Cassopolis, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Cassopolis is a village in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2010 census
, the village population was 14,275. It is the county seat
of Cass County
. The village and county are named after statesman
Lewis Cass
, a New Hampshire
native and a prominent U.S. senator from Michigan prior to the American Civil War
.
Cassopolis is part of the South Bend
–Mishawaka
, IN
-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
(born 1929), liberal
Republican
governor of New Mexico
from 1967—1971, was born in Dowagiac
in Cass County.
The aviation pioneer Iven Carl Kincheloe, Jr.
grew up in Cassopolis.
Ed Lowe
, inventor of cat litter, grew up in Cassopolis. His trademark "Kitty Litter" brand cat litter led to the popularization of cats as household pets after World War II
.
Although he was born in Detroit
, Dennis Archer
grew up in Cassopolis. Among his accomplishments, Archer went on to become an attorney, Michigan Supreme Court
Justice, two-term mayor of Detroit, and President of the American Bar Association
.
, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (9.33%) is water. Cassopolis is the town associated with Diamond Lake, the largest lake in southwestern Michigan.
of 2000, there were 1,740 people, 703 households, and 437 families residing in the village. The population density
was 994.1 per square mile (383.9/km²). There were 780 housing units at an average density of 445.6 per square mile (172.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 54.60% White, 32.59% African American, 0.57% Native American, 3.62% Asian, 0.80% from other races
, and 7.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.
There were 703 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples
living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $28,696, and the median income for a family was $37,348. Males had a median income of $29,688 versus $21,036 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $14,359. About 9.4% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
, Sam Adams Elementary, and Frank Squires Early Elementary.
's Main Library is located in Cassopolis. The Local History Branch is also located in Cassopolis. Other branches include the Howard Branch, Edwardsburg Branch, and the Mason / Union Branch.
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 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the village population was 14,275. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Cass County
Cass County, Michigan
Cass County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 51,104. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area which has a total population of 316,663 and is sometimes considered part of Greater Michiana...
. The village and county are named after statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
, a New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
native and a prominent U.S. senator from Michigan prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Cassopolis is part of the South Bend
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...
–Mishawaka
Mishawaka, Indiana
Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River and a Twin city of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. The population was 48,252 as of the 2010 Census...
, IN
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area
South Bend-Mishawaka metropolitan area
The South Bend–Mishawaka Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties – one in northern Indiana and one in southwest Michigan, anchored by the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka in Indiana...
.
Notable residents
David F. CargoDavid F. Cargo
David Francis Cargo the 22nd Governor of New Mexico, having served between 1967 and 1971.Cargo was born in Dowagiac, Michigan, the eldest of three children born to Francis and Mary Cargo...
(born 1929), liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
governor of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
from 1967—1971, was born in Dowagiac
Dowagiac, Michigan
Dowagiac is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in Cass County.
The aviation pioneer Iven Carl Kincheloe, Jr.
Iven Carl Kincheloe, Jr.
Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe, Jr. was an American test pilot, recipient of the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross, and an ace in the Korean War.-Early life:...
grew up in Cassopolis.
Ed Lowe
Ed Lowe
Edward 'Ed' Lowe was an American businessman and entrepreneur, noted for the invention of cat litter. The Small Business School described him as "building a huge business from nothing", and cite him as a textbook example of an individual who "created a product, brought it to marketplace, invented...
, inventor of cat litter, grew up in Cassopolis. His trademark "Kitty Litter" brand cat litter led to the popularization of cats as household pets after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Although he was born in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Dennis Archer
Dennis Archer
Dennis Wayne Archer is an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit...
grew up in Cassopolis. Among his accomplishments, Archer went on to become an attorney, Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
Justice, two-term mayor of Detroit, and President of the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
.
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 village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (9.33%) is water. Cassopolis is the town associated with Diamond Lake, the largest lake in southwestern Michigan.
Highways
M-60M-60 (Michigan highway)M-60 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Niles area at a junction with US Highway 12 to the Jackson area where it ends at Interstate 94 . The trunkline passes through a mix of farm fields and woodlands, crosses or runs along several rivers and...
M-62M-62 (Michigan highway)M-62 is an arc-shaped state trunkline highway in the southwestern part of the US state of Michigan. The route runs from the Indiana state line north and west to M-140 in Eau Claire. In between, it serves the western Cass County communities of Dowagiac and Cassopolis. The highway was formed in the...
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 1,740 people, 703 households, and 437 families residing in the village. 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 994.1 per square mile (383.9/km²). There were 780 housing units at an average density of 445.6 per square mile (172.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 54.60% White, 32.59% African American, 0.57% Native American, 3.62% Asian, 0.80% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 7.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.
There were 703 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% 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, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $28,696, and the median income for a family was $37,348. Males had a median income of $29,688 versus $21,036 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 village was $14,359. About 9.4% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Cassopolis Public School District is the school system for the Village of Cassopolis and its surrounding areas. It is made of Ross Beatty Junior/Senior High SchoolRoss Beatty Junior/Senior High School
Ross Beatty Junior/Senior High School is the community high school for Cassopolis, Michigan, USA.-Staff:Co-Principles:Hiawatha FransiscoTracy HertselTeachers:Kate Baer Former teacherPaul "The Beast" ChapmanJulie "Super Saiyan" Herwick...
, Sam Adams Elementary, and Frank Squires Early Elementary.
Library
The Cass District LibraryCass District Library
Cass District Library is the library system which services Calvin, Howard, Jefferson, LaGrange, Mason, Milton, Newberg, Ontwa, Penn, Pokagon, Porter and Volinia Townships in Cass County, Michigan, USA....
's Main Library is located in Cassopolis. The Local History Branch is also located in Cassopolis. Other branches include the Howard Branch, Edwardsburg Branch, and the Mason / Union Branch.
External links
- Cass County Government website
- Cassopolis Webcam — view from the Cassopolis courthouse
