Empire, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Empire is a village in Leelanau County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 378 at the 2000 census
. The village is located within Empire Township
.
. With the Empire Bluffs to the south and the widely recognizable sand dunes of the National Lakeshore to the north, the area possesses breathtaking vistas of the dunes, North Manitou
and South Manitou
islands, and Lake Michigan. Most Sleeping Bear Dunes panoramas portrayed on postcards are taken from a walking trail which runs to the top of the Empire Bluffs. A wide beach separates Lake Michigan from its close neighbor, South Bar Lake. The much smaller South Bar Lake stays considerably warmer than the big lake during the summer months, and is good for young children.
The Empire beach boasts the Robert H. Manning Memorial Light
, which was built in 1991 by O'Brien Brothers Construction as a memorial to Robert H. Manning, a life-long resident of Empire and avid fisherman. Additionally, the beach offers a famous antique anchor which was discovered by Douglas Manning, son of Robert H. Manning, and Michelle Stryker in 1977. Every year, the village of Empire celebrates the raising of the anchor on the third Saturday in July.
The small village of Empire is located up a short hill, just a few minutes walk from the beach.
, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (7.26%) is water. Empire is considered to be part of Northern Michigan
.
of 2000, there were 378 people, 187 households, and 104 families residing in the village. The population density
was 328.5 per square mile (126.9/km²). There were 276 housing units at an average density of 239.8 per square mile (92.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.94% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.26% Asian, and 0.53% from two or more races.
There were 187 households out of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples
living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the village the population was spread out with 15.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 19.3% from 25 to 44, 35.2% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $39,722, and the median income for a family was $52,813. Males had a median income of $31,042 versus $24,250 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $27,850. About 2.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
. This was mainly a radar site during the Cold War. Its main function was to protect the northern skies of the United States from military threats. In its later years, the site was turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration. Though much of the site is gone now, there is a museum and historical marker in the village. There is an annual reunion of members of Empire AFS.
There are a number of recurring local events. A calendar is available.
Leelanau County, Michigan
-History:The county's name is said to be a Native American word meaning "delight of life", but it is a neologism made up by Indian agent and ethnographer Henry Schoolcraft, who sometimes gave the name "Leelinau" to Native American women in his tales. He created many faux Indian place names in...
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 378 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 Empire Township
Empire Township, Michigan
Empire Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,085 at the 2000 census. The village of Empire is located within the township.-Geography:...
.
Description
Situated approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) due west of Traverse City, Empire is nestled in the center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National LakeshoreSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a United States National Lakeshore located along the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Leelanau County and Benzie County....
. With the Empire Bluffs to the south and the widely recognizable sand dunes of the National Lakeshore to the north, the area possesses breathtaking vistas of the dunes, North Manitou
North Manitou Island
North Manitou Island is located in Lake Michigan, approximately west-northwest of Leland, Michigan. It is nearly eight miles long and over four miles wide, with of shoreline. It has a land area of 57.876 km² and has no population...
and South Manitou
South Manitou Island
South Manitou Island is located in Lake Michigan, approximately west of Leland, Michigan. It is part of Leelanau County and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The uninhabited island is in land area and can be accessed by a ferry service from Leland...
islands, and Lake Michigan. Most Sleeping Bear Dunes panoramas portrayed on postcards are taken from a walking trail which runs to the top of the Empire Bluffs. A wide beach separates Lake Michigan from its close neighbor, South Bar Lake. The much smaller South Bar Lake stays considerably warmer than the big lake during the summer months, and is good for young children.
The Empire beach boasts the Robert H. Manning Memorial Light
Manning Memorial Light
The Manning Memorial Light, also known as the Robert H. Manning Memorial Lighthouse is a lighthouse located near Empire, Michigan. Mr. Manning was a longtime resident of Empire. Manning enjoyed fishing offshore, and often returned from these boat trips late at night. He often remarked to friends...
