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Westland, Michigan (U.S.)

Wayne County

image located by Valentin Poposki, 5 July 2007

Source: http://www.waymarking.com/cat/details.aspx?f=1&guid=0b76da62-afec-4651-9666-7451c00102ae&exp=True

Description of the flag

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Description of the Flag

The flag is light blue, with a large blue seal bearing the seal in yellow, showing an eagle before a sunrise. Text on the flag is illegible on the photo provided.

"Westland is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located about 16 miles west of downtown Detroit. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 86,602.

Early history
During the 1700s, the area was inhabited by the people of a Pottawatomi Indian village. Other tribes, particularly three Algonquian tribes, used the area as hunting territory. A flour mill, which was restored by Henry Ford in 1918, was built in this same area. Once restored, the mill was used to make stencils for Ford car parts. Named Nankin Mills, this historic site is now used as a nature interpretive center and other community events. Before becoming "Westland," the area had several other names. Though white settlers did not begin to settle the area until about 1824, they began to arrive at the beginning of the 19th century. Bucklin Township was first organized in 1827 and included what is now the cities of Westland, Livonia, Garden City, Inkster, Wayne, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Redford Township. By an act of the Michigan Territorial Legislature, October 20, 1829, Bucklin was divided into Lima and Richland Townships. However, due to a naming conflict under postal regulations at that time, Lima was renamed as Nankin Township, after the Chinese city Nanking, and Richland as Pekin Township, named after Peking, though Pekin became Redford Township in 1833. In 1835, Livonia Township was split off from Nankin. Wayne incorporated as a village in 1869 and as a city in 1960. Garden City incorporated as a village in 1927 and as a city in 1933. Inkster incorporated as a village in 1926 and as a city in 1964.

Later History
By 1960, Nankin’s population had increased to 70,000, giving the area the distinction of being the world’s largest township. During the early 1960s, the city of Livonia, wanted to annex the part of Nankin in which a large shopping mall, Westland Shopping Center, was to be built. The shopping center eventually opened in 1965, joining Northland, Eastland, and Southland malls in other Detroit Metro cities. In reaction to Livonia's annexation attempts, the people of Nankin voted to change the remainder of the township as a city on May 16, 1966 to the city of Westland. At that time, it was the fourth largest city in Wayne County."
- from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland,_Michigan.

Valentin Poposki, 5 July 2007