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C−History
History · Melvindale

Melvindale dates to 1924, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 22% of U.S. towns · #623 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1905 on, and the census since 1930.

1924founded
0on the National Register
14%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Melvindale’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Melvindale began

When was Melvindale founded?

1924

Melvindale dates its founding to 1924 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 4,053 in 19302020 census: 12,851102 years

How historic is Melvindale?

C−

More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Melvindale’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Melvindale is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #623 of 701 in Michigan. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Melvindale’s overall grade.
Founding era1924, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194014.1% of homes (±4.8) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%BNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical MI town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 22%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 11%

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Melvindale’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.8 points). Two sources give 1924.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Melvindale’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19058 editions of the USGS map, 1905 to 1983. Watch Melvindale change.Old housesHalf of Melvindale’s homes were built before 1950.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Melvindale’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Melvindale’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewMel Plaza Motel, on U. S. 25, Melvindal…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Melvindale on the map, 1905 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Melvindale. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Melvindale on the 1905 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1918 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1924 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1936 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1952 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1968 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1973 USGS mapMelvindale on the 1983 USGS map1905Detroit sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Melvindale.

The story

How Melvindale came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Melvindale.

Read it all →

Melvindale began as the unincorporated settlement of Oakwood Heights in the northwestern part of Ecorse Township in the early 1920s. The subdivision was designed to house workers from the nearby Ford River Rouge Plant in the city of Dearborn. The city was named after one of the original developers of the settlement, Melvin Wilkinson. The eastern part of Oakwood Heights was annexed by the city of Detroit in 1922, and the remainder was incorporated as the village of Melvindale the same year. In 1933, the village incorporated as a city.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Melvindale, 1905 to 1930

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1905On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1924
    FoundingMelvindale is established
  4. 1927Born hereRaymond Kalisz is born here
  5. 1929Born hereAl Cicotte is born here
  6. 1930In the archiveMel Plaza Motel, on U. S. 25, Melvindale, Mich (83435)
By decade

Melvindale, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s2 items
Mel Plaza Motel, on U. S. 25, Melvindale, Mich (83435)c. 1930Mel Plaza Motel, on U. S. 25, Melvindale, Mich (83435)Nebiolo Cafe, 2417 Oakwood Blvd. at Schaefer, Melvindale, Mich (86035)c. 1930Nebiolo Cafe, 2417 Oakwood Blvd. at Schaefer, Melvind…
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today16 recent
Shops on Oakwood Blvd at sunset in2019Shops on Oakwood Blvd at sunset inShops on Allen Road in2019Shops on Allen Road inShops on Allen Road in Melvindale (2)2019Shops on Allen Road in Melvindale (2)Shops in Melvindale Downtown on Oakwood Blvd2019Shops in Melvindale Downtown on Oakwood BlvdShopping complex on Oakwood Blvd in2019Shopping complex on Oakwood Blvd inRestaurants at intersection of Allen Road and Oakwood Blvd in2019Restaurants at intersection of Allen Road and Oakwood…Comerica Bank off Allen Road in2019Comerica Bank off Allen Road in7 Eleven and Comerica Bank on Allen Road in20197 Eleven and Comerica Bank on Allen Road inRiver Rouge at2016River Rouge atNews crew at fire scene2016News crew at fire sceneMelvindale Civic Center2016Melvindale Civic CenterGas main fire at2016Gas main fire atFire damage after Melvindale natural gas fire2016Fire damage after Melvindale natural gas fireOakwood Blvd & Hanna St, Melvindale, Michigan (2014-02-23)2014Oakwood Blvd & Hanna St, Melvindale, Michigan (2014-0…Oakwood Blvd & Hanna St, Melvindale, Michigan (2014-02-23) (crop)2014Oakwood Blvd & Hanna St, Melvindale, Michigan (2014-0…MIMap-doton-Melvindale2005MIMap-doton-Melvindale
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Mel Plaza Motel, on U. S. 25, Melvindale, Mich (83435)
Retake this viewMel Plaza Motel, on U. S. 25, Melvindale, Mich (83435), c. 1930

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Melvindale’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Melvindale, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00019401960198020002020Peak: 13,862

Between 4,053 and 13,862 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Melvindale’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Melvindale

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
R
Raymond KaliszCatholic bishop · b. 1927
A
Al CicotteAmerican baseball player · b. 1929
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Dearborn9 historic placesAAllen ParkIts storyDDetroit282 historic placesA+Lincoln Park1 historic placeC+

Questions about Melvindale’s history

What year was Melvindale founded?

In 1924, according to Wikidata. the census of 1930 counted 4,053 people here.

How does Melvindale rank for history?

Melvindale is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #623 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Melvindale?

14% of Melvindale’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1950.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.