taken regarding annexation." Detroit Free Press, Feb. 26, 1901.) This expansion would have taken in all of the major industries located within the future Village of Hamtramck. "The Hamtramck township board yesterday afternoon unanimously voted against the proposition," the Free Press reported, "and will submit a petition to the legislature." ("Against Hamtramck annexation." Detroit Free Press, Mar. 5, 1901.) Even the directors of Detroit's Merchants' and Manufacturers' Exchange unanimously opposed the idea. ("M. & M. directors oppose bill." Detroit Free Press, Feb. 26, 1901.) The proposal never came to pass.
Incorporation
Excerpt from the June 14, 1901 edition of the Detroit Free Press.
(newspapers.com)
By early 1901—likely influenced by the annexation attempt—there came a concerted effort among the residents of the future village to legally incorporate. Without a village government, the township alone couldn't even enforce the construction of sidewalks, let alone raise taxes to establish a fire department or borrow the funds needed to build sewers. Frederick W. Hodges of the American Radiator Company told the Detroit Free Press, "We did not go out [to Hamtramck Township] to escape excessive taxation as on account of the superior shipping facilities. We can ship from there better than in any other part of Detroit, and that is what has drawn the manufacturers to the district. If the people thoroughly understand [village incorporation], and want it, we will be satisfied." ("New village in suburbs." Detroit Free Press, Jun. 14, 1901.)
Rather than petitioning the state government for incorporation, those who supported incorporating as a village utilized Public Act. No. 3 of 1895, "An act to provide for the incorporation of villages within the State of Michigan, and defining their powers and duties." According to this law, any county's board of supervisors was empowered to establish villages within the townships under their jurisdiction. The law required that a petition for incorporation be signed by at least 30 qualified voters in the area, that the area covered at least one square mile, and that census of the proposed village be taken, which must number at least 300 persons. The Wayne County Board of Supervisors received such a petition on June 24, 1901. ("Wildman announced county bldg. committee." Detroit Free Press, Jun. 25, 1901.) The petition contained the signatures of 200 heads of families, and the population and area exceeded the minimum requirements. ("Auditors are now members." Detroit Free Press, Jun. 26, 1901.) In fact, the census had revealed that the area's population contained 1,454 people. (Minutes of the meetings of the Village Council of Hamtramck, Oct. 17, 1901)
Detail from a 1905 US Geological Survey map, colorized to show the original boundaries of the Village of Hamtramck. Note that the vast majority of building activity at this time was confined to the southern half of the village site, below Holbrook Avenue.
(Historical Topo Map Explorer)
A committee of five of the county supervisors met at the corner of Bismarck and Chene streets "for the purpose of reviewing the territory" on July 13. ("Sayings and doings." Detroit Free Press, Jul. 9, 1901.) Although a vote by local residents was not specifically required by the law, this committee nevertheless oversaw a special election on the question of incorporation, held on July 27 at the Holbrook School. ("Suburban siftings." Detroit Free Press, Jul. 23, 1901.) The election yielded 183 votes in favor of becoming a village and 166 votes against. ("Hamtramck voted for incorporation." Detroit Free Press, Jul. 28, 1901.) Although incorporation won by a majority of just 17 votes, the county supervisors were convinced that incorporation should take place.
At the meeting of the Wayne County Board of supervisors held on July 29, 1901, members voted unanimously to incorporate the Village of Hamtramck. The first village election was scheduled for August 26, 1901.
A 1904 map of the original area of the Village of Hamtramck
(University of Michigan)
Hamtramck Loses Territory
Six years after incorporating as a village, there was once again talk of annexing large suburban areas to the City of Detroit, including the entire Village of Hamtramck. ("Plan now is the annex Hamtramck." Detroit Free Press, Feb. 21, 1907.) In fact, some pro-annexationists at the time went so far as to propose that Detroit should annex all of Wayne County. ("May annex all Wayne." Detroit Free Press, May 26, 1907.) The Free Press reported: "Should the question of annexation be put to a vote in Hamtramck village, it is said, by those who do not favor the recent agitation to bring the town into the city, that nine voters out of ten would be against it. The council is a unit against becoming a part of Detroit proper." ("Suburban siftings." Detroit Free Press, Feb. 24, 1907.)
Excerpt from an article from the February 21, 1907 edition of the Detroit Free Press.
