Germfask Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Germfask Township is a civil township
of Schoolcraft County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 491 at the 2000 census
.
The unincorporated community of Germfask is located in the northern part of the township where the Manistique River
crosses M-77
on the eastern edge of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge
at 46°14′58"N 85°55′33"W. The ZIP code
for Germfask is 49836.
The name was derived from the surname initials of the eight founding settlers of 1881: John Grant, Matthew Edge, George Robinson, Thaddeus Mead, Dr. W. W. French, Ezekiel Ackley, Oscar (O.D.) Sheppard, and Hezekiah Knaggs. The community was a station on the Manistique Railway and was given a post office on February 26, 1890.
, the township has a total area of 71.7 square miles (185.7 km²), of which, 67.8 square miles (175.6 km²) of it is land and 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it (5.43%) is water.
of 2000, there were 491 people, 198 households, and 142 families residing in the township. The population density
was 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km²). There were 309 housing units at an average density of 4.6 per square mile (1.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 91.45% White, 0.81% African American, 6.11% Native American, 0.20% Asian, and 1.43% from two or more races.
There were 198 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the township the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $27,625, and the median income for a family was $29,375. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $16,364 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $14,648. About 9.4% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
of Schoolcraft County
Schoolcraft County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Hiawatha National Forest * Seney National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,903 people, 3,606 households, and 2,498 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There were 5,700 housing units...
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 491 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 unincorporated community of Germfask is located in the northern part of the township where the Manistique River
Manistique River
The Manistique River is a 67-mile-long river in the U.S. state of Michigan that winds southward through the central Upper Peninsula from its headwaters near Lake Superior to its mouth in Lake Michigan. It drains approximately of the Upper Peninsula, including most of Schoolcraft County and small...
crosses M-77
M-77 (Michigan highway)
M-77 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from US Highway 2 near Blaney Park in the south to Grand Marais in the north. The highway borders the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The northern half has been designated as a Scenic Spur of the Lake...
on the eastern edge of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Seney National Wildlife Refuge
The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a managed wetland in Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It has an area of 95,212 acres . It is bordered by M-28 and M-77. The nearest town of any size is Seney, Michigan...
at 46°14′58"N 85°55′33"W. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
for Germfask is 49836.
The name was derived from the surname initials of the eight founding settlers of 1881: John Grant, Matthew Edge, George Robinson, Thaddeus Mead, Dr. W. W. French, Ezekiel Ackley, Oscar (O.D.) Sheppard, and Hezekiah Knaggs. The community was a station on the Manistique Railway and was given a post office on February 26, 1890.
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 township has a total area of 71.7 square miles (185.7 km²), of which, 67.8 square miles (175.6 km²) of it is land and 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it (5.43%) 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 491 people, 198 households, and 142 families residing in the township. 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 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km²). There were 309 housing units at an average density of 4.6 per square mile (1.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 91.45% White, 0.81% African American, 6.11% Native American, 0.20% Asian, and 1.43% from two or more races.
There were 198 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% 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, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the township the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $27,625, and the median income for a family was $29,375. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $16,364 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 township was $14,648. About 9.4% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.