Homer, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Homer is a village in Calhoun County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is part of the Battle Creek
, Michigan
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,851 at the 2000 census
.
the summer of 1832 to scout the area and returned that September with his family and workmen to settle on the south bank of the Kalamazoo River in Section 5. Soon after Barney hired Osha Wilder to layout the plat for the village of Barneyville on the SW corner of Section 5, SE corner of Section 6, NE corner of Section 7, and NW corner of Section 8. For more a detailed history of the surrounding area see the entry for Homer Township
and Clarendon Township.
Milton Barney built a store, a sawmill, and a hotel. In 1834 when a post office was registered, Barneyville was renamed Homer after the village in Cortland County, New York
, at the request of many of the residents who had moved from there. Homer was incorporated as a village in 1871.
According to Dr William Lane, the Potawatomi
natives were friendly and the children of settlers and natives often played together. Chief Ne-au-to-beer-saw, called Leather-nose, and Chief Wopkezike are mentioned in many stories of the founding era. The native population was numerous until the autumn of 1840 when the U.S. Government forcibly removed the Indians to reserves west of the Mississippi under Authority of the Indian Removal Act
and Treaty of Chicago
. Because of the peacefulness of the Potawatomi, they continued to co-exist with the settlers many years after the Treaty of Chicago
until General Brady removed about 250 Indians of Hillsdale and Homer to Miami County, KS. Chief Ne-au-to-beer-saw drowned while crossing the Detroit River returning from his escape to Canada.
The "old" Homer mills was built by a stock company of Milton Barney, Walter Wright, Nelson D. Skeeles, Asabel Finch, Jr, and Mr Platt in 1837-1838. This structure was later operated under the name Smith, Lewis, & Redfield. The property passed on to B. & E.R. Smith in 1860 and to Judge Emons of Detroit in 1872. This original structure burned on January 25, 1886. The heirs of Judge Emons sold the water power, land, and mill site to Cortright & Sons.
The Homer High School varsity baseball team set the national record for most consecutive wins at 75. The streak started at the start of the 2004 season and ended in the state championship game in 2005. From 2003 to 2006 the varsity baseball team compiled a 143-6 record. Winning two state championships, in 2004 and 2006, and was televised on ESPN's 50 States in 50 Days segment on the state of Michigan.
In the early morning of May 16, 2010, the "new" Homer mills, a local landmark, burned to the ground. The fire is estimated to be the biggest fire in the towns history since the high school burned down in 1943. The fire was so intense that the Homer Fire Department requested and received the aid of the fire departments of Albion
, Albion Township
, Sheridan Township
, Marengo Township
, Fredonia Township
, Litchfield
, and Concord
. Fire trucks had to patrol the town, as ashes were raining down and posed the threat of setting houses on fire. The cause of the fire is unknown.
. The district also receives a large number of students from Albion, Michigan
, who take advantage of Michigan's school of choice.
, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.07%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,851 people, 707 households, and 477 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,300.6 per square mile (503.3/km²). There were 745 housing units at an average density of 523.5 per square mile (202.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.24% White, 0.27% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.16% from other races
, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.16% of the population.
There were 707 households out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the village the population was spread out with 31.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,542, and the median income for a family was $41,125. Males had a median income of $31,214 versus $22,829 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $16,394. About 9.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.
, Olympic gold medalist
Josh Collmenter
, major league baseball player
Calhoun County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...
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"....
. It is part of the Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, 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"....
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,851 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
Milton Barney arrived from Lyons, New YorkLyons, New York
Lyons, New York may refer to either of two places in Wayne County, New York, USA:* Lyons , New York* Lyons , New York...
the summer of 1832 to scout the area and returned that September with his family and workmen to settle on the south bank of the Kalamazoo River in Section 5. Soon after Barney hired Osha Wilder to layout the plat for the village of Barneyville on the SW corner of Section 5, SE corner of Section 6, NE corner of Section 7, and NW corner of Section 8. For more a detailed history of the surrounding area see the entry for Homer Township
Homer Township, Calhoun County, Michigan
Homer Township is a civil township of Calhoun County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,010 at the 2000 census.-The First European Settlers:...
and Clarendon Township.
Milton Barney built a store, a sawmill, and a hotel. In 1834 when a post office was registered, Barneyville was renamed Homer after the village in Cortland County, New York
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
, at the request of many of the residents who had moved from there. Homer was incorporated as a village in 1871.
