Trenton

Trenton, city, southwestern suburb of Detroit, Wayne county, southeastern Michigan, U.S. It lies along the Detroit River, opposite Grosse Ile. The site of the Battle of Monguagon during the War of 1812, it was settled by Maj. Abram Caleb Truax in 1816. It was laid out as Truaxton in 1834 and was called Truago from 1837 until renamed in 1847 for the Trenton Limestone Series rock formation that underlies the district. The town’s early development was based on the steamboat trade, shipbuilding, limestone quarrying, and fishing. Economic factors now include planned industrial development (automotive, electric power, steel, and plastics). Elizabeth Park, a 162-acre (66-hectare) island in the Detroit River adjacent to the city, is a recreation area popular with the local residents. Inc. village, 1855; city, 1957. Pop. (2000) 19,584; (2010) 18,853.