Everything about Frankenmuth Michigan totally explained
Frankenmuth is a city in
Saginaw County in the
U.S. state of
Michigan. The population was 4,838 at the
2000 census. The city is located within
Frankenmuth Township, but is politically independent.
Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, which bills itself as
the World's Largest Christmas Store, is located in Frankenmuth. The most popular nickname is "The Muth", but the city is also nicknamed "Little Bavaria" (see history below).
History
The area was settled and named by conservative Lutheran immigrants from
Franconia, (now part of
Bavaria) in 1845. The German word "Franken" represents the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the German word "Mut" means courage, thus the city name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians".
The nearby villages of Frankenlust, Frankentrost, and Frankenhilf illustrate that the area remained a magnet for other Germans from the same region even after it lost its original purpose as a mission post for the spread of Christianity to the
Chippewa tribe.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8
square miles (7.2
km²), of which, 2.7 square miles (7.1 km²) of it's land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (2.15%) is water. The
Cass River winds through the town.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 4,838 people, 2,123 households, and 1,322 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,773.6 per square mile (684.2/km²). There were 2,240 housing units at an average density of 821.2/sq mi (316.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.80%
White, 0.27%
African American, 0.21%
Native American, 0.29%
Asian, 0.06% from
other races, and 0.37% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
Citizens with German ancestry form nearly 53% of the city population.
24.8% households have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were
married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 80.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,153, and the median income for a family was $71,667. Males had a median income of $51,004 versus $29,959 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $30,479. About 2.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Tourism drives the local economy. Frankenmuth draws over three million tourists annually to its Bavarian-themed shops and restaurants. The most well known of these are
Zehnder's and
Bavarian Inn restaurants, and
Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. Frankenmuth also attracts tourists with festivals and other events throughout the year. The Frankenmuth News is the oldest business in existence since 1906. The other major employer is Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance. It was also once the site of a brewery that offered tours to visitors, which has since closed down.
As a tourism measure, the City uses German style signage for roads.
Architecture
The strong influence of Franconian-style architecture can be found in most areas of the city. Most buildings in the commercial district, as well as many homes, feature stylistic interpretations of the timber-framed buildings found in the
Franconia region of
Germany. This style is marked by the use of timbers in "square" and "X" patterns on the outside of buildings, as well as the use of "X" patterns on windows, doors, and other building features. The City currently requires Franconian-style facades for the majority of new commercial construction within the main tourist areas.
Entertainment
The World Expo of Beer
The World Expo of Beer is a community fundraiser that helps different organizations in need of funding. The beneficiary differs from year to year.
Bavarian Fest
The Bavarian Fest began in 1959 in collaboration with the Grand Opening Celebration of the Bavarian-Style addition to Fischer's Hotel on the main street of the city. In 1970, the event outgrew the parking lots of the Main Street restaurants and moved to what is now Heritage Park.
Visitors of all ages are invited to hear Bavarian music played by authentically dressed German bands, watch two parades, enjoy an expanded midway with rides and games, dance music, face painting, and a hands-on craft area.
Venues sell many varieties of German foods and desserts, along with imported and domestic beer.
Each year, over 100,000 people enjoy the annual Sunday Big Parade, usually featuring over 100 entries including marching bands, decorated floats, dance clubs, visiting dignitaries, entertainers, royalty, and that year's newly crowned Bavarian Princess and her Court.
The Bavarian Festival has been voted one of the "Top 5 Festivals in the State of Michigan" by AAA's Michigan Living Magazine.
Summer Music Fest
Oktoberfest
In 1990, Frankenmuth, also known as "Michigan's Little Bavaria," celebrated its first
Oktoberfest. The Frankenmuth Oktoberfest celebrates
German culture, heritage and love. The goal of the festival is to retain as much of the
Bavarian heritage of the region as possible. Frankenmuth is the first Oktoberfest outside of
Munich to be sanctioned by the Parliament and the City of Munich.
Sister City
Further Information
Get more info on 'Frankenmuth Michigan'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://frankenmuth__michigan.totallyexplained.com">Frankenmuth, Michigan Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
