Adrian

History

Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826, by Addison Comstock. The original name for the village was Logan, but was changed soon after to Adrian, perhaps in reference to the Roman emperor Hadrian. The first operating railroad in Michigan was a horse-drawn train running between Adrian and Toledo in 1836. Adrian grew quickly, with the sixth largest population in the state when Michigan was admitted to the Union in 1837, and the third largest population in the state by 1860. Adrian was incorporated as a village on March 28, 1836, then as a city on January 31, 1853. Evangelical and Hicksite Quakers in Southeast Michigan founded the first congregation of Quakers in Michigan in 1831. They also created a network of Underground Railroad stations in the Raisin River Valley. Daniel Smith was the first leader of the Raisin Valley Friends Meeting House. His daughter, Laura Smith Haviland became one of the most prominent equal rights activists and Underground Railroad operators in the nation. Elizabeth Margaret Chandler established the Logan Female Anti-Slavery Society in October 1832. Chandler’s society preceded the Female Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia and the Michigan statewide organization.]] The only remaining piece of the Bank of Pennsylvania— one of the stone pillars — was moved to Adrian, Michigan and erected as the Civil War Memorial in commemoration of those in Adrian who died in the American Civil War. In the late 19th century through early 20th century Adrian was known as the "fence capital of the world," when J. Wallace Page invented the first successful wire fence. Adrian became known worldwide as a fencing manufacturing hub and its fences were shipped as far as New York, Berlin, Asia, and Africa. The company sponsored the highly successful Page Fence Giants…

Geography

Adrian is approximately southwest of Ann Arbor, southeast of Jackson, and northwest of Toledo, Ohio. A portion of the city is on the border between Adrian Township and Madison Charter Township, although the city is politically independent of both. The city's urban area extends beyond the city limits into both of those townships as well as into nearby Raisin Township and Palmyra Township. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The town is approximately southeast of the Irish Hills area of Michigan, an area known for its many lakes and rolling hills, and home to the Irish Famine Memorial and Michigan International Speedway. Many town residents take advantage of this area for boating and recreation. Devils Lake, Round Lake, Posey Lake and Wamplers Lake are popular weekend destinations within a few miles.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,207
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,002
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,866
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,744
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,402
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,328
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,311
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,136

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2026-05-04
  6 km WNW of Carleton, Michigan
• M 3 — 2026-04-26
  7 km SSE of Amherstburg, Canada
• M 2.9 — 2024-12-29
  1 km SSE of Hicksville, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2024-03-18
  4 km WSW of Millbury, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2023-05-20
  3 km SSE of Walbridge, Ohio
• M 3.2 — 2020-08-21
  2 km SSE of Detroit Beach, Michigan