Mason, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Mason is a city in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is named after the state's first governor, Stevens T. Mason
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,252. It is the county seat
of Ingham County
. Mason is the only city in the U.S. that serves as a county seat ahead of a state capital, with the capital of Lansing
also in Ingham County. Despite being the county seat, many county offices and courtrooms are located in Lansing.
In 1865, Mason was incorporated as a village; in 1875 the town became a city. In the 1800s, Mason was the center of Ingham County activity, even more than was Lansing, the state capital. In 1877, Lansing attempted to take the status of county seat for itself, but the two cities made an agreement that moved some county offices and courts to Lansing in exchange for Mason remaining the county seat. As a result, Michigan is the only state in the country with a capital city that is not also a county seat.
Up into the early 1900s, the local Ojibwa tribe had a visible presence in the town. In the 1900s, The Wyeth Corporation
began producing baby formula in Mason, but that was discontinued in the 1990s. Today, it is home to the headquarters of Dart Container Corporation
. Lear Corporation, Gestamp, and Ingham Intermediate School District also have facilities in the Mason area. Cattle can still be seen grazing within the city limits.
The courthouse scenes of the 2011 film Real Steel
were filmed at the Ingham County Courthouse in downtown Mason.
, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of which 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of it is land and 0.02 square mile (0.0517997622 km²) is water.
Mason sits upon The Mason Esker
, which is one of the longest eskers in the western hemisphere.
of 2000, there were 6,714 people, 2,806 households, and 1,826 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,466.6 per square mile (566.0/km²). There were 2,961 housing units at an average density of 646.8 per square mile (249.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.98% White, 0.64% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.74% from other races
, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.73% of the population.
There were 2,806 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,790, and the median income for a family was $53,519. Males had a median income of $41,081 versus $26,266 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,866. About 1.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
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"....
. It is named after the state's first governor, Stevens T. Mason
Stevens T. Mason
Stevens Thomson Mason , also known as Stevens T. Mason, Tom Mason, The Boy Governor, and lesser known nicknames Young Hotspur and The Stripling, was the territorial governor of the Michigan Territory, and later the first Governor of the state of Michigan. Mason guided the Michigan Territory into...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,252. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
. Mason is the only city in the U.S. that serves as a county seat ahead of a state capital, with the capital of Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
also in Ingham County. Despite being the county seat, many county offices and courtrooms are located in Lansing.
History
In 1836 Charles Noble knew that Michigan would be seeking a central location for a new capital when it became a state. He purchased an area of forest, cleared 20 acres (80,937.2 m²), and founded Mason Center. The "Center" was soon dropped. In 1847, however, the state chose Lansing Township 12 miles (19.3 km) northward to be its capital due its potential for water power. Noble managed to make Mason the county seat instead. Ingham County's first downtown courthouse was built in 1843, and was replaced in 1858, and then again in 1905.In 1865, Mason was incorporated as a village; in 1875 the town became a city. In the 1800s, Mason was the center of Ingham County activity, even more than was Lansing, the state capital. In 1877, Lansing attempted to take the status of county seat for itself, but the two cities made an agreement that moved some county offices and courts to Lansing in exchange for Mason remaining the county seat. As a result, Michigan is the only state in the country with a capital city that is not also a county seat.
Up into the early 1900s, the local Ojibwa tribe had a visible presence in the town. In the 1900s, The Wyeth Corporation
Wyeth
Wyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
began producing baby formula in Mason, but that was discontinued in the 1990s. Today, it is home to the headquarters of Dart Container Corporation
Dart Container
Dart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan, United States is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined.-Company history:...
. Lear Corporation, Gestamp, and Ingham Intermediate School District also have facilities in the Mason area. Cattle can still be seen grazing within the city limits.
The courthouse scenes of the 2011 film Real Steel
Real Steel
Real Steel is a 2011 American science fiction film starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. The film is based in part on the 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson, though Levy placed the film in U.S. state fairs and other "old-fashioned" Americana settings. Real Steel was in...
were filmed at the Ingham County Courthouse in downtown Mason.
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 city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of which 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of it is land and 0.02 square mile (0.0517997622 km²) is water.
Mason sits upon The Mason Esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
, which is one of the longest eskers in the western hemisphere.
Transportation
-
US-127U.S. Route 127 in MichiganUS Highway 127 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs for , entering from Ohio south of Hudson and ending at a partial interchange with... -
M-36M-36 (Michigan highway)M-36 is a state trunkline route in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that runs in a west–east direction from Mason to Whitmore Lake. The route connects US 127 south of Lansing and US 23 north of Ann Arbor-Route description:... - The Capital Area Transportation AuthorityCapital Area Transportation AuthorityThe Capital Area Transportation Authority provides mass transit bus service and paratransit within the metro Lansing, Michigan area including Michigan State University .- CATA system :...
(CATA) provides bus service from Lansing to Mason. Route 46 runs weekdays from downtown Lansing to the southside of Mason. The Mason Connector runs weekdays and Saturday from south Lansing to Mason. - Jewett FieldMason Jewett FieldMason Jewett Field is a public use airport located one nautical mile southeast of the central business district of Mason, in Ingham County, Michigan, United States. It is owned and operated by the Capital Region Airport Authority, which also oversees the nearby Capital Region International...
is a general aviation airport located southeast of Mason. Scheduled passenger air carrier flights are provided by Capital Region International Airport located at the northwest corner of Ingham County.
