Mason County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Mason County is a county in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2010 census
, the population was 28,705. The county seat
is Ludington
.
Not a pe ka gon as this area was called translates as “River with heads on sticks.”This was the name given to the area by the Ottawa Indians after a fierce battle between the Ottawa and Mascouten in the 17th century in which several thousand were killed. The victors then went about the task of severing the heads of the defeated Mascouten and placed them on sticks along the river and lake as a warning to all who might come afterwards.
The next event of any historical nature involves Father Marquette. He was a Jesuit Missionary who travelled also by canoe through out the Great Lakes to bring Christianity to the new world. On his way back to St Ignace he became ill and passed away on the shores of the lake that would eventually bear his name.
Early Trappers and Shingle makers made their way into the area by the lake route as early as 1835 with William Quevillion leading the way. They arrived in small schooners and travelled by canoe. Burr Caswell was the first permanent settler of European Descent to arrive in 1847 with his family aboard the Schooner Eagle.
The arrival of Burr Caswell and his family in 1847 marked the beginning of the settlement of the area and of our recorded maritime history. When Burr Caswell arrived the area was a virtual wilderness, giant pines crowded the shores of the lake, wolves wee common and travel was hard. There were no roads to bring travelers to the new settlement that would begin to develop in the midst of the wilderness.
The only sure way to travel was by boat, whether it was by schooner or canoe. The alternative was to travel Indian paths and deer runs, or along the beach where each river and creek had to be crossed in some fashion.
In describing what met the family on their arrival we quote from the 1882 edition of the History of Manistee Mason and Oceana Counties “Nothing could be wilder and more uncivilized then the surroundings of the first family of white settlers.
Their home was in the midst of dense wilderness, their neighbors a tribe of Ottawa Indians. There were two or three white men at work up the river [making shingles] but there were no white settlers nearer then Manistee. The Indians introduced Mr. Caswell to the mysteries of their religious rites.”
Sand Sawdust and Sawlogs by Frances Caswell Hanna relates the story of their arrival here in 1847. “On a balmy day in the late summer of 1847, The Eagle, a sailing schooner northbound from Chicago, with a family of six aboard, stood off the entrance to Pere Marquette Lake.
Unable to sail through the shallow channel, the captain sent the family ashore in the yawl. Their oxen, cows, and pigs were forced overboard, and after circling the schooner once or twice, swam ashore.
A year’s provisions for the family were brought to land in row boats. Such was the dramatic arrival of the Burr Caswell family, first permanent white settlers in the region about Pere Marquette Lake. Burr was forty years old, his wife, Hannah Green, a year or two younger. Of their four children, Mary was fifteen, George thirteen, Helen ten, and Edgar seven.”
The history of the carferries in Ludington begins much earlier then the completion of the first steel hulled carferry in 1897. Much work by many hands had to be accomplished in the early years of settlement in order to make that event possible. The tiny village that began to form up around the saw-mills and crude buildings became known as the Village of Pere Marquette.
The railroad even which had begun to extend from Flint Michigan towards the east coast of the state was incorporated as the Flint & Pere Marquette. It was the railroad which terminated in Ludington that chartered the first break bulk ship to move goods for the railroad and solidified the need for an ever expanding fleet of boats, eventually creating the largest fleet of carferries in the world.
Quoting from the pages of “Lumber Lath and Shingles” as written by Luman Goodenough. “Lumber was the reason for the existence of the town. The mills scattered along the banks of the little lake were the means. A lake area two miles in length by half or three quarters of a mile in width afforded ample shore space for all the timber industries the adjacent forests could support or the river float in logs and bolts. “
The development of the Maritime Industry in Ludington was directly related to the need to move goods to market and to move settlers and lumberjacks in search of work to remote areas that could only be easily accessible by water.
This is how the original trade and shipping routes wee established and the continued need for bigger and better ships to carry both freight and passengers year around across the lake. Trappers arrived as early as 1835, shingle makers by the 1840’s and the first permanent settler in 1847. Change was happening but by today’s standards it was coming slowly to the region. Traveling overland was difficult as roads were non existent in Northern Michigan at the time.
