Walker (Michigan)

Kent County

26-82960

Walker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan with 21,842 inhabitants ( 2000). Prior to the city's founding in 1962, the area was known as Walker Township, which was established in 1837 as the second in Kent County, and initially all the land of Kent County north of Grand Rivers included.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city area is 65.9 km ². The metropolitan area is crossed by several major highways. These are the Michigan Highways 11, 37 and 45, Interstate 96 and U.S. Highway 131

Population

At the 2000 census, 21,842 people lived in the city. 94.51 % of them were white, the rest distributed to several ethnic groups. The per capita income was 21 198 U.S. dollars, about 6 % of the population lived below the poverty line.

History

Samuel and Lydia White came from Canada beginning in 1837 as the first settlers in the area of Walker. On 30 December the same year Walker Township was established by a decree of the State of Michigan. Over the next 120 years, the original all the land of Kent County was north of Grand Rivers comprehensive Township by surface losses to the surrounding counties getting smaller, so that the citizens voted for the creation of a city in the early 1960. Walker was founded on November 8, 1962 as a city.

Management

The City of Walker is led by a town council consisting of seven elected representatives as well as a hired city manager. The elected mayor has only one representative function and is chairman of the town meetings. The current mayor is Robert VerHeulen (2009), a lawyer of the company Meijer.

Economy

In Walker is the radio station WZZM 13, the local newspaper, the Grand Rapids Press, the printing and distribution center is located in Walker. The retailer Meijer is headquartered in Walker, as Bissell Homecare, Inc., originally a cleaning company for carpets and today a manufacturer of cleaning equipment and agents.

Twinning

• Australia Colac, Australia