According to Dr William Lane, the Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
natives were friendly and the children of settlers and natives often played together. Chief Ne-au-to-beer-saw, called Leather-nose, and Chief Wopkezike are mentioned in many stories of the founding era. The native population was numerous until the autumn of 1840 when the U.S. Government forcibly removed the Indians to reserves west of the Mississippi under Authority of the Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830.The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the Five Civilized Tribes. In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in...
and Treaty of Chicago
Treaty of Chicago
The Treaty of Chicago may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in Chicago, Illinois between the United States and the Ottawa, Ojibwe , and Potawatomi Native American peoples.-1821 Treaty of Chicago:...
. Because of the peacefulness of the Potawatomi, they continued to co-exist with the settlers many years after the Treaty of Chicago
Treaty of Chicago
The Treaty of Chicago may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in Chicago, Illinois between the United States and the Ottawa, Ojibwe , and Potawatomi Native American peoples.-1821 Treaty of Chicago:...
until General Brady removed about 250 Indians of Hillsdale and Homer to Miami County, KS. Chief Ne-au-to-beer-saw drowned while crossing the Detroit River returning from his escape to Canada.
The "old" Homer mills was built by a stock company of Milton Barney, Walter Wright, Nelson D. Skeeles, Asabel Finch, Jr, and Mr Platt in 1837-1838. This structure was later operated under the name Smith, Lewis, & Redfield. The property passed on to B. & E.R. Smith in 1860 and to Judge Emons of Detroit in 1872. This original structure burned on January 25, 1886. The heirs of Judge Emons sold the water power, land, and mill site to Cortright & Sons.
The Homer High School varsity baseball team set the national record for most consecutive wins at 75. The streak started at the start of the 2004 season and ended in the state championship game in 2005. From 2003 to 2006 the varsity baseball team compiled a 143-6 record. Winning two state championships, in 2004 and 2006, and was televised on ESPN's 50 States in 50 Days segment on the state of Michigan.
In the early morning of May 16, 2010, the "new" Homer mills, a local landmark, burned to the ground. The fire is estimated to be the biggest fire in the towns history since the high school burned down in 1943. The fire was so intense that the Homer Fire Department requested and received the aid of the fire departments of Albion
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Albion Township
Albion Township, Michigan
Albion Township is a civil township of Calhoun County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Sheridan Township
Sheridan Township, Michigan
Sheridan Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Sheridan Township, Calhoun County, Michigan*Sheridan Township, Clare County, Michigan*Sheridan Township, Huron County, Michigan*Sheridan Township, Mason County, Michigan...
, Marengo Township
Marengo Township, Michigan
Marengo Township is a civil township of Calhoun County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Fredonia Township
Fredonia Township, Michigan
Fredonia Township is a civil township of Calhoun County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Litchfield
Litchfield, Michigan
Litchfield is a city in Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,458 at the 2000 census.Litchfield Township surrounds the city, but the two are autonomous municipalities.-Geography:...
, and Concord
Concord, Michigan
Concord is a village in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,101 at the 2000 census. The village is located at , west of Spring Arbor, Michigan.- Government :...
. Fire trucks had to patrol the town, as ashes were raining down and posed the threat of setting houses on fire. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Education
The Homer Community Schools District serves Homer and Homer Township, MichiganHomer Township, Michigan
Homer Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:* Homer Township, Calhoun County, Michigan* Homer Township, Midland County, Michigan...
. The district also receives a large number of students from Albion, Michigan
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, who take advantage of Michigan's school of choice.
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 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.07%) 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 1,851 people, 707 households, and 477 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 1,300.6 per square mile (503.3/km²). There were 745 housing units at an average density of 523.5 per square mile (202.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.24% White, 0.27% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.16% 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 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.16% of the population.
There were 707 households out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% 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, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the village the population was spread out with 31.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,542, and the median income for a family was $41,125. Males had a median income of $31,214 versus $22,829 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 $16,394. About 9.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.
Notable Residents
Greg BartonGreg Barton
Greg Barton is an American sprint kayaker who competed from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s....
, Olympic gold medalist
Josh Collmenter
Josh Collmenter
Joshua Michael Collmenter is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-High School:...
, major league baseball player