Flint, city (2020 pop. 81,252), seat
of Genesee co., SE Mich., on the Flint River; inc. 1855. Since 1902 it has
been an automobile-manufacturing centers. The General Motors Corp. had its
beginnings (1908) in Flint, where many major automobile makers (Chrysler,
Chevrolet, Nash, Champion, Buick) also started. A fur-trading post (1819)
here was succeeded by a settlement in which lumbering and then cart and
carriage making were the major industries. In 1937, sitdown strikes by the
United Automobile Workers (UAW) in Flint's General Motors plants spurred
widespread labor organization. During the 1980s and 90s massive layoffs at
General Motors large-car factories devastated Flint's economy. Attempts at
economic diversification and revitalization have had limited success, and in
2002 municipal financial problems led the state to take control of the city
government. Attempts to reduced costs by switching (2014–15) the
city's water supply from Detroit water to the Flint River led to health
problems, most notably lead contamination, when the water's corrosiveness
was not controlled. A March 2017 court settlement required the replacement
of lead pipes by the state along with other actions to mitigate these bad
health effects. Local institutions include a branch of the Univ. of
Michigan, an art institute, and the Michigan school for the deaf.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography
