Leelanau Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Leelanau Township is a civil township
of Leelanau County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,139 at the 2000 census
.
of 2000, there were 2,139 people, 903 households, and 634 families residing in the township. The population density
was 43.5 per square mile (16.8/km²). There were 1,737 housing units at an average density of 35.3 per square mile (13.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 92.85% White, 0.28% African American, 3.13% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 2.52% from other races
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.01% of the population.
There were 903 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the township the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $42,112, and the median income for a family was $50,962. Males had a median income of $30,726 versus $24,671 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $23,799. About 5.0% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 8.6% 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 Leelanau County
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 2,139 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...
.
Communities and landmarks
- Gill's Pier, or Gills Pier was a settlement at 45°05′20"N 85°41′02"W along 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...
in the southwest of the township. The community took its name from the William Gill and Son lumber mill. A post office operated from January 22, 1883 until January 15, 1908. At its peak, in the 1890s, Gill's Pier had 12 houses, a post office, and a general store. The community, now mostly a memory, has been replaced by more vacation and year-round houses overlooking the lake. However, the name still appears on maps and lives on in the Gill's Pier Vineyard and Winery. - NorthportNorthport, MichiganNorthport is a village in Leelanau Township, Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 648 at the 2000 census. When Leelanau County was formed in 1863, Northport served as the first county seat from 1863 to 1883.-Geography:...
is a village on the Grand Traverse BayGrand Traverse BayGrand Traverse Bay is a bay of Lake Michigan formed by part of Northern Michigan. The bay is long, 10 miles wide, and up to deep in spots. It is divided into two arms by the Old Mission Peninsula...
side of the township. The Northport post office with ZIP Code 49670 also serves most of Leelanau Township. - OmenaOmena, MichiganOmena is a small unincorporated community in Leelanau Township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Overlooking Omena Bay, on the western side of Grand Traverse Bay, Omena is home to wineries and farms including a thriving organic farming movement that includes cherries and...
is an unincorporated community in the southeast part of township on the Grand Traverse Bay. - St. Wenceslaus Church, named for Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia, a Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
founded nearby by immigrants from BohemiaBohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
who worked at the Leland Lake Superior Iron Foundry and at the Gills Pier sawmill also remains. After the Holy Trinity Church in Leland burned down in 1880, the first wood-frame church was built in 1890 and the cemetery was established. Church membership had doubled by 1908 and a brick structure replaced it in 1914. The 2 church buildings stood side by side until the Autumn of 1963 when the frame structure was razed. - The village of Suttons BaySuttons Bay, MichiganSuttons Bay is a village in Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 589 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 1898 and is located within Suttons Bay Township....
is to the south and the Suttons Bay post office with ZIP code 49682 also serves small areas in southern Leelanau Township.
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 township has a total area of 227.6 square miles (589.5 km²), of which, 49.2 square miles (127.4 km²) of it is land and 178.4 square miles (462.1 km²) of it (78.37%) is water. - Leelenau has been part to substantial efforts to protect itself from growth, and to foster a nature conservancy.
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 2,139 people, 903 households, and 634 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 43.5 per square mile (16.8/km²). There were 1,737 housing units at an average density of 35.3 per square mile (13.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 92.85% White, 0.28% African American, 3.13% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 2.52% 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 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.01% of the population.
There were 903 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% 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, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the township the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $42,112, and the median income for a family was $50,962. Males had a median income of $30,726 versus $24,671 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 $23,799. About 5.0% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.