The most efficient form of travel was by boat and as lumbermen began to come into the area the need was great to find a way to quickly move timber, supplies and people. Large tracts of pinelands were being bought by men who had the vision to see the need and the future market for the seemingly unlimited pine forests. There were millions to be made for those willing to take the gamble and lives to be forged for immigrants willing to work long hours in the Pinery.
Schooners and lumber hookers provided most of the transportation needs in those early years up to about 1865. Population growth was slow and although it seemed that the lumbering concerns were moving a mountain of pine they had in reality barely scratched the surface. Even by 1873 Mammoth White Pines crowded the shores of Pere Marquette Lake.
A man by the name of Ford purchased the land surrounding Pere Marquette Lake to establish a sawmill and had taken out a note with James Ludington a Milwaukee businessman to fund the construction and early operation of this enterprise. Around the same time another player by the name of Eber Ward entered the game as he purchased large tracts of pines in the Mason County area. Ward was Detroit’s first millionaire and had been investing in lumber and mining through out the Midwest.
Ludington and Ward were Captains of Industry, both were forces to be reckoned with and they were joined by yet another man who was a giant of the times, Charles Mears. Mears had already managed to secure the removal of the County Seat from its former location on the peninsula to the Village of Lincoln which he controlled.
The next event of any consequence was the default of Ford in his note with James Ludington who foreclosed and took possession of the properties owned by Ford. Much of the land that Ludington came to own in 1859 encompassed most of what would become known as the City of Ludington.
IN 1859 there was a mill, some shanties and lumber shacks, a sawdust road and very little else. Even the harbor entrance was too shallow and this made it difficult to get the products to market. The little lumbering community that had started to build up around the lake must have intrigued James Ludington, he wanted to build not just a business but a community. In 1859 the little village held the name Pere Marquette after the fallen Jesuit Missionary who had died there centuries before and Ludington had his plans.
There were powerful men with powerful designs on the development of the area, a collision of giants was coming to the wilderness. Once James Ludington took possession of the sawmill at Pere Marquette he needed someone to manage it. He made an offer of a two year lease to Charles Mears to operate the mill in exchange for development of the channel.
Mears jumped at the chance to take control, but it was his biggest mistake as that decision would ultimately lead to his financial and political demise. Over the next couple years Mears had the channel widened and deepened. Schooners could now navigate the channel much easier and the commerce started to flow into Pere Marquette as well as new families and lumbermen. When the lease was up, Ludington took back control of the mill and the new improved harbor.
Charles Mears was a Chicago businessman who had built mills at Pentwater in Oceana County, the Village of Lincoln, and at Hamlin in Mason County. He had successfully lobbied and won the vote to have the County Seat of Mason County moved to the Village of Lincoln which he controlled. Mears had the hopes of being able to control every harbor and channel from north of Muskegon to Hamlin. In 1859 the Village of Lincoln was on the move and was out distancing the Village of Pere Marquette in commerce and growth.
Mears originally entered all of the lands surrounding the Big and Little Sable Rivers because the land at Pere Marquette was taken by Joseph Boyden and the lands at Freesoil were taken by Wheeler and Harris. By 1860 Charles Mears employed about 500 in his operations, seasonally other men and farmers in the county would also work for Mears in the woods.
In 1859 a group of Manitowoc residents came to Pere Marquette Village aboard the Steamer Gazelle to look into the possibilities of cross lake shipping. The idea of cross lake routes was on the minds of many early in the areas development. There were two ships that serviced the community of Lincoln on a regular basis, The Charles Mears built in 1856 and the Schooner Blackhawk.
Growth was slow during the war years of 1861 to 1865 but started to boom shortly there after Veterans of the Civil War took advantage of the homestead act and many came to Mason County after the war to start a new life. Businesses were built, homes were constructed, and farms established on newly cleared land. In a short time the Village of Lincoln was left holding its hands out as its population declined along with its political influence.
During these years as the drama was unfolding between Mears and Ludington Eber Ward was inching ever closer with the new railroad. It was a much anticipated event, everyone knew that having the railroad coming to the village of Pere Marquette would benefit all.
