Otisco Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Otisco Township is a civil township
of Ionia County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2000 census
, the township population was 2,243. Township offices are located in the community of Smyrna.
s 7 and 8 north in range 8 of the Michigan Survey. Township 7 was set off as Keene Township
on February 16, 1842. The name was taken from Otisco
, New York
.
The first white settlement in the area was where Dickinson Creek flows into the Flat River northeast of Belding. George W. Dickinson, in company with Thomas Cornell, both of New York, built a saw mill there in 1836. The settlement became known as Dicksonsonville, though when a post office was opened in June 1838, it was named "Otisco", after the township. Dickinson sold the mill to James M. Kidd in 1845, who plat
ted the village as Kiddville and a post office reopened there with that name in February 1855. The Kiddville Post Office close in June 1894.
Cook's Corners was an important early settlement. In 1829, Rufus R. Cook, had led to the area a group of men from New York looking for prospective land for purchase. He returned in 1837 with his family. The post office in Dicksonville was transferred to Cooks Corners in 1839, with Cook as the first postmaster. He built a tavern there in 1846, which proved to be a popular area attraction, and a general store in 1850. The tavern was later a stop on the stage line between Ionia
and Greenville
. Cook platted the village as Cooks Corners in May 1856.
A significant number of German immigrants settled in the southern portion of the township, centered around section 33. A Roman Catholic church was built in 1850 and was replaced by a larger structure in 1872.
Although Munson Seely had settled at what is now Smyrna soon after Dickson had arrived, he moved on to Muskegon County a few years later, though his name remains in Seely Creek. After Seely, the next settler there was Calvin Smith in 1843. Soon after, George Dickson, seeking to expand his business, purchased land in the area to build a gristmill at the mouth of the Seely Creek. Dr. Wilbur Fisher arrived in 1848 and arranged to establish a post office there. According to postal regulations, the community was too near to Cooks Corners to have a separate office, but on his application for the office, Fisher had given section 32 as the location, just far enough to qualify for an office (even though it was over a mile away from the community. Fisher chose the name "Smyrna" for the office, reportedly because he wanted to ensure a unique name. In September 1853, Dickson platted the village as Mount Vernon, after Mount Vernon
, Virginia
, the home of the first U.S. President, George Washington
. The village was also called "Mount Vernon Mills, but the post office was always Smyrna.
, the township has a total area of 32 square miles (82.9 km²), of which, 31.6 square miles (81.8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (1.28%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,243 people, 779 households, and 603 families residing in the township. The population density
was 71.0 per square mile (27.4/km²). There were 815 housing units at an average density of 25.8 per square mile (10.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.46% White, 0.09% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.18% from other races
, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 779 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $45,042, and the median income for a family was $55,446. Males had a median income of $37,123 versus $27,100 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $21,674. About 7.1% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 11.4% 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 Ionia County
Ionia County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 61,518 people, 20,606 households, and 15,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 107 people per square mile . There were 22,006 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. As of 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...
, the township population was 2,243. Township offices are located in the community of Smyrna.
Communities
- BeldingBelding, MichiganBelding is a city in Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,877 at the 2000 census. Belding is a small rural city surrounded almost entirely by farmland...
is an incorporated city situated within the northeast corner of the township. - Cooks Corners is the location of an early settlement in the township at 43°05′18"N 85°15′45"W near the junction of M-44 and M-91 just west of Belding.
- Smyrna is an unincorporated community at 43°03′34"N 85°15′46"W a few miles southwest of Belding near mouth of the Seely Creek on the Flat RiverFlat River (Michigan)The Flat River is a tributary of the Grand River in the western part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises as the outflow of the six lakes system in Belvidere Township, west of Edmore in Montcalm County. It flows mostly south and slightly west through Montcalm County, Ionia County, and Kent...
.
History
The township was organized on March 6, 1838 from survey townshipSurvey township
Survey township, sometimes called Congressional township, as used by the United States Public Land Survey System, refers to a square unit of land, that is nominally six miles on a side...
s 7 and 8 north in range 8 of the Michigan Survey. Township 7 was set off as Keene Township
Keene Township, Michigan
Keene Township is a civil township of Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,660 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...
on February 16, 1842. The name was taken from Otisco
Otisco, New York
Otisco is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,561 at the 2000 census. The Town of Otisco is in the southwest part of the county. Otisco is situated at the northern edge of the Appalacian Highlands, where an escarpment declines to the Lake Ontario plain and the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The first white settlement in the area was where Dickinson Creek flows into the Flat River northeast of Belding. George W. Dickinson, in company with Thomas Cornell, both of New York, built a saw mill there in 1836. The settlement became known as Dicksonsonville, though when a post office was opened in June 1838, it was named "Otisco", after the township. Dickinson sold the mill to James M. Kidd in 1845, who 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....
ted the village as Kiddville and a post office reopened there with that name in February 1855. The Kiddville Post Office close in June 1894.
Cook's Corners was an important early settlement. In 1829, Rufus R. Cook, had led to the area a group of men from New York looking for prospective land for purchase. He returned in 1837 with his family. The post office in Dicksonville was transferred to Cooks Corners in 1839, with Cook as the first postmaster. He built a tavern there in 1846, which proved to be a popular area attraction, and a general store in 1850. The tavern was later a stop on the stage line between Ionia
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
and Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
. Cook platted the village as Cooks Corners in May 1856.
A significant number of German immigrants settled in the southern portion of the township, centered around section 33. A Roman Catholic church was built in 1850 and was replaced by a larger structure in 1872.
Although Munson Seely had settled at what is now Smyrna soon after Dickson had arrived, he moved on to Muskegon County a few years later, though his name remains in Seely Creek. After Seely, the next settler there was Calvin Smith in 1843. Soon after, George Dickson, seeking to expand his business, purchased land in the area to build a gristmill at the mouth of the Seely Creek. Dr. Wilbur Fisher arrived in 1848 and arranged to establish a post office there. According to postal regulations, the community was too near to Cooks Corners to have a separate office, but on his application for the office, Fisher had given section 32 as the location, just far enough to qualify for an office (even though it was over a mile away from the community. Fisher chose the name "Smyrna" for the office, reportedly because he wanted to ensure a unique name. In September 1853, Dickson platted the village as Mount Vernon, after Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Virginia
Mount Vernon is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Nearby CDPs are Fort Belvoir , Groveton, Virginia and Hybla Valley, Virginia , and Fort Hunt, Virginia...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the home of the first U.S. President, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. The village was also called "Mount Vernon Mills, but the post office was always Smyrna.
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 township has a total area of 32 square miles (82.9 km²), of which, 31.6 square miles (81.8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (1.28%) is water.
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 2,243 people, 779 households, and 603 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 71.0 per square mile (27.4/km²). There were 815 housing units at an average density of 25.8 per square mile (10.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.46% White, 0.09% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.18% 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 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 779 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $45,042, and the median income for a family was $55,446. Males had a median income of $37,123 versus $27,100 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 $21,674. About 7.1% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.