Lansing
Lansing, the state capital of
Michigan, is the sixth largest city in the state. In addition to being
the state capital, Lansing is also a major education and automobile
manufacturing center in the state. The city is home to Michigan State
University (located in nearby East Lansing), the Thomas M. Cooley Law
School, the largest law school in the nation and Lansing Community
College. Although GM's presence in Lansing isn't as large as it used to
be, there are still several plants in the area, with a new plant opening
in 2006. Lansing is also the headquarters for the national insurance
companies Jackson National Life, Auto Owners Insurance Company and the
Accident Fund. The city was first settled in the 1830s by a group of New
Yorkers. At first the settlement grew slowly because much of the area
was marshland, but
after the state decided to move the capitol from Detroit to Lansing in
1847, growth in Lansing began to take off. By the time the city was
incorporated in 1859 it had a population of 3,000. During the 1890s and
early 1900s, Lansing became an important center of the fledgling auto
industry. In 1897, Ransom E. Olds, drove his first car down a Lansing
street. He would later found Oldsmobile, which became a division of
General Motors in 1908. Oldsmobile would last for 100 years, with the
last Oldsmobile rolling off the assembly line in 2004.
Lansing City Stats:
Population: 119,128
Racial Breakdown
White: (65.2%)
Black: (21.9%)
Native American: (0.8%)
Asian: (2.8%)
Other: (4.5%)
Multiracial: (4.6%)
Latino: (9.9%)
First Settled: 1836
Incorporated: 1859
Total Area: 35.2 sq miles
Website:
http://www.cityoflansingmi.com
City Flag
Lansing Suburbs
East Lansing
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