(newspapers.com)
Although the village managed to escape total annexation, it was unable to preserve its original boundaries completely. By Local Act No. 665 of 1907, "An act to annex certain territory in the village of Hamtramck, township of Hamtramck, and other territory in the township of Greenfield, to the City of Detroit, county of Wayne and State of Michigan," approved June 19, 1907, the village lost the portion of its territory lying west of the Detroit, Grand Haven, and Milwaukee Railroad. This area covered just under one quarter of a square mile.
Detail from a map of annexations to the City of Detroit. The June 19, 1907 annexation from the Village of Hamtramck is circled in red.
(archive.org)
Nine years later, voters in Detroit and in parts of Greenfield and Hamtramck townships approved several annexations which enclosed the villages of Highland Park and Hamtramck within the boundaries of Detroit. The Village of Hamtramck was cut off from what was left of Hamtramck Township, lying to its northeast. (See: Detroit Borders Part V: The Annexations of 1916).
The boundaries of the City of Detroit following the annexations which were finalized December 11, 1916.
The Village of Hamtramck continued to attract both industries and workers over the years. By 1921, it was reportedly the largest village in the US, with a population of 48,000. ("City now issue in Hamtramck." Detroit Free Press, Sep. 7, 1921.) The time was ripe for the village to reincorporate as a city. At the election of October 10, 1921, voters approved reincorporation by 1,179 to 240. ("Bond issues pass by big majorities." Detroit Free Press, Oct. 12, 1921.) The city did not officially come into existence until voters approved of the proposed city charter, which occurred at the election of April 3, 1922. Regarding the new city's borders, the charter states: "The boundaries of said City of Hamtramck shall be the same as those fixed and established as the boundaries of the former Village of Hamtramck, to which municipal corporation the City of Hamtramck is successor."
Exploring the Border
In order to understand why the City of Hamtramck has the shape that it does, it is important to see that it overlaps two separate land survey systems: The Ten Thousand Acre Tract (surveyed by Joseph Fletcher in May 1816) and the US Public Land Survey System (the Hamtramck Township portion of which was also surveyed by Fletcher, in January 1817).
Detail from an 1876 map of Wayne County, with the colors changed to highlight the Ten Thousand Acre Tract and the US Public Land Survey System. The present-day borders of the City of Hamtramck are outlined in red.
(University of Michigan)
A plat of Joseph Fletcher's 1817 survey of Town 1 South Range 12 East with the borders of the City of Hamtramck highlighted in blue.
(General Land Office Records)
It is also important to note that Hamtramck's southern and western borders pre-determined by annexations to Detroit in 1891 and 1907, and the expansion of the Village of Highland Park in 1893. City of Hamtramck basically occupies all of sections 21-23, 38-41, and 59-60 of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract not already occupied by or annexed to Detroit or Highland Park; also, fractional section 20 of Town 1 South, Range 12 East of the US Public Land Survey System in Michigan. (Any section of the US Public Land Survey System that is incomplete due to an obstruction is referred to as a "fractional" section.)
In order to explore the border of the City of Hamtramck in detail, we will use the legal description contained in Section 2 the city charter. This description starts by indicating a point of beginning at the city's southeastern corner, and proceeds by defining ten segments of the border in a clockwise fashion.
Beginning at the intersection of the Easterly line of Quarter Section Sixty (60), Ten Thousand Acre Tract, Township of Hamtramck, Wayne County, Michigan, with the Northerly boundary line of the City of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan...
This description makes reference to what was then the northern border of the City of Detroit. The definition of this line is contained within Local Act No. 324 of 1891, by which parts of Greenfield and Hamtramck townships were annexed to Detroit. The relevant portion describes the border as running down "the center of Strong avenue, westerly and northwesterly to the intersection of the center line of Mt. Elliott avenue extended; thence westerly along a line parallel with the northerly line of the boulevard...". In 1891, "the boulevard"—Grand Boulevard—in this area followed the southerly line of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract, in seen in the image below.
Detail from an 1885 atlas of Detroit with the names of several roads superimposed and the city's 1891 border shown as a red dashed line.
(University of Michigan)
...thence Westerly along the said Northerly boundary line of the City of Detroit to the Easterly line of St. Aubin Avenue...
