Town file
Brownstown Township, Michigan
Brownstown Township, Michigan (Wayne County, Michigan) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 200, "Possessed By Stupidity" (3 December 2020). Brownstown Township, or Brownstown Charter Township, sits in Wayne County in south-eastern Michigan, about half an hour from downtown Detroit.
- Town
- Brownstown Township
- County
- Wayne County
- State
- Michigan
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 200
- Approximate location
- 42.109, -83.229
Episode 200 / 3 December 2020 / 144 min / full
Possessed By Stupidity
"We are going to Brownstown township, Michigan... this is in Wayne County, Michigan" about 0:05:01
The case: Murder of Barbara Ramsey (February 3rd, 1977). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2020
- Population
- 31,026
- Median age
- 40 years old
- Median household income
- $72,289
- Median home value
- $206,500
- Two-bedroom rent
- about $967
- Cost of living
- 104
- Religious
- 42.2%
- Property crime
- ▼ just over half the average
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one-third under
History, in brief
- The area was involved in the War of 1812. about 0:07:55
- The region now known as Brownstown was once part of the French province of Quebec. about 0:09:07
- The area fell into British hands and finally came under American rule in the late 1700s. about 0:09:16
- The original 43 square mile area south of Detroit was designated a township by the Michigan Territorial Council in 1827, and Moses Roberts was elected its first supervisor. about 0:09:44
- Brownstown was one of Wayne County's nine original townships. about 0:09:59
- The township was named for Adam Brown, an eight-year-old boy. about 0:10:09
- According to the legend, Adam Brown was kidnapped by the Wyandotte; in October 1764 a mixed band of 50 Mingo and Delaware warriors raided Carpenter's Fort in Virginia, killed Carpenter and took his son, Samuel Brown and Adam Brown prisoner. about 0:10:55
- Adam Brown grew up among the tribe, married a native woman, became a tribal elder and signed treaties for the Indian side. about 0:11:13
- He sided with the British in the War of 1812 and moved to Amherstburg, Ontario, after the British defeat. about 0:11:47
- Church records show he died in September 1827 in Windsor, Ontario. about 0:11:59
- The town was incorporated and named after him that year. about 0:12:09
- The township is home to the Chevrolet Battery Pack Assembly plant. about 0:12:21
- It is part of the Down River collection of communities, split into three segments by the incorporation of Flat Rock, Rockwood and Woodhaven. about 0:12:44
The reviews read out
3 stars
"Not a bad place, but not an amazing place; not very diverse, so you have to drive for more diverse food."about 0:13:03
3 stars
"An average suburban town with a big mall and a movie theatre nearby."about 0:14:43
"Enjoys the familiarity of a small enough city where you can know every corner, but gets bored and wants more activities for teenagers."about 0:14:54
1 star
"Hard to find a job with respectable co-workers."about 0:15:16
3 stars
"Lots of teenagers pulling pranks; their mailbox was chopped down three times, eggs thrown on the car and stink bombs put on the porch."about 0:15:44
3 stars
"The area is decent but not spectacular, with few fun activities and not many beautiful parks, though the school district is really good."about 0:16:20
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Canton Township, Michigan19 miles
- Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan24 miles
- Webster Township, Michigan36 miles
- Delta, Ohio55 miles
- Jackson, Michigan61 miles
- Morrice, Michigan70 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.