, which was built in 1991 by O'Brien Brothers Construction as a memorial to Robert H. Manning, a life-long resident of Empire and avid fisherman. Additionally, the beach offers a famous antique anchor which was discovered by Douglas Manning, son of Robert H. Manning, and Michelle Stryker in 1977. Every year, the village of Empire celebrates the raising of the anchor on the third Saturday in July.
The small village of Empire is located up a short hill, just a few minutes walk from the beach.
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 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (7.26%) is water. Empire is considered to be part of Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
.
Geographic features
- South Bar Lake
- Lake MichiganLake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
Major highways
M-22M-22 (Michigan highway)M-22 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. It is long and follows the Lake Michigan shoreline of the Leelanau Peninsula, making up a portion of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. It also passes through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore...
M-72M-72 (Michigan highway)M-72 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, running from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The highway connects M-22 in Empire with US Highway 23 in Harrisville. It is one of only three Michigan state trunklines that cross the Lower...
, which is one of three true cross peninsular highways, that runs from Lake MichiganLake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
and Empire on the west to Lake HuronLake HuronLake 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...
and HarrisvilleHarrisville, MichiganHarrisville is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alcona County. The population was 493 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Harrisville Township, but is administratively autonomous...
on the east.
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 378 people, 187 households, and 104 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 328.5 per square mile (126.9/km²). There were 276 housing units at an average density of 239.8 per square mile (92.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.94% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.26% Asian, and 0.53% from two or more races.
There were 187 households out of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the village the population was spread out with 15.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 19.3% from 25 to 44, 35.2% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $39,722, and the median income for a family was $52,813. Males had a median income of $31,042 versus $24,250 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 $27,850. About 2.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. Air Force (Empire Air Force Station)
For many years, the village was host to many servicemen and women stationed at Empire Air Force StationEmpire Air Force Station
Empire Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command long range radar site located south-southeast of Empire, Michigan, in Empire Township...
. This was mainly a radar site during the Cold War. Its main function was to protect the northern skies of the United States from military threats. In its later years, the site was turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration. Though much of the site is gone now, there is a museum and historical marker in the village. There is an annual reunion of members of Empire AFS.
Local attractions
- Michigan Shore to Shore Riding & Hiking Trail runs from Empire passes through GraylingGrayling, MichiganGrayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
and on to OscodaOscoda, MichiganOscoda is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan located on the northern side of the Au Sable River where it enters Lake Huron. The community of Au Sable is on the other side of the river. Oscoda is in Oscoda Township in Iosco County, and not in Oscoda County, which is to the...
, and points north and south. It is a 500 miles (804.7 km) interconnected system of trails.
- Empire historical center and museum
There are a number of recurring local events. A calendar is available.
- The Empire Winterfest, held each year in mid-February has been celebrated for the past twenty-five years. Events include ice skating, curling and the polar bear dip into South Bar Lake. There is also a pool tournament held in the Empire Village Inn (known to locals simply as "The V.I.") and a pancake breakfast put on by the Empire Lion's Club in the Empire town hall.
- Empire is the former home of the Dunegrass Festival. A three day music festival featuring folk and bluegrass groups, as well as a multitude of stands from local artisans and business owners. It is now held a short distance away outside of the village.
- Empire Heritage Days (2nd weekend in October).
- Empire Asparagus Festival (3rd weekend in May—weekend before Memorial Day weekend).
Further reading
- Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Leelanau County
- Bogue, Margaret. Around the Shores of Lake Michigan: A Guide to Historic Sites. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin PressUniversity of Wisconsin PressThe University of Wisconsin Press is a non-profit university press publishing peer-reviewed books and journals. It primarily publishes work by scholars from the global academic community but also serves the citizens of Wisconsin by publishing important books about Wisconsin, the Upper Midwest, and...
, 1985. - Reed, Earl H. The Dune Country. Berrien Springs, MI: Hardscrabble Books, 1979. [Reprint of 1916 Edition].
- Ruchhoft, Robert H. Exploring North Manitou, South Manitou, High and Garden Islands of the Lake Michigan Archipelago. Cincinnati, OH: Pucelle Press, 1991.
- Wood, Mable C. Scooterville, U.S.A. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962