Today, there are no visible landmarks to denote this segment, which travels straight through the General Motors Corporation's massive Factory Zero complex. This single property completely occupies Hamtramck's entire southern border.
This border line has been straddled by various industrial buildings long before the controversial urban renewal plan which led to the construction of the General Motors plant. The Allyne Aluminum Castings Company built a factory over the border on the east side of Joseph Campau Avenue in 1909, as seen in the Sanborn fire insurance map below.
(Library of Congress)
...thence following said City of Detroit boundary line Northerly along said Easterly line of St. Aubin Avenue and said Easterly line of St. Aubin Avenue extended to a point in Quarter Section Thirty-Nine (39) of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract, said point being 233 feet Northerly of the Southerly line of said Quarter Section Thirty-Nine (39)...
Facing south where segment 2 crosses Hamtramck Drive about 450 feet north of the southwest corner of the city.
Facing north where segment 2 crosses the tracks once belonging to the Grand Trunk Railroad and continues along the east side of Saint Aubin Street.
Facing north on Saint Aubin Street south of Faber Street.
Facing south from the north side of Holbrook Avenue.
Here the border runs along the east side of the right-of-way of Saint Aubin Street, just outside the sidewalk where private property begins. This segment ends in parking lot on private property, where there appear to be no visible signs that a city border lies here. As of early 2026, the portion of this parking lot located in Detroit is owned by American Axle and Manufacturing Inc. Inside Hamtramck, the listed taxpayer is Holdings Detroit Holbrook LLC.
...thence again following the boundary lines of the City of Detroit, Westerly on a line parallel with the Southerly line of said Quarter Sections Thirty-Nine (39) and Thirty-Eight (38) and being 233 feet Northerly of the Southerly line of said Quarter Sections Thirty-Nine (39) and Thirty-Eight (38) to the Westerly line of the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway Right-of-Way...
This line simply runs southwest (parallel with the Ten Thousand Acre Tract) to just the other side of the railway tracks now owned by Canadian National Railroad. This line runs perpendicular into the part of the Village of Hamtramck annexed by Detroit in 1907. The Detroit side of the border here is now occupied by the official headquarters of American Axle and Manufacturing Inc.
...thence Northerly following the Westerly line of said Right-of-Way to the Northerly line of Quarter Section Twenty-Three (23) Ten Thousand Acre Tract...
This segment forms the border of Detroit for three-quarters of a mile, crossing I-75 and Caniff Avenue. It then continues another quarter of a mile along the Highland Park border.
Facing northeast from the I-75 service drive where the Canadian National Railroad crosses the freeway. The railroad right-of-way technically extends about 12 feet before the bridge.
Facing north where segment 4 crosses Caniff Avenue.
Segment 4 partly forms the border between the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park.
Until this point, all segments of the border had been predetermined by the the existing borders of Detroit and Highland Park. All remaining segments neatly follow lines established within the Ten Thousand Acre Tract and US Public Land Survey System.
...thence Easterly along the Northerly line of Quarter Sections 23, 22 and 21, all in the Ten Thousand Acre Tract, to the Northeast corner of said Quarter Section Twenty-One (21)...
Segment 5 is the City of Hamtramck's northern border.
Facing west where segment 5 crosses Dequindre Avenue on the west side of I-75.
East of I-75, segment 5 runs down the center of Carpenter Avenue.
The north side of Carpenter Avenue, west of Saint Aubin Street.
The south side of Carpenter Avenue, east of Fleming Street.
Trixie's Bar, 2656 Carpenter Avenue, Hamtramck.
This pedestrian walkway over Carpenter Avenue crosses segment 5 east of McDougall Street.
Facing south toward the northeastern corner of the City of Hamtramck....thence Southerly along the Easterly line of said Quarter Section Twenty-One (21), of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract to the Northwest corner of Fractional Section Twenty (20), Township One (1), south of Range Twelve (12) East...
Leaving the northeastern corner of the city, this segment runs southeast along the eastern edge of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract, which is now the center line of Conant Avenue.
Segment 6 ends here, where the east line of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract meets the north line of fractional section 20 of Town 1 South Range 12 East of the US Public Land Survey System, where segment 7 begins.
The next segment contains several anomalies, the first being a minor typographical error contained in the city charter:
...thence East along the East [sic, should read "North"] line of said Fractional Section Twenty (20) to the Northeast corner thereof...
