Chesaning, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Chesaning is a village in Saginaw County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,548 at the 2000 census
. The village is located within Chesaning Township
.
known as "Big Rock Reserve." Chesaning is a Chippewa word meaning "big rock place". The treaty continued in effect until 1837 when a second treaty led to the reserve being surveyed and offered for sale in 1841. The first land was sold at $5 per acre to brothers Wellington and George W. Chapman, and Rufus Mason. After making their land purchase, they traveled back to Massachusetts
and moved their families to their new wilderness home by late summer of 1842.
During the months they had been away from their land, several settlers had moved into the area, building a dam and a sawmill
. A few years later, a grinding mill
was added. The new settlers named their community "Northampton" in honor of the home they had left
in Massachusetts. In 1853, the legislature changed the name to Chesaning, the traditional name for the village and township. The first township elections, held in 1847, are considered to be the official birthday of the community. The village, first surveyed in 1851, was organized in 1869. The early business community was located on the east side of the river. The forest setting provided an abundance of lumber, which was used to construct many stores. However, the use of coal heating systems often caused major fires, which destroyed entire blocks of stores. The fires and the arrival of the railroad on the west side community influenced the business area to move on the west side of the river.
The Owosso and Saginaw Navigation Company, organized in 1857 to move merchandise by barge up and down the river, began construction of a canal
and lock
on the east side of the dam for hauling goods on the river. The river continued to be important for commercial use until the railroad arrived in Owosso. The railroad through Chesaning, built in 1867, was first surveyed to be built approximately three miles west of Chesaning, going directly from Oakley
to St. Charles
. Luckily, Wellington Chapman donated $18,000, a considerable sum at the time, to the railroad to secure a rail line through Chesaning. The rail was very important to the economy of the village.
, the village has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 2,548 people, 1,060 households, and 693 families residing in the village. The population density
was 818.2 per square mile (316.3/km²). There were 1,126 housing units at an average density of 361.6 per square mile (139.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.80% White, 0.35% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races
, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.57% of the population.
There were 1,060 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $34,952, and the median income for a family was $51,029. Males had a median income of $38,424 versus $24,635 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $19,408. About 7.0% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
, The Bay City Times, the Flint Journal
, or the Argus-Press
out of neighboring Owosso
. Three television stations have transmitting facilities located east of Chesaning, WJRT in Flint
, WSMH
in Flint and WAQP
in Saginaw
. From Chesaning, TV stations can transmit strong signals to Flint, Saginaw, Bay City
and Lansing
.
-style show, it has now become more-or-less a simple concert series. It takes place for a week in July. Each night of the event a riverboat
known as the Shiawassee Queen brings the evening's performers around a bend in the river and docks at an outdoor theater, allowing them to make a grand entrance prior to their performance. However, for the past few years the boat has been stuck in its dock downriver from the Showboat Amphitheater. Attendance has declined in recent years, as many performers schedule multiple performances in the same area in close succession, and many fans are more interested in seeing their favorite musicians perform than in the pageantry of the showboat, and so choose to see the same musicians elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is not unusual for Showboat to draw upwards of twenty thousand people. Recent years have seen performers such as Sandi Patty
, Lonestar
, and Alabama
grace the Showboat stage. 2006 was the 65th annual Showboat. The 2007 Showboat saw a lot of changes to its show. First the name of the Showboat was changed from the "Chesaning Showboat" to "Chesaning Showboat Music Festival". This was in part to change the image of the Showboat to attract a much younger crowd, to increase attendance. This was also the first time a heavy metal rock
type music had been played during the Showboat. The "Bad Boys of Rock Tour" which included the bands The Exies
, Buckcherry
, Papa Roach
, and Hinder
, turned out to be a complete success. Ticket sales were sold out but that didn't stop over 1000 people sitting in their lawn chairs outside the stadium to listen to the show. In 2010, Modern Bliss took the stage with the famous DJ Boom Boom (Tom Ebenhoeh). Beer sales were at an all-time high and ticket sales were a record year beating out Wayne Newton, Frankie Valli and Alabama combined.
Saginaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 210,039 people, 80,430 households, and 55,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile . There were 85,505 housing units at an average density of 106 per square mile...
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 2,548 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The village is located within Chesaning Township
Chesaning Township, Michigan
Chesaning Township is a civil township of Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,861 at the 2000 census.-Communities:* The village of Chesaning is located within the township....
.
History
The first mention of Chesaning in the written pages of history is the Saginaw Treaty, signed in 1819. This treaty was between members of the Saginaw Tribe, Chippewa Indians and the government of the United States. They established a number of reservations, including 10000 acres (40.5 km²) along the banks of the Shiawassee RiverShiawassee River
The Shiawassee River in the U.S. state of Michigan is long and generally flows in a northerly direction. It merges together with the Flint River, the Cass River and the Tittabawassee River to form the Saginaw River, which drains into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron.-Description:Supporting...
known as "Big Rock Reserve." Chesaning is a Chippewa word meaning "big rock place". The treaty continued in effect until 1837 when a second treaty led to the reserve being surveyed and offered for sale in 1841. The first land was sold at $5 per acre to brothers Wellington and George W. Chapman, and Rufus Mason. After making their land purchase, they traveled back to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and moved their families to their new wilderness home by late summer of 1842.
During the months they had been away from their land, several settlers had moved into the area, building a dam and a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. A few years later, a grinding mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
was added. The new settlers named their community "Northampton" in honor of the home they had left
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
in Massachusetts. In 1853, the legislature changed the name to Chesaning, the traditional name for the village and township. The first township elections, held in 1847, are considered to be the official birthday of the community. The village, first surveyed in 1851, was organized in 1869. The early business community was located on the east side of the river. The forest setting provided an abundance of lumber, which was used to construct many stores. However, the use of coal heating systems often caused major fires, which destroyed entire blocks of stores. The fires and the arrival of the railroad on the west side community influenced the business area to move on the west side of the river.
The Owosso and Saginaw Navigation Company, organized in 1857 to move merchandise by barge up and down the river, began construction of a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
and lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
on the east side of the dam for hauling goods on the river. The river continued to be important for commercial use until the railroad arrived in Owosso. The railroad through Chesaning, built in 1867, was first surveyed to be built approximately three miles west of Chesaning, going directly from Oakley
Oakley, Michigan
Oakley is a village in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 338. The village is within Brady Township, although about half of the village would lie within Chesaning Township on the east, if the boundary line had not been adjusted.History:...
to St. Charles
St. Charles, Michigan
St. Charles is a village in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located in the northwest corner of St. Charles Township with portions of the village located within Brant Township and Swan Creek Township...
. Luckily, Wellington Chapman donated $18,000, a considerable sum at the time, to the railroad to secure a rail line through Chesaning. The rail was very important to the economy of the village.
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 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all land.
Major highways
M-52M-52 (Michigan highway)M-52 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is on the Ohio border, where it continues as State Route 109 . The highway passes through communities like Adrian, where it intersects US Highway 223 , Chelsea and Webberville along its course...
M-57M-57 (Michigan highway)M-57 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The highway connects US Highway 131 near Rockford on the west end to M-15 near Otisville in the Lower Peninsula. In between, the mostly rural highway passes through farmland and connects several highways and smaller towns...
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 2,548 people, 1,060 households, and 693 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 818.2 per square mile (316.3/km²). There were 1,126 housing units at an average density of 361.6 per square mile (139.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.80% White, 0.35% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.75% 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 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.57% of the population.
