Frankenmuth, Michigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Frankenmuth, Michigan

City

City of Frankenmuth

Downtown Frankenmuth along Main Street

Seal

Nicknames:

Little Bavaria, Muth, The Muth

Location within Saginaw County

Frankenmuth, Michigan

Location in Michigan

United States

Settled

1845

Incorporated

1904 (village)
1959 (city)

Government

• Type

Council–manager

Area

• Total

3.17 sq mi (8.20 km²)

• Land

3.11 sq mi (8.05 km²)

• Water

0.06 sq mi (0.15 km²)

Elevation

633 ft (193 m)

Population

(2010)

• Total

4,944

• Estimate

(2019)

5,529

• Density

1,778.39/sq mi (686.60/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (EST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (EDT)

ZIP code(s)

48734

Area code(s)

989

FIPS code

26-30200

GNIS feature ID

0626405

Frankenmuth is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,944 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Frankenmuth Township. Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, which bills itself as "the World's Largest Christmas Store", is located in Frankenmuth.

The city's name is a combination of two words. "Franken" represents the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria from which the original settlers came, and the German word "Mut" means courage. Thus, the name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians". The most popular nickname is "Little Bavaria", in reference to the city's German heritage, but the city is also nicknamed "Muth".

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Architecture
Places of interest
- Covered Bridge
- Heritage Park
Sister city
Economy
Notable residents
Images for kids
See also

History

The city's name is a combination of two words. "Franken" represents the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria, home of the Franks, where the original settlers were from. The German word "Mut" means courage; thus, the name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians." The area was settled and named in 1845 by conservative Lutheran immigrants from Roßtal area of Franconia in Germany. The group of settlers left Germany on April 20, 1845 and arrived at Castle Garden seven weeks later. They traveled via canals and the Great Lakes from New York to Detroit and arrived in August 1845. Sailing on the Nelson Smith, the settlers made their way to Saginaw and travelled over land to the present location the city of Frankenmuth. Originally part of Bridgeport Township and later Frankenmuth Township, Frankenmuth became a village in 1904 and finally a city on October 1, 1959

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 Ojibwe.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.04 square miles (7.87 km²), of which 2.99 square miles (7.74 km²) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) is water. The Cass River passes through the town.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	693	—
1920	733	5.8%
1930	925	26.2%
1940	1,100	18.9%
1950	1,208	9.8%
1960	1,728	43.0%
1970	2,834	64.0%
1980	3,753	32.4%
1990	4,408	17.5%
2000	4,838	9.8%
2010	4,944	2.2%
2019 (est.)	5,529	11.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

Largest ancestries (2010)	Percent
German	49.3%
English	12.9%
Polish	8.6%
Irish	6.3%
American	4.4%
French	4.0%

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,944 people, 2,200 households, and 1,313 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,653.5 inhabitants per square mile (638.4/km²). There were 2,396 housing units at an average density of 801.3 per square mile (309.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.4% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 2,200 households, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age in the city was 50.1 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.9% were from 25 to 44; 28% were from 45 to 64; and 28.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.9% male and 55.1% female.

Architecture

St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth

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 concept of building with this unique Bavarian architecture came from an architect, Ed Beech, who was working for William "Tiny" Zehnder on a remodeling job of the Fischer Hotel.

Places of interest

Covered Bridge

Covered bridge entrance, Frankenmuth, Michigan,

Zehnder's Holz Brucke (German for wooden bridge) is a wooden covered bridge, built in a style similar to that of the Black Forest or a river valley in Switzerland, located over the Cass River in the middle of town. Though completed in 1979, the structure is constructed using traditional covered-bridge timber framing techniques. The floor joists and three-span Town lattice truss system of the 239' bridge are made of 15,960 board feet of four inch planks. The portion receiving the greatest wear is of oak while the remaining portion is spruce. 20,000 board feet of Douglas Fir make up the rafters and the roof is shingled with cedar. An additional 4,340 board feet of pine was required for the bridge side boards. In addition to two lanes for automobile traffic, the bridge also has two pedestrian walkways.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park is Frankenmuth's most well-known park. It is located at 601 Weiss Street and is home to many community activities, festivals and large events. The Harvey E. Kern Community Pavilion is the newest addition and has become a focal point of the park. The park also features 4 picnic pavilions, 3 ball diamonds, playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, basketball court, riverwalk pathway (0.9 miles) and several facilities for festivals.