When the time came for the Village to have a Post Office the paperwork was filled out with the name of Ludington. The village retained its name but the Post Office was named for James Ludington. In 1865 Ludington started to plat out the layout of the city that would eventually bear his name. Ludington donated funds to promote almost every cause that would improve the social and economic growth of the village.
In 1869 James Ludington certainly must have felt that he had the upper hand in the negotiations with Eber Ward over a terminus in Ludington. While he had managed to get the upper hand over Charles Mears he was about to find himself on the same end of the stick that he knocked Mears down with.
The crews of Ludington were cutting what was called a round forty. What that meant is that in the areas where the lands of Ludington and Wards met Ludington’s crew was cutting trees down on the wrong side of the property line. Eber Ward probably didn’t care for how the negotiations were going with Ludington over a terminus for the railroad and he was not a man that you trifled with.
Ward knew that Ludington’s crew was taking some of his lumber and he waited until James Ludington came to Detroit to complete some business. When he arrived he was arrested and jailed.
The result of this action was that James Ludington’s health suffered greatly and was now severely impacted by these events and the loss of 650,000.00 from the subsequent lawsuit by Eber Ward against him. Ludington salvaged what he could, Ludington Lumber Company was formed with James Ludington as a stockholder but with the enterprise in control of others that he had previously conducted business with.
The road was wide open now for Eber Ward to secure land for a terminus in Ludington on the Pere Marquette Lake. The newly formed Ludington Lumber Company donated the needed property valued at 100,000.00 to the Railroad. As a bonus Ward secured some of the property for himself and constructed two sawmills on the lake to process the many thousands of acres of pines that he owned.
IN 1873 when the village became chartered Ludington offered to donate 5,000.00 to the city should it be named after him. 1873 was a good year for the most part for Ludington, the city bore his name, it was growing in leaps and bounds, and the railroad was almost here and the County seat was moved from Lincoln to Ludington.
Several years before Michael Engleman had prepared the way for cross lake traffic by establishing his routes to Chicago and Wisconsin and now there was nothing to stop Ward from moving forward in his plans to establish a permanent cross lake link between Michigan and Wisconsin through the railroad. Eber Ward finished his railroad, established his mills at Ludington, and made arrangements to charter the Sidewheel Steamer John Sherman before he passed away January 1st 1875. He did not live to see the creation of the carferry fleet but he played his part and set the stage for the cross lake service that would change the region forever. "
Introduction from the book Ludington Carferries by David K Petersen Arcadia Publishing used with permission of the author
of 2000, there were 28,274 people, 11,406 households, and 7,881 families residing in the county. The population density
was 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 16,063 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.84% White
, 0.73% Black
or African American
, 0.78% Native American
, 0.28% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.82% from other races
, and 1.53% from two or more races. 3.01% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 24.5% were of German
, 10.4% Polish
, 8.8% English
, 8.5% Irish
, 7.7% American
and 5.0% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English
and 2.2% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 11,406 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples
living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,704, and the median income for a family was $41,654. Males had a median income of $33,873 versus $22,616 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $17,713. About 8.20% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.
major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public health
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and
other social services. The county board of commissioners
controls the
budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local
government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street
maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
(information as of April 2009)
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 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the population was 28,705. 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....
is Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
.
History
"The Native Americans who lived on the shores of what would become known to us as the Pere Marquette Lake were the first mariners. They were the first to travel along the Michigan lakeshore and also to cross the narrow and shallow harbor entrance that existed at the base of the hill coming down from the bluffs to the narrow strip of land eventually known as the Buttersville Peninsula.Not a pe ka gon as this area was called translates as “River with heads on sticks.”This was the name given to the area by the Ottawa Indians after a fierce battle between the Ottawa and Mascouten in the 17th century in which several thousand were killed. The victors then went about the task of severing the heads of the defeated Mascouten and placed them on sticks along the river and lake as a warning to all who might come afterwards.