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 6,714 people, 2,806 households, and 1,826 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 1,466.6 per square mile (566.0/km²). There were 2,961 housing units at an average density of 646.8 per square mile (249.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.98% White, 0.64% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.74% 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 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.73% of the population.
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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,790, and the median income for a family was $53,519. Males had a median income of $41,081 versus $26,266 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 $20,866. About 1.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
- Mason Branch of the Capital Area District LibraryCapital Area District LibraryThe Capital Area District Library is a system of libraries in Ingham County, Michigan, United States. It was formed in 1998 by an agreement between Ingham County and the City of Lansing. It consists of thirteen libraries and a bookmobile. CADL is governed by a seven-member board, five of which are...
http://www.cadl.org/new/mason/branchinfo-mason/ - Mason Area Historical Museum http://www.masonmuseum.org/
- Mason Skate Park http://www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/skateparks_display.php?id=1090
- Ingham County Fairgrounds http://www.ingham.org/FB/fairhome.htm
- Mason Antiques District "Cobblestone Village" http://www.masonantiques.net
- Spartan Speedway http://www.spartanspeedway.com
Celebrations and festivals
- Down Home Days, a Thursday through Sunday festival, centered on the third Saturday in September. A variety of community activities are planned for each day. Beginning in 1973, the outdoor Courthouse Show features arts, crafts, and other booths on Saturday around the courthouse, hosted by the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Spring Fling, a Thursday through Sunday festival, centered on the first Saturday in May. A variety of community activities are planned for each day. Beginning in 1983, the outdoor Courthouse Show features arts, crafts, and other booths on Saturday around the courthouse, hosted by the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Ingham County Fair the first week of August. This county fair began over 155 years ago.
- Mason Steam Engine & Thresher's Club Show, a steam engineTraction engineA traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
show, starting the last Friday in July. - Mason Aviation Day at Mason Jewett Airport in mid-August, hosted by EAA Chapter 55.
- Independence Day Celebration, on the 4th of JulyIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, daytime car show around the downtown Courthouse, evening parade hosted by the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce, and twilight fireworks at the Fairgrounds. - Mason Holidays Celebration, the Friday after Thanksgiving, features afternoon entertainment in the Mason Antiques District, downtown light parade after dark, and more, hosted by the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Thursday Night Live summer outdoor concert series (weather permitting) on eight select Thursday evenings in the downtown Courthouse lawn, hosted by the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Annual Memorial Day Parade, Veterans Day Parade, and Homecoming Parade.
- Sun Dried Music Fest the last Saturday of August, hosted by the Mason Downtown Development Authority
Famous residents and businesses
- According to The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in 1965, the result of a collaboration between Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. Haley coauthored the autobiography based on a series of in-depth interviews he conducted between 1963 and Malcolm X's 1965 assassination...
, Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
spent part of his childhood in Mason. He was placed in a juvenile home in Mason in 1939 and completed 8th grade at Mason High School, where historical accounts indicate he received straight-"A" grades. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/malcolmx/timeline/index.html A famous anecdote of Malcolm X's life tells of a teacher who discouraged Malcolm of his dream of becoming a lawyer because of his race. However, sources vary on whether this was a Mason teacher. Malcom was taught public speaking by Howard McCowan, a very successful lawyer in Mason. - Former Mason resident Ltc. Amos Steele was one of the (relatively) few Union soldiers to be killed during Pickett's ChargePickett's ChargePickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
at the Battle of GettysburgBattle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Steele Street and Steele Street Elementary School are named after him. - Mason is home to Kristin HaynieKristin HaynieKristin Lynne Haynie is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the Sacramento Monarchs.-High school years:Haynie was born and raised in Mason, Michigan...
, a point guard with the Women's National Basketball Association. Haynie, a 2001 Mason High School graduate, was a 2005 first-round WNBA draft pick after leading Michigan State to the women's NCAA national championship game. - Mason is home to Dart ContainerDart ContainerDart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan, United States is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined.-Company history:...
Corporation, the largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers in the world. Dart is known for being vertically integratedVertical integrationIn microeconomics and management, the term vertical integration describes a style of management control. Vertically integrated companies in a supply chain are united through a common owner. Usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or service, and the products combine to...
, and is one of the largest privately-owned corporations in Michigan. - John W. LongyearJohn W. LongyearJohn Wesley Longyear was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan.Longyear was born in Shandaken, New York. He pursued classical studies in the Lima Academy of Lima, New York and taught school for several years. In 1844, he moved to Mason, Michigan where he taught school and...
, a judge and politician, moved to Mason in 1844, where he taught school and studied law. - Fernando HendersonDominican Republic at the 1984 Summer OlympicsThe Dominican Republic competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. The nation won its first ever Olympic medal at these Games.-Athletics:Men's 5,000 metres* Ruddy Cornielle* Heat — 17:16.77...
, an Olympic swimmer for the Dominican Republic, went to Mason High School in 1984.