DETROIT, a city and port of entry of the United States of N. America, capital of the county of Wayne, Michigan, situated on the west bank of the Detroit strait or river, which connects lakes Huron, St. Clair, and Erie. Lat. 42. 2. N., Long. 83. 2. W. The city extends along the river for more than a mile and a-half, its central point being 7 miles from Lake St. Clair, and 18 from Lake Erie. The river is here about five-eighths of a mile in width, and its depth varies from 12 to 48 feet. The descent from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie is about 6 feet or 3 inches per mile; and the velocity of the current at the deepest part, opposite the city, is 2½ miles per hour. Its shores on both sides are highly cultivated; and, from its outlet into Lake Erie to its origin at Lake Huron, resemble a continuous village with fine farms, pleasant villas, groves, gardens, and excellent roads. The town is well and regularly built, extending in the form of a rectangle for about 1200 feet from the river, and afterwards
terminating in a triangle. Some of the principal streets are 200, others 120, and others 60 feet wide. These generally cross each other at right angles. The houses are mostly of wood, but many of them are of brick. The principal of the public buildings are—the old State House, the United States Buildings (of polished limestone), the state buildings for the supreme courts, public offices, county court-house, county jail, city hall and market, the new Catholic cathedral, and the cathedral of St. Anne. There are numerous schools and churches, and several charitable as well as literary and scientific institutions. Detroit is well supplied with water from the river, by means of hydraulic machinery in the upper part of the town. Ship and boat building is a large and important branch of business; and there are several large steam saw-mills, iron foundries, &c. Detroit has a very extensive trade, for which it enjoys many advantages. The harbour is capacious and secure. It is connected by the Michigan Central railroad with Chicago via New Buffalo and Michigan city, a distance of 258 miles, and by the Pontiac, with the town of that name, 20 miles distant. The Great Western railway, about to be constructed through Canada, will bring it into direct communication with the New York and other eastern routes. The vessels cleared at the port in 1851 were 2611 of 920,690 tons; entered, 2582 of 905,646 tons. The periodical press of Detroit consists of 3 daily newspapers, 1 tri-weekly, 7 weekly, and 2 monthly. In 1802 the village of Detroit was incorporated; in 1810 the act of incorporation was repealed, and in 1815 it received its present charter of incorporation. The population in 1801 was only 770, and in 1830, 2222; in 1840 it amounted to 9193, and in 1850 to 21,057; while in the summer of 1853 it was 34,439. This, however, includes only those within the corporate limits; beyond which there is a numerous population, whose entire occupation and interests are in the city.