Gratiot County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
US Highways
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US-127U.S. Route 127U.S. Route 127 is a long north–south United States highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 near Grayling, Michigan...
routes north to I-75 and south to Lansing. -
BUS US-127 is a loop route through downtown Alma. - BUS US-127 is a loop route through downtown Ithaca.
- BUS US-127 is a loop route through downtown St. Louis.
Michigan State Trunklines
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M-46M-46 (Michigan highway)M-46 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan between Muskegon and Port Sanilac, terminating near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on each end. Except for the north–south segment that corresponds with the US Highway 131 freeway between Cedar Springs and Howard City, M-46 is...
is an important cross-peninsular highway that routes east to Saginaw. It ends at Port Sanilac on Lake HuronLake HuronLake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
. Westbound the highway courses to Muskegon on Lake MichiganLake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
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M-57M-57 (Michigan highway)M-57 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The highway connects US Highway 131 near Rockford on the west end to M-15 near Otisville in the Lower Peninsula. In between, the mostly rural highway passes through farmland and connects several highways and smaller towns...
heads east to the northern suburbs of Flint. Going west it ends at US 131 near the northern suburbs of Grand Rapids.
History
The county is named for Captain Charles GratiotCharles Gratiot
Charles Gratiot, Jr. was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the son of Charles Gratiot, Sr., a fur trader in the Illinois country during the American Revolution, and Victoire Chouteau, who was from an important mercantile family. His father became a wealthy merchant during the early years of St....
, who supervised the building of Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
's Fort Gratiot
Fort Gratiot
Fort Gratiot was an American stockade fort in Fort Gratiot, Michigan, in Saint Clair County, Michigan.The Army constructed Fort Gratiot in 1814 as an outpost to guard the juncture of the Saint Clair River and Lake Huron. The fort took the name of the engineer supervising its construction, Charles...
. See, List of Michigan county name etymologies. Emil Lockwood
Emil Lockwood
Emil Lockwood represented Gratiot County in the Michigan Senate from 1963 to 1970, serving as Republican Party Senate Minority Leader from 1965 to 1966 and Senate Majority Leader from 1967 to 1970. With F.J. Coomes in 1971, he co-founded Public Affairs Associates , the state's first multi-client...
, a noted Michigan legislator, represented Gratiot County in the Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
from 1963-1970, much of the time as Senate Majority Leader.
There are six Michigan historical markers in Gratiot county, namely:
- Alma CollegeAlma CollegeAlma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
- Gratiot County
- Jackson Weller House
- Lumberjack Park
- Michigan Masonic Home
- Saginaw and Gratiot County State Road / Saginaw Valley and St. Louis Railroad
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 42,285 people, 14,501 households, and 10,397 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 74 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 15,516 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.01% 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...
, 3.72% 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...
, 0.55% 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...
, 0.34% 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...
, 1.76% 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 1.60% from two or more races. 4.43% 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. 24.4% 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....
, 17.2% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 12.6% 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 6.9% 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...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.1% 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 2.7% 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 14,501 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% 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, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 11.60% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 108.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,262, and the median income for a family was $43,954. Males had a median income of $32,442 versus $22,333 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 $17,118. About 7.30% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 9.20% 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.
Gratiot 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...
: Keith J. Kushion - 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....
: Robert L. Beracy - County Clerk: Carol A. Vernon
- 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:...
: Mary Sullivan - Register of Deeds: Janet Davis
- 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...
: Brian Denman
(information as of September 2005)
Villages
- AshleyAshley, MichiganAshley is a village in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 526 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwest corner of Elba Township. No major state trunkline goes through the village although M-57 passes to south by less than...
- BreckenridgeBreckenridge, MichiganBreckenridge is a village in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,339 at the 2000 census. The village is located in Wheeler Township.-Geography:...
- PerrintonPerrinton, MichiganPerrinton is a village in Fulton Township, Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 439 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
Unincorporated
- Bannister
- Beebe
- Edgewood
- Elm Hall
- Elwell
- GallowayGalloway, MichiganGalloway is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located at on the boundary between Lakefield Township in Saginaw County and Lafayette Township in Gratiot County.The community is at the junction of Nelson Road and S...
- Forest Hill
- Langport
- Middleton
- New Haven Center
- Newark
- North Star
- Pompeii
- Rathbone
- Riverdale
- Sethton
- Sickles
- Sumner
- Wheeler
Townships
- Arcada TownshipArcada Township, MichiganArcada Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,708.-Communities:*The city of Alma is on the northern edge of the township, but is administratively autonomous....
- Bethany TownshipBethany Township, MichiganBethany Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,492.-Communities:*The city of St...
- Elba TownshipElba Township, Gratiot County, MichiganElba Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,394 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The village of Ashley is in the northeast corner of the township....
- Emerson TownshipEmerson Township, MichiganEmerson Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 966 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The city of Ithaca is at the southeast corner of the township, but is administratively autonomous....
- Fulton TownshipFulton Township, MichiganFulton Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,413 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The village of Perrinton is within the township....
- Hamilton TownshipHamilton Township, Gratiot County, MichiganHamilton Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 491.-Communities:*Sickles is an unincorporated community in the township on the Bad River at .-Geography:...
- Lafayette TownshipLafayette Township, MichiganLafayette Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 656 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Edgewood is an unincorporated community in the township on the Bad River at ....
- New Haven TownshipNew Haven Township, Gratiot County, MichiganNew Haven Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,016 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Newark TownshipNewark Township, MichiganNewark Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,149 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The city of Ithaca is at the northeast corner of the township, but is administratively autonomous....
- North Shade TownshipNorth Shade Township, MichiganNorth Shade Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 706 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- North Star TownshipNorth Star Township, MichiganNorth Star Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 996 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The city of Ithaca is at the northwest corner of the township, but is administratively autonomous....
- Pine River TownshipPine River Township, MichiganPine River Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,451 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The City of Alma is at the south side of the township, but is administratively autonomous.*The City of St...
- Seville TownshipSeville Township, MichiganSeville Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,375 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Elwell is an unincorporated community in the township at . The FIPS place code is 25800....
- Sumner TownshipSumner Township, MichiganSumner Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,911 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Washington TownshipWashington Township, Gratiot County, MichiganWashington Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 909 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Wheeler TownshipWheeler Township, MichiganWheeler Township is a civil township of Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 2,785. Inside the township is the Village of Breckenridge.-Communities:...
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Gratiot County, Michigan