The next event of any historical nature involves Father Marquette. He was a Jesuit Missionary who travelled also by canoe through out the Great Lakes to bring Christianity to the new world. On his way back to St Ignace he became ill and passed away on the shores of the lake that would eventually bear his name.
Early Trappers and Shingle makers made their way into the area by the lake route as early as 1835 with William Quevillion leading the way. They arrived in small schooners and travelled by canoe. Burr Caswell was the first permanent settler of European Descent to arrive in 1847 with his family aboard the Schooner Eagle.
The arrival of Burr Caswell and his family in 1847 marked the beginning of the settlement of the area and of our recorded maritime history. When Burr Caswell arrived the area was a virtual wilderness, giant pines crowded the shores of the lake, wolves wee common and travel was hard. There were no roads to bring travelers to the new settlement that would begin to develop in the midst of the wilderness.
The only sure way to travel was by boat, whether it was by schooner or canoe. The alternative was to travel Indian paths and deer runs, or along the beach where each river and creek had to be crossed in some fashion.
In describing what met the family on their arrival we quote from the 1882 edition of the History of Manistee Mason and Oceana Counties “Nothing could be wilder and more uncivilized then the surroundings of the first family of white settlers.
Their home was in the midst of dense wilderness, their neighbors a tribe of Ottawa Indians. There were two or three white men at work up the river [making shingles] but there were no white settlers nearer then Manistee. The Indians introduced Mr. Caswell to the mysteries of their religious rites.”
Sand Sawdust and Sawlogs by Frances Caswell Hanna relates the story of their arrival here in 1847. “On a balmy day in the late summer of 1847, The Eagle, a sailing schooner northbound from Chicago, with a family of six aboard, stood off the entrance to Pere Marquette Lake.
Unable to sail through the shallow channel, the captain sent the family ashore in the yawl. Their oxen, cows, and pigs were forced overboard, and after circling the schooner once or twice, swam ashore.
A year’s provisions for the family were brought to land in row boats. Such was the dramatic arrival of the Burr Caswell family, first permanent white settlers in the region about Pere Marquette Lake. Burr was forty years old, his wife, Hannah Green, a year or two younger. Of their four children, Mary was fifteen, George thirteen, Helen ten, and Edgar seven.”
The history of the carferries in Ludington begins much earlier then the completion of the first steel hulled carferry in 1897. Much work by many hands had to be accomplished in the early years of settlement in order to make that event possible. The tiny village that began to form up around the saw-mills and crude buildings became known as the Village of Pere Marquette.
The railroad even which had begun to extend from Flint Michigan towards the east coast of the state was incorporated as the Flint & Pere Marquette. It was the railroad which terminated in Ludington that chartered the first break bulk ship to move goods for the railroad and solidified the need for an ever expanding fleet of boats, eventually creating the largest fleet of carferries in the world.
Quoting from the pages of “Lumber Lath and Shingles” as written by Luman Goodenough. “Lumber was the reason for the existence of the town. The mills scattered along the banks of the little lake were the means. A lake area two miles in length by half or three quarters of a mile in width afforded ample shore space for all the timber industries the adjacent forests could support or the river float in logs and bolts. “
The development of the Maritime Industry in Ludington was directly related to the need to move goods to market and to move settlers and lumberjacks in search of work to remote areas that could only be easily accessible by water.
This is how the original trade and shipping routes wee established and the continued need for bigger and better ships to carry both freight and passengers year around across the lake. Trappers arrived as early as 1835, shingle makers by the 1840’s and the first permanent settler in 1847. Change was happening but by today’s standards it was coming slowly to the region. Traveling overland was difficult as roads were non existent in Northern Michigan at the time.
The most efficient form of travel was by boat and as lumbermen began to come into the area the need was great to find a way to quickly move timber, supplies and people. Large tracts of pinelands were being bought by men who had the vision to see the need and the future market for the seemingly unlimited pine forests. There were millions to be made for those willing to take the gamble and lives to be forged for immigrants willing to work long hours in the Pinery.
