Chatham, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Chatham is a village in Rock River Township
of Alger County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 231. The village is at 46°20′52"N 86°55′44"W on M-94
and is considered a bedroom community to Marquette
, Munising
, and Escanaba
.
It was named after Chatham
, Ontario
, Canada
, the town where the lumber company Sutherland Innis was headquartered
, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.75%) is water.
of 2000, there were 231 people, 98 households, and 64 families residing in the village. The population density
was 87.6 per square mile (33.8/km²). There were 116 housing units at an average density of 44.0 per square mile (17.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.37% White, 4.76% Native American, and 0.87% from two or more races. 58.5% were of Finnish
, 12.5% German
, 6.0% French
and 5.5% English
ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.3% spoke English
and 7.7% Finnish
as their first language.
There were 98 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $31,406, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $19,375 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $14,266. About 4.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.0% of those sixty five or over.
Logging was the major economic activity in the area throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with Sutherland Innis, Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, Northwestern Cooperage and Lumber Company (Buckeye Company) and T.G. Sullivan having camps scattered throughout the area.
During the summer months, ATV's are quite popular for exploring the area's trail system. Mountain biking, hiking, and walking are other fun activities and provide the public an opportunity to enjoy the area's scenic views. The Chatham area is also home to a variety of different streams, rivers and lakes which are great locations for canoeists, kayackers and fishermen to enjoy. The village is also close to excellent state hunting land.
Rock River Township, Michigan
Rock River Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,213 at the 2000 census.-Communities:* Chatham is a village at the junction of M-67 and M-94....
of Alger County
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
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, the village population was 231. The village is at 46°20′52"N 86°55′44"W on M-94
M-94 (Michigan highway)
M-94 is a state trunkline in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs for from K. I. Sawyer to Manistique. The highway is part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour during a concurrency with M-28. M-94 crosses the Siphon Bridge in Manistique, unique for the fact that the bridge roadway...
and is considered a bedroom community to Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
, Munising
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
, and Escanaba
Escanaba, Michigan
Escanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie...
.
It was named after Chatham
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the town where the lumber company Sutherland Innis was headquartered
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 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.75%) 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 231 people, 98 households, and 64 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 87.6 per square mile (33.8/km²). There were 116 housing units at an average density of 44.0 per square mile (17.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.37% White, 4.76% Native American, and 0.87% from two or more races. 58.5% were of Finnish
Finnish American
Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent, who currently number about 700,000.-History:Some Finns, like the ancestors of John Morton, came to the Swedish colony of New Sweden, that existed in mid-17th century....
, 12.5% German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
, 6.0% French
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
and 5.5% English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.3% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 7.7% Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
as their first language.
There were 98 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $31,406, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $19,375 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 $14,266. About 4.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.0% of those sixty five or over.
History
The first settler came to Chatham in 1896, when the Munising Railway Company (later Lake Superior and Ishpeming) established a line through the town. The railroad company, along with the lumber company Sutherland Innis, platted a village where the railroad intersected the township road.Logging was the major economic activity in the area throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with Sutherland Innis, Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, Northwestern Cooperage and Lumber Company (Buckeye Company) and T.G. Sullivan having camps scattered throughout the area.
Recreation
There are a variety of recreational opportunities available in and around the Chatham area. For the winter sports enthusiasts, a major snowmobile trail (Trail 8) goes through just north of the village along the old Soo Line railroad grade. The Chatham Ski Hill is located northeast of the village near the Pine Grove Cemetery and provides for downhill and cross country skiing. The Eben Ice Caves are a popular tourist destination located in the nearby community of Eben Junction and provide picturesque ice formations.During the summer months, ATV's are quite popular for exploring the area's trail system. Mountain biking, hiking, and walking are other fun activities and provide the public an opportunity to enjoy the area's scenic views. The Chatham area is also home to a variety of different streams, rivers and lakes which are great locations for canoeists, kayackers and fishermen to enjoy. The village is also close to excellent state hunting land.