There were 1,060 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $34,952, and the median income for a family was $51,029. Males had a median income of $38,424 versus $24,635 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 $19,408. About 7.0% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Chesaning Union Schools
Education in Chesaning had its beginnings during the summer of 1843 when a small board shanty was built on the east side of the river. Eliza Ann Smith was the first teacher. She had 11 pupils, which included her five younger brothers. The first school year was brought to an end when a heavy rainstorm flooded the building and sent the teacher and pupils fleeing to higher ground. The school moved several times over the years, until 1869, when a brick school was built for $14,000. The building was enlarged a few years later. Then a second brick school was constructed on the site of the first brick school and opened in 1918. A gymnasium was added to the school in 1938 and a few years later, a band room. The present high school opened in 1959 and had a capacity of 1,000 students. The building was later enlarged to accommodate 1,200 students. Today, the school district consists of a high school, a middle school and one elementary school. The district includes a large rural area.Local media
Chesaning's local newspaper is the Tri-County Citizen. Founded in 1983, it is a weekly free paper delivered to over 19,000 area homes. Many residents also subscribe to The Saginaw NewsThe Saginaw News
The Saginaw News is a newspaper publication based in Saginaw, Michigan, owned by Booth Newspapers, a division of Advance Publications. Published on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays , the paper has approximately 50,000 readers each day...
, The Bay City Times, the Flint Journal
Flint Journal
The Flint Journal is the largest newspaper published in Flint, Michigan. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, it serves Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties...
, or the Argus-Press
Argus-Press
The Argus-Press is a daily newspaper published in Owosso, Michigan. The names comes from two preceding papers: the Evening Argus and Press-American, which merged in 1916. The paper's earliest antecedent is the Owosso American, which was founded in 1854....
out of neighboring Owosso
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
. Three television stations have transmitting facilities located east of Chesaning, WJRT in Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, WSMH
WSMH
WSMH is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market that is licensed to Flint. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a 245 kilowatt, high transmitter on Aman Rd near St. Charles, Michigan...
in Flint and WAQP
WAQP
WAQP is a television station in Saginaw, Michigan, which broadcasts the programming of the Tri-State Christian Television religious network....
in Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
. From Chesaning, TV stations can transmit strong signals to Flint, Saginaw, Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
and Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
.
Chesaning Showboat Music Festival
Chesaning is known for an annual event called the Showboat. Founded in 1937 and intended to be a vaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
-style show, it has now become more-or-less a simple concert series. It takes place for a week in July. Each night of the event a riverboat
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
known as the Shiawassee Queen brings the evening's performers around a bend in the river and docks at an outdoor theater, allowing them to make a grand entrance prior to their performance. However, for the past few years the boat has been stuck in its dock downriver from the Showboat Amphitheater. Attendance has declined in recent years, as many performers schedule multiple performances in the same area in close succession, and many fans are more interested in seeing their favorite musicians perform than in the pageantry of the showboat, and so choose to see the same musicians elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is not unusual for Showboat to draw upwards of twenty thousand people. Recent years have seen performers such as Sandi Patty
Sandi Patty
Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer. For many years she was known as Sandi Patti. She has been dubbed "The Voice" by critics, because of her wide range and flexibility.-Early life:...
, Lonestar
Lonestar
Lonestar is an American country music group consisting of Richie McDonald , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater , Dean Sams , and Michael Hill . McDonald left the band in November 2007 for a solo career before returning in 2011...
, and Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
grace the Showboat stage. 2006 was the 65th annual Showboat. The 2007 Showboat saw a lot of changes to its show. First the name of the Showboat was changed from the "Chesaning Showboat" to "Chesaning Showboat Music Festival". This was in part to change the image of the Showboat to attract a much younger crowd, to increase attendance. This was also the first time a heavy metal rock
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
type music had been played during the Showboat. The "Bad Boys of Rock Tour" which included the bands The Exies
The Exies
The Exies are an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1997. Their name, "The Exies", is short for "The Existentialists". Their two Virgin Records releases, Inertia and Head for the Door , have sold over 400,000 copies combined.-History:The Exies formed in 1997 when singer and...
, Buckcherry
Buckcherry
Buckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
, Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
, and Hinder
Hinder
Hinder is an American rock band from Oklahoma that was formed in 2001 by drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe Garvey, and singer Austin Winkler. The band was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.-Formation and early history:...
, turned out to be a complete success. Ticket sales were sold out but that didn't stop over 1000 people sitting in their lawn chairs outside the stadium to listen to the show. In 2010, Modern Bliss took the stage with the famous DJ Boom Boom (Tom Ebenhoeh). Beer sales were at an all-time high and ticket sales were a record year beating out Wayne Newton, Frankie Valli and Alabama combined.