Schooners and lumber hookers provided most of the transportation needs in those early years up to about 1865. Population growth was slow and although it seemed that the lumbering concerns were moving a mountain of pine they had in reality barely scratched the surface. Even by 1873 Mammoth White Pines crowded the shores of Pere Marquette Lake.
A man by the name of Ford purchased the land surrounding Pere Marquette Lake to establish a sawmill and had taken out a note with James Ludington a Milwaukee businessman to fund the construction and early operation of this enterprise. Around the same time another player by the name of Eber Ward entered the game as he purchased large tracts of pines in the Mason County area. Ward was Detroit’s first millionaire and had been investing in lumber and mining through out the Midwest.
Ludington and Ward were Captains of Industry, both were forces to be reckoned with and they were joined by yet another man who was a giant of the times, Charles Mears. Mears had already managed to secure the removal of the County Seat from its former location on the peninsula to the Village of Lincoln which he controlled.
The next event of any consequence was the default of Ford in his note with James Ludington who foreclosed and took possession of the properties owned by Ford. Much of the land that Ludington came to own in 1859 encompassed most of what would become known as the City of Ludington.
IN 1859 there was a mill, some shanties and lumber shacks, a sawdust road and very little else. Even the harbor entrance was too shallow and this made it difficult to get the products to market. The little lumbering community that had started to build up around the lake must have intrigued James Ludington, he wanted to build not just a business but a community. In 1859 the little village held the name Pere Marquette after the fallen Jesuit Missionary who had died there centuries before and Ludington had his plans.
There were powerful men with powerful designs on the development of the area, a collision of giants was coming to the wilderness. Once James Ludington took possession of the sawmill at Pere Marquette he needed someone to manage it. He made an offer of a two year lease to Charles Mears to operate the mill in exchange for development of the channel.
Mears jumped at the chance to take control, but it was his biggest mistake as that decision would ultimately lead to his financial and political demise. Over the next couple years Mears had the channel widened and deepened. Schooners could now navigate the channel much easier and the commerce started to flow into Pere Marquette as well as new families and lumbermen. When the lease was up, Ludington took back control of the mill and the new improved harbor.
Charles Mears was a Chicago businessman who had built mills at Pentwater in Oceana County, the Village of Lincoln, and at Hamlin in Mason County. He had successfully lobbied and won the vote to have the County Seat of Mason County moved to the Village of Lincoln which he controlled. Mears had the hopes of being able to control every harbor and channel from north of Muskegon to Hamlin. In 1859 the Village of Lincoln was on the move and was out distancing the Village of Pere Marquette in commerce and growth.
Mears originally entered all of the lands surrounding the Big and Little Sable Rivers because the land at Pere Marquette was taken by Joseph Boyden and the lands at Freesoil were taken by Wheeler and Harris. By 1860 Charles Mears employed about 500 in his operations, seasonally other men and farmers in the county would also work for Mears in the woods.
In 1859 a group of Manitowoc residents came to Pere Marquette Village aboard the Steamer Gazelle to look into the possibilities of cross lake shipping. The idea of cross lake routes was on the minds of many early in the areas development. There were two ships that serviced the community of Lincoln on a regular basis, The Charles Mears built in 1856 and the Schooner Blackhawk.
Growth was slow during the war years of 1861 to 1865 but started to boom shortly there after Veterans of the Civil War took advantage of the homestead act and many came to Mason County after the war to start a new life. Businesses were built, homes were constructed, and farms established on newly cleared land. In a short time the Village of Lincoln was left holding its hands out as its population declined along with its political influence.
During these years as the drama was unfolding between Mears and Ludington Eber Ward was inching ever closer with the new railroad. It was a much anticipated event, everyone knew that having the railroad coming to the village of Pere Marquette would benefit all.
When the time came for the Village to have a Post Office the paperwork was filled out with the name of Ludington. The village retained its name but the Post Office was named for James Ludington. In 1865 Ludington started to plat out the layout of the city that would eventually bear his name. Ludington donated funds to promote almost every cause that would improve the social and economic growth of the village.
In 1869 James Ludington certainly must have felt that he had the upper hand in the negotiations with Eber Ward over a terminus in Ludington. While he had managed to get the upper hand over Charles Mears he was about to find himself on the same end of the stick that he knocked Mears down with.
