Harbor Beach, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.
of 2000, there were 1,837 people, 774 households, and 503 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,036.3 per square mile (400.7/km²). There were 928 housing units at an average density of 523.5 per square mile (202.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.35% White, 0.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.38% from other races
, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 774 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,469, and the median income for a family was $35,263. Males had a median income of $29,938 versus $18,864 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,917. About 11.2% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
Located on western shore of Lake Huron
in the Thumb
of Michigan
, Harbor Beach is known as having the world's largest man-made fresh water harbor and boasts a fishing pier that is handicap accessible. The municipal marina provides transient services and shuttle services into the downtown area which has retained its old town charm.
The Murphy
Museum and the Grice House Museum
feature history of the area. Wagener County Park, just south on M-25, and North Park Campgrounds, across from the marina, offer complete camping facilities and groomed hiking and cross country ski trails.
- Kincardine, Ontario
, Canada
Huron County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-53* M-142-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,079 people, 14,597 households, and 10,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 20,430 housing units at an average density of 24 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 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.
Geography
- According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census BureauThe 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 city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (4.32%) is water. - The world's largest man-made fresh water harbor offers a harbor of refuge to ships traveling between Port Huron and Pointe Aux Barques.
- It is considered to be part of the ThumbThe ThumbThe Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
of MichiganMichiganMichigan 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"....
, which in turn is a subregion of the Flint/Tri-CitiesFlint/Tri-CitiesThe Flint/Tri-Cities Region or Saginaw Valley is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region is composed of the area surrounding Flint, Michigan, the Tri Cities, the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River . Flint's population is 102,434; it is the seventh largest city in Michigan...
region. - The two main state highwaysMichigan Highway SystemThe Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
are
(M-25)M-25 (Michigan highway)M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
and
(M-142)M-25 (Michigan highway)M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
.
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 1,837 people, 774 households, and 503 families residing in the city. 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 1,036.3 per square mile (400.7/km²). There were 928 housing units at an average density of 523.5 per square mile (202.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.35% White, 0.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.38% 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 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 774 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,469, and the median income for a family was $35,263. Males had a median income of $29,938 versus $18,864 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 city was $14,917. About 11.2% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
The earliest settlers to this area arrived in 1837 and established a sawmill for processing lumber. The settlement eventually was named Barnettsville in 1855, as the settlement continued to grow, the town was renamed Sand Beach. In 1899, the village of Sand Beach changed its name to Harbor Beach, because of the impression that the area has nothing but sand. In 1910, it was officially incorporated into a city.Located on western shore of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake 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...
in the Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
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"....
, Harbor Beach is known as having the world's largest man-made fresh water harbor and boasts a fishing pier that is handicap accessible. The municipal marina provides transient services and shuttle services into the downtown area which has retained its old town charm.
The Murphy
Murphy
Murphy is an Anglicized version of two Irish surnames: Ó Murchadha/Ó Murchadh , and Mac Murchaidh/Mac Murchadh derived from the Irish personal name Murchadh, which meant "sea-warrior" or "sea-battler"...
Museum and the Grice House Museum
Grice House Museum
The Grice House is located at 865 North Huron Avenue in Harbor Beach, Michigan. It is a museum showing life in years gone by.-History:The Grice House was built by James G. Grice, who immigrated to the United States from England in the early 1860s with five of his seven sons and one daughter. By...
feature history of the area. Wagener County Park, just south on M-25, and North Park Campgrounds, across from the marina, offer complete camping facilities and groomed hiking and cross country ski trails.
Notable people
- Frank MurphyFrank MurphyWilliam Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
- an historically important Detroit mayor, Recorder's CourtRecorder's courtThe Recorder's Court, in Detroit, Michigan was a state court of limited jurisdiction which had, for most of its history, exclusive jurisdiction over traffic and ordinance matters, and over all felony cases committed in the City of Detroit...
Judge, Michigan governor, United States Attorney GeneralUnited States Attorney GeneralThe United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
, and United States Supreme Court Associate JusticeAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
. He was a resident of Harbor Beach and followed in his father's footsteps, practicing law there. His office is the Frank Murphy Memorial Museum in the downtown, as is his home. He is also memorialized there with an official Michigan Historical Marker and a plaque from the State Bar of MichiganState Bar of MichiganThe State Bar of Michigan is an organization of lawyers in the State of Michigan. Membership is mandatory for attorneys who practice law in the state of Michigan...
for "Michigan Legal Milestones", namely, his dissenting opinion in Korematsu v. United StatesKorematsu v. United StatesKorematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 , was a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II....