The second anomaly about this line is that it cuts through dozens of parcels, placing multiple homes within both cities of Detroit and Hamtramck. This arrangement dates back to 1905, just four years after Hamtramck's incorporation as a village, when Shipman's Subdivision of the Carpenter Farm was platted just east of Conant Avenue. Streets and alleys were surveyed in line with preexisting subdivisions lying within the Ten Thousand Acre Tract. At the time, Shipman's Subdivision straddled the border between the Village of Hamtramck on the south and Hamtramck Township on the north. Ten years later, the J. L. Hudson Company Subdivision was established east of what is now Buffalo Street, following the same pattern as Shipman's Subdivision. The village could conceivably have annexed this area before Detroit did so in 1916.
Detail from "Shipman's Subdivision of the Carpenter Farm, Fractional Sections 17 and 20, T. 1 S. R. 12 E. Hamtramck, Wayne County, Michigan" (1905). The section line between fractional sections 17 and 20, which is now part of the border of the City of Hamtramck, is highlighted.
(Office of Land Surveys and Remonumentation, State of Michigan)
Detail from "The J. L. Hudson Company Subdivision of Part of Fractional Sections 17 and 20 T. 1 S. R. 12 E. in the Village and Township of Hamtramck, Wayne County, Michigan" (1915).
(Office of Land Surveys and Remonumentation, State of Michigan)
When land is divided into square mile sections according to the US Public Land Survey System, markers are placed in the ground every half mile—both at the corners of each square mile section, as well as halfway between them. These points are used to divide sections into quarter sections, and so they are called "quarter corners." The "north quarter corner" of fractional section 20 should be located beneath the sidewalk on the south side of Harold Street, 300 feet east of Conant Avenue, right along segment 7 of the city border.
According to state remonumentation data (Page 1, Page 2), surveyor Steven E. Dunn set a 4" x 36" concrete monument with a brass tag in a new monument box at this precise spot in 2008. However, as seen in the Google Street View images below, the iron monument box was apparently removed during a 2014 sidewalk renovation. It is unknown whether any part of the monument remains under the pavement.
The appropriately named Outer Limits Lounge at 5507 Caniff Avenue, Detroit, just north of segment 7 on the east side of Buffalo Street.
Facing west on segment 7 at Alpena Avenue.
This border segment ends at the northeast corner of fractional section 20, located within private property owned by International Transmission Company (ITC). Aerial photos show no visible signs marking the border here.
The northeast corner of fractional section 20, Town 1 South Rage 12 East, part of the City of Hamtramck, falls within ITC's Caniff Station located at 10300 Alpena Street.
...thence South along the East line of said Fractional Section Twenty (20), Township One (1) South of Range Twelve (12) East to the Southeast corner thereof..."
This segment coincides with the entire east line of fractional section 20, Town 1 South Range 12 East. The east quarter corner of this section is found where Huber Street in Detroit dead-ends, one quarter mile west of Mount Elliott Street.
This concrete column with an iron rebar set in the center is the monument marking the east quarter corner of fractional section 20.
Facing south on segment 8, where the city border coincides with the west side of Vincent Street north of Marcus Street, but becomes the east side of Vincent Street south of Marcus Street.
Segment 8 crossing Oliver Street.
Facing north on segment 8 from Oliver Street.
Facing south on segment 8 toward Oliver Street.
Segment 8 ends at the southeast corner of fractional section 20, Town 1 South Range 12 East, where Sallan Street meets the alley south of Miller Street. The exact location of the survey monument could not be located, but the remonumentation certificate for this corner indicates that the 12-inch concrete bollard seen in this photograph stands exactly four feet from the point at an angle of North 40° East.
...thence West along the South line of said Section Twenty (20), to the East line of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract...
The border here turns west and runs down the center of the alley south of Miller Street to Conant Avenue, back to the eastern edge of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract.
...thence Southerly along the Easterly line of Quarter Sections Forty-One (41) and Sixty (60) of the Ten Thousand Acre Tract to the Northerly boundary lines of the City of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, and being the place of beginning.
This final segment returns to where we began, at the point of beginning located within General Motors' Factory Zero complex.
This concludes our exploration of the borders of the City of Hamtramck. The next article in this series will be Detroit Borders VIII: Eight Mile Road.
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