Bois Blanc Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Bois Blanc Township is a civil township
of Mackinac County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2000 census, Bois Blanc Township population was 71. The township is coterminous with Bois Blanc Island
. The nearby, smaller and uninhabited Round Island is within the civil jurisdiction of the city of Mackinac Island
. Bois Blanc Island's ZIP code
is 49775.
of this resort community was recorded in 1888 by the Bois Blank Island Land Company, of Jackson
. It was given a post office in May 1889. The office closed in October 1889, but reopened in May 1890. It was named for its location in a pine forest area. A summer post office operated from 1911-1914,1920-1922 and 1924.
Ferry connections with Cheboygan
, on the Lower Peninsula mainland, dock at Pointe aux Pins. Bois Blanc is also served by a paved airstrip in the interior of the island with facilities for private planes.
for "white wood". The name is commonly thought to be a reference to either: (a) the paper birch
, or more likely (b) the basswood, called "bois blanc" in other contexts. The basswood's white underbark was extensively used by Native Americans
and French-speaking fur traders for cordage, including the sewing up of canoes and the manufacture of webbing for snowshoes.
Bois Blanc was ceded by the local Anishinaabe
(Chippewa
) to the U.S. federal government with the Treaty of Greenville
in 1795. After extensive use as a source of kilned lime and firewood for Mackinac Island
and other local frontier settlements, Bois Blanc was settled in the late 1800s as a summer resort community. The Bois Blanc Island Light lighthouse (1867) survives on the northern shore of the island; it is not open to the public.
in Lake Huron
. Bois Blanc Island is southeast of Mackinac Island
and due north of Cheboygan
. Round Island, is a smaller uninhabited island between Bois Blanc and Mackinac Islands and is part of the Hiawatha National Forest
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 49 square miles (126.9 km²), of which, 35.3 square miles (91.4 km²) of it is land and 13.7 square miles (35.5 km²) of it (28.04%) is water.
of 2000, there were 71 people, 42 households, and 17 families residing in the township. The population density
was 2.0 per square mile (0.8/km2). There were 420 housing units at an average density of 11.9 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White. However, about 2,000 people visit the island. Only about 71 people stay year-round.
There were 42 households out of which 7.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples
living together, 2.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.5% were non-families. 47.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.69 and the average family size was 2.41.
In the township the population was spread out with 7.0% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 11.3% from 25 to 44, 56.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $0 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $27,131. There were no families and 3.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
of Mackinac County
Mackinac County, Michigan
-Local Airports:*Mackinac County Airport *Mackinac Island Airport -Airline service:The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are:*Chippewa County International Airport in Sault Ste...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. As of the 2000 census, Bois Blanc Township population was 71. The township is coterminous with Bois Blanc Island
Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island is coterminous with Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island covers about and is about 12 miles long, 6 miles wide and has 6 lakes. Bois Blanc is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of...
. The nearby, smaller and uninhabited Round Island is within the civil jurisdiction of the city of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former...
. Bois Blanc Island's ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 49775.
Communities and transport
Pointe Aux Pins is an unincorporated community with a ferry dock within the township on the south side of Bois Blanc Island at 45°43′57"N 84°28′40"W. The platPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
of this resort community was recorded in 1888 by the Bois Blank Island Land Company, of Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
. It was given a post office in May 1889. The office closed in October 1889, but reopened in May 1890. It was named for its location in a pine forest area. A summer post office operated from 1911-1914,1920-1922 and 1924.
Ferry connections with Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
, on the Lower Peninsula mainland, dock at Pointe aux Pins. Bois Blanc is also served by a paved airstrip in the interior of the island with facilities for private planes.
History
"Bois Blanc" is FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "white wood". The name is commonly thought to be a reference to either: (a) the paper birch
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera is a species of birch native to northern North America.-Description:...
, or more likely (b) the basswood, called "bois blanc" in other contexts. The basswood's white underbark was extensively used by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and French-speaking fur traders for cordage, including the sewing up of canoes and the manufacture of webbing for snowshoes.
Bois Blanc was ceded by the local Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
(Chippewa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
) to the U.S. federal government with the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
in 1795. After extensive use as a source of kilned lime and firewood for Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
and other local frontier settlements, Bois Blanc was settled in the late 1800s as a summer resort community. The Bois Blanc Island Light lighthouse (1867) survives on the northern shore of the island; it is not open to the public.
Geography
The township consists of Bois Blanc IslandBois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island is coterminous with Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island covers about and is about 12 miles long, 6 miles wide and has 6 lakes. Bois Blanc is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of...
in Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
. Bois Blanc Island is southeast of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
and due north of Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
. Round Island, is a smaller uninhabited island between Bois Blanc and Mackinac Islands and is part of the Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest is a National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physically divided into two subunits, commonly called the...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 49 square miles (126.9 km²), of which, 35.3 square miles (91.4 km²) of it is land and 13.7 square miles (35.5 km²) of it (28.04%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 71 people, 42 households, and 17 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2.0 per square mile (0.8/km2). There were 420 housing units at an average density of 11.9 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White. However, about 2,000 people visit the island. Only about 71 people stay year-round.
There were 42 households out of which 7.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 2.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.5% were non-families. 47.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.69 and the average family size was 2.41.
In the township the population was spread out with 7.0% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 11.3% from 25 to 44, 56.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $0 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $27,131. There were no families and 3.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.