Foreign Born Population

Is Increasing in Washtenaw County

WHERE THEY CAME FROM

Some 3,592 Inhabitants of Washtenaw Were Born in Germany — The Voting Population of the County

Washtenaw county contained, according to the 1900 census, 23,751 males and 24,010 females. Ten years before the population had been 20,756 males and 21,454 females. Of the males in 1900, 14,788 were 21 years of age or over. 

The number of foreign born inhabitants of the county have been decreasing in the past 20 years. In 1880 there were 7,945 persons of foreign birth in the county. In 1890 there were 7,739, and in 1900, 6,821. 

The foreign born population gave the following countries as the places of their birth: Germany 3,592, Canada 1,353, England 849, Ireland 579, Scotland 94, French Canada 54, Russia 44, Switzerland 32, Sweden 26, Italy 19, France 24, Austria 25, Bohemia 18, Poland 18, Wales 12, Denmark 11, Norway 9, Holland 6, China 9, other countries of Asia 7, Belgium 6, Australia 1, Greece 4, Hungary 1, other countries 27, born at sea 3. 

There were 2 Chinamen in this county in 1880. In 1890 there were 6, and in 1900, 15. 

The colored population has been about stationery, being 1216 in 1880, 1221 in 1890, and 1240 in 1900. 

To get down to the statistics of interest to the politicians, of the 14,788 males 21 years of age or over in the county 11,163 were literate white natives and 99 illiterate natives, 2,103 were literate naturalized foreign born and 85 illiterate, 56 others had filed their first papers of whom 4 were illiterate, 221 were aliens and 727 were unknown. The native negroes numbered 276 literate and 52 illiterate, while there were 6 native born Chinese, Japanese or Indians. The total number of illiterate males of 21 years or over was 317.