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Situated in southwestern Wayne County, the City of Wayne, Michigan is in the Detroit Metro Region.

the city is bounded by Westland to the north and east, Romulus to the south, and Canton Township to the west. Developed along Michigan Avenue (US-12), the city is rectangular in shape, with its northern border being Glenwood Road, its southern border Van Born Road, its western border Hannan Road, and its easter border Merriman Road.

Cities and villages within twenty miles of Wayne include Westland, Inkster, Garden City, Romulus, Garden City, Livonia, Dearborn Heights, Plymouth, Belleville, Taylor, Dearborn, Allen Park, Melvindale, Ypsilanti, Lincoln Park, Ecorse, River Rouge, Northville, Southgate, Woodhaven, Riverview, Carleton, Flat Rock, Novi, Detroit, Wyandotte, Farmington, and Hamtramck.

First appearing on a census roll in 1860, Wayne had a population under five thousand until 1950, when it rose to nearly ten thousand. By 1980, there were 21,159 people living in the city. After that point, it declined to 17,593 by 2010, rising slightly by 2020.

As the Sauk Trail passed through the area that was to become Wayne, the area was frequented by the Potawatomi and French fur traders for several years before it was settled.

England surrendered the Northwest Territory, which included most of Michigan, to General Anthony Wayne on July 11, 1796. On August 15 of that year, Wayne County was organized and named for him.

The site of the future city was first settled by George M. Johnson in 1824. He built a log cabin on eighty acres, which would serve as a tavern for travelers along the trail, which by then was known as the Chicago Road. The settlement that grew up there became known as Johnson's Tavern. After a few years, Mr. Johnson sold the tavern to Stephen G. Simmons, who ran the business until he was arrested for murdering his wife. He was tried in Detroit, and hanged on September 24, 1830, the last person to be executed in Michigan. Ezra Derby acquired the tavern in 1832. He also built a sawmill, a grain mill, a blacksmith shop, a store, and the first frame dwelling in the area. In 1834, he arranged to have the townsite platted and recorded as Derby's Corners.

For its location in Nankin Township, when a post office was established on April 22, 1835, it was named South Nankin. William D. Wescott was appointed postmaster. After the Michigan Central Railroad came through in 1838, establishing a station, the community grew.

In 1850, the portion of the Chicago Road that ran through the community was paved with oak logs, becoming known as the Detroit & Saline Plank Road, and became Michigan Avenue in 1867.

On December 11, 1851, the post office was renamed Wayne, and the community was incorporated as a village in 1869.

In the early days of the village, Wayne was largely a farming town. However, the availability of the railroad, improved roads, and other factors soon spurred an economic boom that transformed Wayne from an agricultural village to a center of commerce and industry in western Wayne County.

Among the first was the Prouty and Glass Carriage Company of Detroit, which opened in 1888. The 20th Century introduced the automobile, and Harroun Motors Corporation took over Prouty and Glass Carriage Company, while Gotfredson Truck Corporation and Graham-Paige Company also began manufacturing automobiles in Wayne. Production slowed during the Great Depression, but resumed after World War II. In 1953, the Ford Motor Company began construction of a large plant on Michigan Avenue, and the Wayne Ford Plant continues to employ workers to produce the Ford Ranger and the Bronco.

For decades, Wayne's downtown district was the focal point for activity within the city. The decision to divide and widen Michigan Avenue in the 1960s diverted eastbound traffic around the downtown district, and the simultaneous decision to demolish a significant portion of the city's commercial district to make room for more modern buildings and a large shopping mall that never succeeded, have resulted in deterioration and a decline in business downtown and the historic nature of the city.

Nevertheless, the remaining portion of the downtown district functions as a social, cultural, and economic hub of the community, and the City of Wayne's Master Plan speaks of the city's goals preserving, enhancing, and improving the district.

The focal point of this portion of our guide is the City of Wayne, Michigan. Online resources pertaining to the city, local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, and recreational opportunities are appropriate for this category.

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