Felch Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Felch Township is a civil township
of Dickinson County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
, named in honor of Alpheus Felch
. The population was 726 at the 2000 census
.
, the township has a total area of 143.8 square miles (372.4 km²), of which, 143.1 square miles (370.6 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (0.47%) is water.
of 2000, there were 726 people, 274 households, and 204 families residing in the township. The population density
was 5.1 per square mile (2.0/km²). There were 508 housing units at an average density of 3.6 per square mile (1.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.21% White, 0.69% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, and 0.83% from two or more races. 32.1% were of Swedish, 14.1% German
, 6.7% French
, 6.5% Italian, 6.2% English
and 6.2% Finnish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 274 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples
living together, 3.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $41,667. Males had a median income of $31,167 versus $18,958 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $16,096. About 3.5% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
The main school in Felch is the North Dickinson School (replacing the old Felch High School). The school's nickname is the Nordics (from "NORth DICkinson").
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 Dickinson County
Dickinson County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,472 people, 11,386 households, and 7,583 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 13,702 housing units at an average density of 18 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"....
, named in honor of Alpheus Felch
Alpheus Felch
Alpheus Felch was the fifth Governor of Michigan and U.S. Senator from Michigan.-Early life:Felch was born in Limerick, Maine. He was left an orphan at the age of three and lived with his grandfather Abijah Felch, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War...
. The population was 726 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...
.
Communities
There are no incorporated municipalities in the township.- Felch is an unincorporated community on M-69M-69 (Michigan highway)M-69 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It connects with US Highway 2 on both ends in Crystal Falls and near Bark River. In between, the highway runs for in rural UP forest lands.Before the creation of the U.S. Highway System, the...
at 45°59′50"N 87°49′33"W. Felch was a station on a branch of the Chicago and North Western RailwayChicago and North Western RailwayThe Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
. A post office has been in operation there since 1906. - Metropolitan was a thriving village established just after 1880 to exploit the iron ore in the nearby Metropolitan Mine. Metropolitan was about one mile west of Felch and was the last station on a branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway coming west from Escanaba. The village was platPlatA 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 by the Metropolitan Mining Company in 1881. A post office was in operation there from 1881 until 1963. The present Zion Lutheran Church of Metropolitan sits almost exactly on the site of the old village, which is now nothing but a string of farms along the country roads. Metropolitan was sometimes referred to as Milltown and Farmertown. - Theodore is an unincorporated community on M-69 about half a mile northwest of Felch at 46°00′05"N 87°50′07"W. It was platPlatA 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 for the Lake Superior Ship Canal, Railway & Iron Company in 1881 by J.A. Van Clive. - Felch Mountain is an unincorporated community on M-69 about half a mile northwest of Felch. It is immediately adjacent to, and east of, Theodore. Both Theodore and Felch Mountain are located on a steep hill north of M-69, while Felch and Metropolitan are located in the lower land south of M-69.
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 143.8 square miles (372.4 km²), of which, 143.1 square miles (370.6 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (0.47%) 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 726 people, 274 households, and 204 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 5.1 per square mile (2.0/km²). There were 508 housing units at an average density of 3.6 per square mile (1.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.21% White, 0.69% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, and 0.83% from two or more races. 32.1% were of Swedish, 14.1% 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....
, 6.7% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, 6.5% Italian, 6.2% 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...
and 6.2% Finnish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 274 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% 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, 3.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $41,667. Males had a median income of $31,167 versus $18,958 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 $16,096. About 3.5% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
The main school in Felch is the North Dickinson School (replacing the old Felch High School). The school's nickname is the Nordics (from "NORth DICkinson").