The crews of Ludington were cutting what was called a round forty. What that meant is that in the areas where the lands of Ludington and Wards met Ludington’s crew was cutting trees down on the wrong side of the property line. Eber Ward probably didn’t care for how the negotiations were going with Ludington over a terminus for the railroad and he was not a man that you trifled with.
Ward knew that Ludington’s crew was taking some of his lumber and he waited until James Ludington came to Detroit to complete some business. When he arrived he was arrested and jailed.
The result of this action was that James Ludington’s health suffered greatly and was now severely impacted by these events and the loss of 650,000.00 from the subsequent lawsuit by Eber Ward against him. Ludington salvaged what he could, Ludington Lumber Company was formed with James Ludington as a stockholder but with the enterprise in control of others that he had previously conducted business with.
The road was wide open now for Eber Ward to secure land for a terminus in Ludington on the Pere Marquette Lake. The newly formed Ludington Lumber Company donated the needed property valued at 100,000.00 to the Railroad. As a bonus Ward secured some of the property for himself and constructed two sawmills on the lake to process the many thousands of acres of pines that he owned.
IN 1873 when the village became chartered Ludington offered to donate 5,000.00 to the city should it be named after him. 1873 was a good year for the most part for Ludington, the city bore his name, it was growing in leaps and bounds, and the railroad was almost here and the County seat was moved from Lincoln to Ludington.
Several years before Michael Engleman had prepared the way for cross lake traffic by establishing his routes to Chicago and Wisconsin and now there was nothing to stop Ward from moving forward in his plans to establish a permanent cross lake link between Michigan and Wisconsin through the railroad. Eber Ward finished his railroad, established his mills at Ludington, and made arrangements to charter the Sidewheel Steamer John Sherman before he passed away January 1st 1875. He did not live to see the creation of the carferry fleet but he played his part and set the stage for the cross lake service that would change the region forever. "
Introduction from the book Ludington Carferries by David K Petersen Arcadia Publishing used with permission of the author
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1241.86 square miles (3,216.4 km²), of which 495.17 square miles (1,282.5 km²) (or 39.87%) is land and 746.7 square miles (1,933.9 km²) (or 60.13%) is water.Highways
US-10U.S. Route 10U.S. Route 10 is an east–west United States highway formed in 1926. Though it never became the cross-country highway suggested by the "0" as the last digit of its route number, U.S...
US-31U.S. Route 31U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
US-31 Business is a spur route running along Pere Marquette Highway east of Ludington.
Michigan State Trunklines
M-116M-116 (Michigan highway)M-116 is a long state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that begins in Ludington at an intersection with US Highway 10 at James Street and Ludington Avenue. The road travels northward, much of it along the shore of Lake Michigan before reaching its terminus at the entrance to...
This highway is located completely within Mason County and serves as access to the famous Ludington State Park
Adjacent counties
- ManisteeManistee County, Michigan-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,527 people, 9,860 households, and 6,714 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 14,272 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
(north) - LakeLake County, Michigan-Highways:* US 10* M-37-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,333 people, 4,704 households, and 3,052 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 13,498 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
(east) - OceanaOceana County, Michigan-US highways:* US-31* US 31 Business Route is a spur serving downtown Hart.* US 31 Business Route loops through downtown Pentwater, returning to mainline US-31 at both ends.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-20* M-120-Intercounty Highways:*B-15...
(south) - Sheboygan County, Wisconsin (southwest)
- Manitowoc County, WisconsinManitowoc County, WisconsinManitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 82,887. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The United States Census Bureau's Manitowoc Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Manitowoc County.-Government:...
(west)
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 28,274 people, 11,406 households, and 7,881 families residing in the county. 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 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 16,063 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.84% White
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...
, 0.73% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.78% Native American
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...
