Buchanan, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Buchanan is a city in Berrien County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 4,681 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Niles
. It was named after James Buchanan
, the 15th President of the United States. Popularly known as "Redbud City" because of the many redbud trees that have historically lined city streets and the major approaches to the city, Buchanan has long been recognized as a Tree City USA
by the National Arbor Day Foundation
.
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²)
was 1,950.8 per square mile (753.1/km²). There were 2,098 housing units, for an average density of 874.3 per square mile (337.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.26% White
, 10.23% African American
, 1.92% multiracial
, 0.60% other races, 0.51% Asian
, and 0.47% Native American
. Hispanics or Latinos
of any race were 1.84% of the population.
There were 1,915 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples
living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
The age structure of the population was diffuse, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% aged 18–24, 29.0% aged 25–44, 21.3% aged 45–64, and 14.5% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35. Sex ratio was skewed toward females, with 87.5 males for every 100 females of all ages and 83.1 males for every 100 females 18 years or older.
Median income was $34,244 for a household and $43,860 for a family. Males had a median income of $32,950 versus $21,857 for females. Per capita income
was $16,600. About 10.9% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those younger than 18 and 10.7% of those older than 64.
was once a major transportation route for Native American tribes in the area, especially the Potawatomi
, and a historical marker to that effect has been placed on Moccasin Trail north of Buchanan near Batchelors Island.
The area was first settled in 1833 at the spot where McCoy Creek
meets the St. Joseph River
. The village of Buchanan was platted in 1842 and incorporated in 1858.
Buchanan was historically known as the headquarters for Clark Equipment Company
, a manufacturer of truck axles, fork lift trucks, front-end loaders, and other heavy machinery. The company was formed in 1916 out of an acquisition of two other Buchanan companies. Clark left the area in the 1990s, forcing the city to diversify, and a number of smaller businesses took over the buildings Clark essentially donated to the city.
Electro-Voice
, a manufacturer of high quality audio equipment such as microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers, was also headquartered in Buchanan.
On April 12, 1979, farms, houses and mobile homes just north of the city were damaged by an F2 tornado
. No lives were lost but several residences sustained significant damage.
The Tin Shop Theatre, located near Pears Mill, is a small theater with performances in the summer. The seasons run into September and a variety of shows for everyone of any age and any occasion are performed there.
Many other attractions are located in surrounding Buchanan Township.
(Interstate 90), and 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Interstate 94
(Exit 4 via US 12).
The nearest rail hubs are the Amtrak
stations at Niles
and New Buffalo
, and the South Shore Line
station in South Bend, Indiana
.
Commercial air service is provided by the South Bend Regional Airport
, with flights to larger hubs such as Atlanta
, Chicago O’Hare
, Cincinnati, Cleveland
, Detroit
, Las Vegas
, Minneapolis-St. Paul
, Orlando
, and St. Petersburg-Clearwater
.
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
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"....
. The population was 4,681 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. It was named after James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, the 15th President of the United States. Popularly known as "Redbud City" because of the many redbud trees that have historically lined city streets and the major approaches to the city, Buchanan has long been recognized as a Tree City USA
Tree City USA
Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States.- Requirements :...
by the National Arbor Day Foundation
National Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's oldest and largest tree-planting organization. The foundation began September 3, 1971 with a mission "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees". The Foundation is supported by donations, selling trees and merchandise, and by corporate sponsors...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²)
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,681 people, 1,915 households, and 1,191 families in the city. The population densityPopulation 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 1,950.8 per square mile (753.1/km²). There were 2,098 housing units, for an average density of 874.3 per square mile (337.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.26% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 10.23% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 1.92% multiracial
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
, 0.60% other races, 0.51% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, and 0.47% Native American
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...
. Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race were 1.84% of the population.
There were 1,915 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% 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, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
The age structure of the population was diffuse, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% aged 18–24, 29.0% aged 25–44, 21.3% aged 45–64, and 14.5% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35. Sex ratio was skewed toward females, with 87.5 males for every 100 females of all ages and 83.1 males for every 100 females 18 years or older.
Median income was $34,244 for a household and $43,860 for a family. Males had a median income of $32,950 versus $21,857 for females. 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...
was $16,600. About 10.9% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those younger than 18 and 10.7% of those older than 64.
History
The St. Joseph RiverSt. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
was once a major transportation route for Native American tribes in the area, especially the Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
, and a historical marker to that effect has been placed on Moccasin Trail north of Buchanan near Batchelors Island.
The area was first settled in 1833 at the spot where McCoy Creek
McCoy Creek (Michigan)
McCoy Creek is a tributary of the St. Joseph River in southeastern Berrien County, Michigan.The headwaters are located in southwestern Bertrand Township in Berrien County, and adjacent portions of Olive and Warren townships in St. Joseph County, Indiana...
meets the St. Joseph River
St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
. The village of Buchanan was platted in 1842 and incorporated in 1858.
