Michigan history: Why Flint’s ‘Vehicle City’ nickname

Before Detroit was the “Motor City,” Flint, Mich. was “Vehicle City” — but the original nickname had nothing to do with cars.

In the late 1800’s, Flint was home to a booming carriage-making industry for horse-drawn buggies — which some say was the biggest in the entire world. Hence, Flint became known as “Vehicle City.”

The name became even more legendary once it became a prominent fixture downtown. In 1899, the city erected a series of arches with electrical lights along Saginaw Street; six years later, as part of the city’s Golden Jubilee, an additional arch was added — this time, emblazoned with the words “Vehicle City” along the top.

Of course, in the years to come, Flint’s buggy industry would give way to the auto industry. In a twist of irony, the arches were torn down in 1919 to make way for traffic lights, as the use of motorized vehicles grew. These days, however, the “Vehicle City” arch is once again a landmark in Flint, thanks to a volunteer campaign in the early 2000’s to create new ones similar to the originals. A comeback for the horse-drawn buggy seems less likely.