, protesting the decision to uphold exclusion orders imposed upon persons of Japanese descent during World War II. The plaque was dedicated and placed in front of the Frank Murphy home in Harbor Beach on August 16, 1996. His remains are interred at Our Lady of Lake Huron Cemetery.
Government
The government of Harbor Beach is organized under the City Charter of 1965 and operates under a Mayor/Council form of government. The City Council consists of the Mayor, who is elected every two years, and four Council members, who are elected for four-year terms.- Mayor Gary Booms
- Mayor Pro-Tem Al Kleinknecht
- Councilmember Bob Swartz
- Councilmember Matt Woodke
- Councilmember Sam Capling
- Harbor Beach has a sister city in Canada:
- Kincardine, OntarioKincardine, Ontario
The Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
, 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...
Attractions
- The Harbor Beach LightHarbor Beach LightThe Harbor Beach Lighthouse is a "sparkplug lighthouse" located at the end of the north breakwall entrance to the harbor of refuge on Lake Huron. The breakwall and light were created by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to protect the harbor of Harbor Beach, Michigan, which is the greatest...
is located at the end of the north breakwater entrance to the harbor of refuge, created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, protecting the harbor of Harbor Beach, Michigan.
- The Harbor Beach Community HouseHarbor Beach Community HouseHarbor Beach Community House is a building used for community purposes located in Harbor Beach, Michigan.- Building:The building is located at the northeast corner of State Street and Huron Avenue, the main intersection in Harbor Beach, Michigan....
is located at the main intersection in Harbor Beach. On the west face of the building is a mural that depicts local historical scenes and figures, including representations of agriculture, Frank Murphy, shipwrecks, locomotives, and much more.
- The Grice House MuseumGrice House MuseumThe Grice House is located at 865 North Huron Avenue in Harbor Beach, Michigan. It is a museum showing life in years gone by.-History:The Grice House was built by James G. Grice, who immigrated to the United States from England in the early 1860s with five of his seven sons and one daughter. By...
offers a glimpse at life in the past, while preserving history for future generations.
- Frank MurphyFrank MurphyWilliam Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
Memorial Museum and home. The birthplace of Frank MurphyFrank MurphyWilliam Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
and law office of Murphy's father.
- Detroit EdisonDetroit EdisonThe Detroit Edison Company, founded in 1903, is an investor-owned electric utility which serves most of Southeast Michigan. Its parent company, DTE Energy , provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area.- History :...
's Harbor Beach Power Plant is located north of town on M-25 on Lake Huron; this coal-fired plant generates 121 MWWattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
of electricity.
Education
- Harbor Beach Elementary School
- Harbor Beach Middle School
- Harbor Beach Community High School
- Our Lady Of Lake Huron School
- Zion Lutheran School
Media
- The Huron County Press is a weekly paper that serves Harbor Beach and other areas of Huron County.
- The Huron Daily Tribune is a daily newspaper that covers Harbor Beach and all of Huron County.
Registered Historic Places
| National Register of Historic Places Places | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Place | Added | Number | Address | Historic Significance | Area of Significance | Period of Significance | Owner: | Historic Function | Historic Sub-function | Current Function |
| Grice House Museum | 1982 | 82000534 | 865 N. Huron Ave., Harbor Beach | Architecture, Engineering | Politics, Government, Architecture, Industry | 1875–1899 | Local Gov't | Domestic | Single Dwelling | Museum |
| Harbor Beach Lighthouse | 1983 | 83000850 | Breakwater Entrance, Harbor Beach | Event, Architecture, Engineering | Architecture, Maritime History, Engineering, Transportation | 1875–1899 | Federal | Transportation | Water-Related | Water-Related |
| Frank Murphy Birthplace | 1971 | 71000394 | 142 S. Huron St., Harbor Beach | Frank Murphy | Social History, Politics, Government | 1875–1899 | Private , Local Government | Commerce, Trade, Domestic | Professional, Single Dwelling | Museum |
| Navigation Structures at Harbor Beach Harbor | 1997 | 97000972 | N. Lakeshore Dr., Harbor Beach | Architecture, Engineering, Event | Industry, Engineering | 1875–1899, 1900–1924, 1925–1949 | Federal | Transportation | Water-Related | Water-Related |