Middleville, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Middleville is a village
in Thornapple Township, Barry County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,721 at the 2000 census
.
. The village was likely surveyed and subdivided before 1850, but the plat
was not officially recorded until 1859. Prior to 1843, the settlement was often called "Thornapple". The name Middleville was at first given to a post office on the stage coach line between Grand Rapids
and Kalamazoo
. The post office was located at the house of Benjamin S. Dibble in section 2 in northeast Yankee Springs Township
. Dibble had agreed to accept the post office at the request of U.S. Representative Lucius Lyon
, of Kent County
. Lyon suggested the name "Dibbleville", but Dibble disliked that name. "Middleville" was suggested because of the proximity of an Indian village known as "Middle Village" on Scales Prairie near the boundary line between Thornapple and Yankee Springs townships. Dibble was appointed postmaster in July 1839 and continued until 1842. The next postmaster, John W. Bradley, continued to maintain the post office at Dibble's house until 1843, when it was moved to the present village of Middleville, with Calvin G. Hill as the postmaster. The village afterwards became known by the name of the post office. The location of the original Indian village is NNE a few hundred yards of the present day intersection where Norris Rd. ends at Adams Rd.
http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/glo_plats/barry/04n10w.pdf
, the village has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.27%) is water.
Several West Michigan television station
s have their transmitting towers
in the Middleville area, including: WOOD-TV
and WXMI
.
of 2000, there were 2,721 people, 998 households, and 711 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,313.7 per square mile (507.5/km²). There were 1,050 housing units at an average density of 506.9 per square mile (195.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.74% White, 0.18% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 1.18% from other races
, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.17% of the population.
There were 998 households out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the village the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $41,947, and the median income for a family was $46,357. Males had a median income of $34,750 versus $21,883 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,005. About 3.4% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
The Village has opened a 9-hole disc golf course and a skateboard park in Village parks. Both are free.
Middleville is between the Middleville State Game Area and the Yankee Springs State Game Area. This Barry County area is known for the number and size of its deer, so it is popular with deer hunters(and not so popular with people who drive vehicles....). The SGAs also offer turkey, grouse, squirrel, goose, duck, rabbit and raccoon hunting opportunities.
The Thornapple-Kellogg Middle School hosts the National 24-Hour Challenge bicycling event, held annually on Father's Day weekend.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Thornapple Township, Barry County
Barry County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-37* M-43* M-50* M-66* M-78* M-79* M-89* M-179-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 56,755 people, 21,035 households, and 15,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of...
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 2,721 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...
.
History
The first white settler to own land in the village was Calvin G. Hill, a native of New York, who bought 400 acres (1.6 km²) in 1834 on both sides of the Thornapple RiverThornapple River
The Thornapple River is an tributary of Michigan's longest river, the Grand River. The Thornapple is located in western Michigan. It joins the Grand in Ada, Michigan.- Description :...
. The village was likely surveyed and subdivided before 1850, but the plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
was not officially recorded until 1859. Prior to 1843, the settlement was often called "Thornapple". The name Middleville was at first given to a post office on the stage coach line between Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
and Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. The post office was located at the house of Benjamin S. Dibble in section 2 in northeast Yankee Springs Township
Yankee Springs Township, Michigan
Yankee Springs Township is a civil township of Barry County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,219 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. Dibble had agreed to accept the post office at the request of U.S. Representative Lucius Lyon
Lucius Lyon
Lucius Lyon was a U.S. statesman from the state of Michigan. He was born in Shelburne, Vermont, where he received a common school education and studied engineering and surveying...
, of Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
. Lyon suggested the name "Dibbleville", but Dibble disliked that name. "Middleville" was suggested because of the proximity of an Indian village known as "Middle Village" on Scales Prairie near the boundary line between Thornapple and Yankee Springs townships. Dibble was appointed postmaster in July 1839 and continued until 1842. The next postmaster, John W. Bradley, continued to maintain the post office at Dibble's house until 1843, when it was moved to the present village of Middleville, with Calvin G. Hill as the postmaster. The village afterwards became known by the name of the post office. The location of the original Indian village is NNE a few hundred yards of the present day intersection where Norris Rd. ends at Adams Rd.
http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/glo_plats/barry/04n10w.pdf
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 village has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.27%) is water.
Several West Michigan television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s have their transmitting towers
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
in the Middleville area, including: WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Middleville near the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Charter channel...
and WXMI
WXMI
WXMI channel 17 is a Fox-affiliated television station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owned by the Tribune Company. WXMI's studio and office facility is located in Grand Rapids and its transmitter is based southwest of Middleville, Michigan...
.
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 2,721 people, 998 households, and 711 families residing in the village. 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 1,313.7 per square mile (507.5/km²). There were 1,050 housing units at an average density of 506.9 per square mile (195.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.74% White, 0.18% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 1.18% 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 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.17% of the population.
There were 998 households out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the village the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $41,947, and the median income for a family was $46,357. Males had a median income of $34,750 versus $21,883 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 village was $17,005. About 3.4% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
There are five schools in Middleville, divided by grade level. They are:- McFall Elementary: young fives, kindergarten and 1st grade
- Lee Elementary: 2nd and 3rd grade
- Page Elementary: 4th and 5th grade
- Thornapple-Kellogg Middle School: 6th through 8th grade
- Thornapple-Kellogg High School: 9th through 12th grade
Recreation
Middleville is 5 miles (8 km) from one end of the developed part of the Paul Henry-Thornapple Trail. A parking area for the trail is behind the Village Hall and the Village plans to further develop the trailhead, adding facilities and paving more of the trail. A three mile (5 km) section is already blacktopped, and popular with roller-bladers, bikers, runners and walkers. The Middleville section runs along the Thornapple River and has three bridges. It has been called one of Michigan's most beautiful rail trails.The Village has opened a 9-hole disc golf course and a skateboard park in Village parks. Both are free.
Middleville is between the Middleville State Game Area and the Yankee Springs State Game Area. This Barry County area is known for the number and size of its deer, so it is popular with deer hunters(and not so popular with people who drive vehicles....). The SGAs also offer turkey, grouse, squirrel, goose, duck, rabbit and raccoon hunting opportunities.
The Thornapple-Kellogg Middle School hosts the National 24-Hour Challenge bicycling event, held annually on Father's Day weekend.