Green Charter Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Green Charter Township is a charter township
of Mecosta County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2000 census
, the township population was 3,209. The township was organized in 1858, before Mecosta County was detached from Newaygo County
.
, the township has a total area of 37.6 square miles (97.4 km²), of which, 36.9 square miles (95.6 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.76%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,209 people, 1,247 households, and 864 families residing in the township. The population density
was 86.9 per square mile (33.5/km²). There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 38.3 per square mile (14.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.20% White, 0.87% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 1,247 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $39,036, and the median income for a family was $43,884. Males had a median income of $36,970 versus $25,036 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $18,212. About 11.1% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Charter township
A charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. Townships in Michigan are organized governments. A charter township is a township that has been granted a charter, which allows it certain rights and responsibilities of home rule that are generally intermediary in...
of Mecosta County
Mecosta County, Michigan
Mecosta County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county is named after Chief Mecosta, the leader of the Potawatomi Native American tribe that once traveled the local waterways in search of fish and game. Chief Mecosta was one of the signers the Treaty of Washington in 1836. The easily...
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
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 township population was 3,209. The township was organized in 1858, before Mecosta County was detached from Newaygo County
Newaygo County, Michigan
Newaygo County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Grand Rapids–Wyoming, MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,460. The county seat is White Cloud. Newaygo County was either named for an Ojibwe leader who signed the Saginaw...
.
Communities
- Paris is an unincorporated community and the largest settlement within the township at 43°46′24"N 85°30′09"W on the Muskegon RiverMuskegon RiverThe Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river has its headwaters in Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. From there it flows mostly southwest to Muskegon, Michigan,...
about 5 miles (8 km) north of Big RapidsBig Rapids, MichiganBig Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
. John Parish is considered the "father" of the village, having arrived in the 1850s and then platPlatA plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the village in 1865. It was at first named Parish after him, but the name later became Paris. A fire on May 26, 1879 destroyed a large portion of the village, including records of Green Township. The Paris ZIP code, 49338, serves the northwest portion of Green Township. Paris Park, north of town, was the site of the second fish hatcheryFish hatcheryA fish hatchery is a "place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish in particular". Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems...
in the state of Michigan. The Paris Fish Hatchery opened in 1881, and from 1913 to 1938, salmon and brown trout fingerlings were shipped by rail baggage cars in milk cans painted a distinctive red. The Works Progress AdministrationWorks Progress AdministrationThe Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
renovated and expanded the facility in the mid 1930s. The hatchery operated until 1964, and in 1972 was acquired by the Mecosta County Park Commission and refurbished as a park that reopened in July 1976. In 1980, students from the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center in Big RapidsBig Rapids, MichiganBig Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
built a 20 feet (6.1 m) replica of the Eiffel TowerEiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
out of metal frames from WPA workers' beds that had been stored in barns. - The city of Big RapidsBig Rapids, MichiganBig Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
is to the south, and the Big Rapids ZIP code 49307 also serves part of southern Green Township. - The city of HerseyHersey, MichiganHersey is a village in Osceola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 374 at the time of the 2000 census. The village is located within Hersey Township.-History:...
is to the northeast in Osceola CountyOsceola County, Michigan-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,197 people, 8,861 households, and 6,415 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile . There were 12,853 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
, and the Hersey ZIP code 49639 also serves the northeast portion of Green Township.
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 37.6 square miles (97.4 km²), of which, 36.9 square miles (95.6 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.76%) 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 3,209 people, 1,247 households, and 864 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 86.9 per square mile (33.5/km²). There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 38.3 per square mile (14.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.20% White, 0.87% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.22% 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 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 1,247 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $39,036, and the median income for a family was $43,884. Males had a median income of $36,970 versus $25,036 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 township was $18,212. About 11.1% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.