, 0.28% Asian
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...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.82% 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 1.53% from two or more races. 3.01% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 24.5% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 10.4% Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, 8.8% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 8.5% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 7.7% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 5.0% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 2.2% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 11,406 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% 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, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,704, and the median income for a family was $41,654. Males had a median income of $33,873 versus $22,616 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 county was $17,713. About 8.20% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and
other social services. The county board of commissioners
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
controls the
budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local
government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street
maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Mason County elected officials
- Prosecuting AttorneyProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
: Paul Spaniola - SheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
: Jeff Fiers - County Clerk: Jim Riffle
- County TreasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
: Timothy D. Hansen - Register of Deeds: Diane L. Stark
- Drain CommissionerDrain commissionerA drain commissioner is an elected official in counties of the U.S. state of Michigan with a population over 12,000. In counties with a population under 12,000, the statutory duties and responsibilities of the drain commissioner are performed by the county's board of road commissioners.The office...
: David A. Hasenbank - County SurveyorCounty surveyor1. A county surveyor is a public official in many counties of the USA. At the bottom of this page are working "External Links" as at 4 November 2011 to websites of a selection of such County Surveyor's departments. Most of these officials are elected on the partisan ballot to four-year terms...
: Theodore H. Weinert - County Board of CommissionersCounty commissionA county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
by district:- District 1: Joe Lenius
- District 2: Michael Schneider
- District 3: Bob Erickson
- District 4: Chuck Lange
- District 5: Jerome Rybicki
- District 6: Tom Posma (Chair)
- District 7: Mary Nichols
- District 8: Ron Sanders
- District 9: Bob Genson
- District 10: Dr. Lewis Squires
(information as of April 2009)
Villages
- CusterCuster, MichiganCuster is a village in Mason County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 318. The village is located within Custer Township.-Geography:...
, village - FountainFountain, MichiganFountain is a village in Mason County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 175. The village is within Sherman Township.-Geography:...
, village - Free SoilFree Soil, MichiganFree Soil is a village in Mason County of the U.S. state of Michigan.. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 177. The village is located within Free Soil Township. The village is close to the intersection of Free Soil and Custer Roads. Free Soil previously operated a two-building K-12...
, village
Townships
- Amber TownshipAmber Township, MichiganAmber Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 2,054. The township was established in 1867.-Geography:...
- Branch TownshipBranch Township, MichiganBranch Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,181.-Communities:...
- Custer TownshipCuster Township, Mason County, MichiganCuster Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,307 at the 2000 census. The village of Custer is located within the township.-Geography:...
- Eden TownshipEden Township, Mason County, MichiganEden Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 555 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
- Free Soil TownshipFree Soil Township, MichiganFree Soil Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 809 at the 2000 census. The Village of Free Soil is located within the township.-Geography:...
- Grant TownshipGrant Township, Mason County, MichiganGrant Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 850.-Geography:...
- Hamlin TownshipHamlin Township, Mason County, MichiganHamlin Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,192 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
- Logan TownshipLogan Township, Mason County, MichiganLogan Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 329 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
- Meade TownshipMeade Township, Mason County, MichiganMeade Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 287 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.6 square miles , of which, 37.6 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles ...
- Pere Marquette Charter TownshipPere Marquette Charter Township, MichiganPere Marquette Charter Township is a charter township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Riverton TownshipRiverton Township, MichiganRiverton Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,335 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census...
- Sheridan TownshipSheridan Township, Mason County, MichiganSheridan Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 969.-Geography:...
- Sherman TownshipSherman Township, Mason County, MichiganSherman Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,090 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.2 square miles , of which, 36.2 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square...
- Summit TownshipSummit Township, Mason County, MichiganSummit Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
- Victory TownshipVictory Township, MichiganVictory Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,444 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
See also
- Mason County CourthouseMason County Courthouse (Michigan)The Mason County Courthouse is in Mason County, Michigan. It is in the town of Ludington in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.- History :The area early in its history attracted several lumbermen because of the abundance of white pine timber. Among these early settlers in the area were Burr Caswell,...
- Mason County District LibraryMason County District LibraryThe Mason County District Library is located in Mason County in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is the district umbrella administration board under which the Ludington Public Library and the Scottville Public Library function. It consists of a seven-member board of trustees.The Ludington...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Mason County, Michigan