Sodus Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Sodus Township is a civil township
of Berrien County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,139 at the 2000 census
. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township. The unincorporated community of Sodus in the northwest of the township is its main settlement; the portion of the township just to the west is part of the Benton Harbor
/St. Joseph
urban area.
on Pipestone Creek. In 1853, Joab Enos built a flour mill, also on Pipestone Creek.
The township was organized on October 11, 1859.
Sodus has had retail establishments in the past, though it has none now.
forms most of the western boundary of the township, with Royalton Township
on the other side of the river. The township shares a short western border with the community of Fair Plain
in St. Joseph Charter Township
north of the St. Joseph river. Benton Charter Township
lies to the north, Bainbridge Township
to the northeast, Pipestone Township
to the east, Berrien Charter Township
to the southeast, and Oronoko Charter Township
to the southwest. A new segment of U.S. Highway 31 was completed in August 2003 that re-routed the highway through the township. Interstate 94
crosses the northwest corner of the township with two interchanges located nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 20.1 square miles (52.1 km²), of which, 19.5 square miles (50.5 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.69%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,139 people, 884 households, and 570 families residing in the township. The population density
was 109.5 per square mile (42.3/km²). There were 957 housing units at an average density of 49.0 per square mile (18.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.19% White, 8.37% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races
, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.74% of the population.
There were 884 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $33,804, and the median income for a family was $42,250. Males had a median income of $34,018 versus $22,824 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $17,646. About 6.6% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
referee James Enright
.
The novel
At Home in Old Sodus by Michael Jewell (ISBN 1603832343) is set in Sodus Township.
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 Berrien County
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The population was 2,139 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township. The unincorporated community of Sodus in the northwest of the township is its main settlement; the portion of the township just to the west is part of the Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
/St. Joseph
St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph is a city in the US state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county...
urban area.
History
The area was first settled about 1836, when James B. Larue began building a sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on Pipestone Creek. In 1853, Joab Enos built a flour mill, also on Pipestone Creek.
The township was organized on October 11, 1859.
Sodus has had retail establishments in the past, though it has none now.
Geography
The St. Joseph RiverSt. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
forms most of the western boundary of the township, with Royalton Township
Royalton Township, Michigan
Royalton Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan, a few miles southeast of the city of St. Joseph. The population was 3,888 at the 2000 census. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township, but portions are considered to be part of the Benton...
on the other side of the river. The township shares a short western border with the community of Fair Plain
Fair Plain, Michigan
Fair Plain is an unincorporated community in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and has no legal status as a municipality. The population of the CDP was 7,828 at the 2000 census....
in St. Joseph Charter Township
St. Joseph Charter Township, Michigan
St. Joseph Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,042 at the 2000 census. The township is on the shores of Lake Michigan in the west central portion of the county, south of and adjacent to the City of St. Joseph. The Village of...
north of the St. Joseph river. Benton Charter Township
Benton Charter Township, Michigan
Benton Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census, the township population was 16,404.-Communities:...
lies to the north, Bainbridge Township
Bainbridge Township, Michigan
Bainbridge Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,132. It was organized in 1837....
to the northeast, Pipestone Township
Pipestone Township, Michigan
Pipestone Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,474 at the 2000 census. The township was organized on February 16, 1842.-History:...
to the east, Berrien Charter Township
Berrien Charter Township, Michigan
Berrien Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 5,075.- Communities :...
to the southeast, and Oronoko Charter Township
Oronoko Charter Township, Michigan
Oronoko Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,843 at the 2000 census.The Village of Berrien Springs is the only incorporated municipality within the township. Much of the eastern portion of the township is considered to be part...
to the southwest. A new segment of U.S. Highway 31 was completed in August 2003 that re-routed the highway through the township. Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
crosses the northwest corner of the township with two interchanges located nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 20.1 square miles (52.1 km²), of which, 19.5 square miles (50.5 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.69%) 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 2,139 people, 884 households, and 570 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 109.5 per square mile (42.3/km²). There were 957 housing units at an average density of 49.0 per square mile (18.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.19% White, 8.37% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.26% 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 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.74% of the population.
There were 884 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $33,804, and the median income for a family was $42,250. Males had a median income of $34,018 versus $22,824 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 $17,646. About 6.6% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Sodus is the birthplace of Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
referee James Enright
James Enright
James Enright was a college and professional basketball referee and sportswriter. He was born in Sodus, Michigan and began officiating at 20 years old....
.
The novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
At Home in Old Sodus by Michael Jewell (ISBN 1603832343) is set in Sodus Township.