Buchanan was historically known as the headquarters for Clark Equipment Company
Clark Equipment Company
Clark Equipment Company was a designer, manufacturer, and seller of industrial and construction machinery and equipment.-History:Clark's predecessor was the George R...
, a manufacturer of truck axles, fork lift trucks, front-end loaders, and other heavy machinery. The company was formed in 1916 out of an acquisition of two other Buchanan companies. Clark left the area in the 1990s, forcing the city to diversify, and a number of smaller businesses took over the buildings Clark essentially donated to the city.
Electro-Voice
Electro-Voice
Electro-Voice is a manufacturer of audio equipment, including microphones, amplifiers, and loudspeakers. A subdivision of Telex Communications Inc., Electro-Voice markets its products for use in small or large concert venues, broadcasting, houses of worship, and in retail situations.-History:On...
, a manufacturer of high quality audio equipment such as microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers, was also headquartered in Buchanan.
On April 12, 1979, farms, houses and mobile homes just north of the city were damaged by an F2 tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
. No lives were lost but several residences sustained significant damage.
Attractions
Pears Mill, a flour mill using the water power of the swiftly flowing McCoy Creek, was built in 1857 and still stands. It is open during the summer for visitors.The Tin Shop Theatre, located near Pears Mill, is a small theater with performances in the summer. The seasons run into September and a variety of shows for everyone of any age and any occasion are performed there.
Many other attractions are located in surrounding Buchanan Township.
Transportation
Buchanan is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of US 12, 2.3 miles (3.7 km) west of US 31, 9.3 miles (15.0 km) north of the US 31 interchange of the Indiana Toll RoadIndiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
(Interstate 90), and 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Interstate 94
Interstate 94 in Michigan
Interstate 94 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo...
(Exit 4 via US 12).
The nearest rail hubs are the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
stations at Niles
Niles (Amtrak station)
Niles is a train station in Niles, Michigan, served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system.The Amtrak station is located along the main line east of the former Benton Harbor Branch crossing and west of the former junctions with the South Bend and Air Line Branches...
and New Buffalo
New Buffalo (Amtrak station)
The New Buffalo Amtrak station is a train station in New Buffalo, Michigan, United States, served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The and stop here twice daily in each direction...
, and the South Shore Line
South Shore Line (NICTD)
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana...
station in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
.
Commercial air service is provided by the South Bend Regional Airport
South Bend Regional Airport
South Bend Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of South Bend, a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. This airport is publicly owned by St. Joseph County Airport Authority...
, with flights to larger hubs such as Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
, Chicago O’Hare
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, Cincinnati, Cleveland
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...
, Detroit
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
, Las Vegas
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
, Minneapolis-St. Paul
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...
, Orlando
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
, and St. Petersburg-Clearwater
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in unincorporated Pinellas County, Florida, north of St. Petersburg, serving St...
.
Schools
Buchanan consists of three elementary schools, Ottawa, Stark, and Moccasin (grades K-5), with Ottawa and Moccasin making up most of the elementary age students. Buchanan also features one middle school (grades 6-8) and Buchanan High School, currently a Class B school in terms of student population (and, therefore, athletic participation). Known as the Bucks, BHS has a strong reputation for success in high school sports, namely their Men's tennis program, which qualified for the MHSAA state championship every year for 17 years, the last being 2009. They were state champions in basketball in 1976 and 1978, baseball in 1985, Women's Basketball in 1990, Men's Track & Field in 1999, and tennis in 2003.Notable residents
- Eugene B. Clark, founder and president (1916–1942) of Clark Equipment Company.
- Virgil ExnerVirgil ExnerVirgil Max "Ex" Exner, Sr. was an automobile designer for numerous American companies, notably Chrysler and Studebaker. He is known for his "Forward Look" design on the 1955-1963 Chrysler products and his fondness of fins on cars for both aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons.-Early life:Born in Ann...
, influential automobile designer, lived in Buchanan during his youth and graduated from Buchanan High School. - Jack "Sky" KnightJames H. KnightJames H. “Jack” Knight is an American pilot who was instrumental in paving the way for regular U.S. airmail service when he took part in the first transcontinental demonstration flight. Jack Knight was part of a relay team that flew 2,629 miles across the country on February 22-23, 1921.-Life:The...
, aviation pioneer. - Jackson ScholzJackson ScholzJackson Volney Scholz was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprint. In the 1920s, he became the first person to appear in an Olympic sprint final in three different Olympic Games...
, the 200-m sprint200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
champion in the 1924 Olympics1924 Summer OlympicsThe 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, was born here. He was immortalized in the film Chariots of FireChariots of FireChariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
. - Poet Charles Standish Daniels and his muse, K.A. Ritter.
External links
- City of Buchanan Home Page
- Buchanan Community Attractions - Official information on Pears Mill, Tin Shop Theatre, and the Common
- Buchanan Chamber Of Commerce
- Buchanan Community Schools