Prairie Ronde Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Prairie Ronde Township is a civil township
located in the extreme southwestern corner of Kalamazoo County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,086 at the 2000 census
.
Prairie Ronde is the birthplace of the women's suffragist
Olympia Brown
.
, the township has a total area of 36.4 square miles (94.3 km²), of which 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) (1.73%) is water.
There are no incorporated or unincorporated communities within the boundaries of the township. A village named Shirland, to be located on Section 25 (near the present-day Olde Mill Golf Course), was platted and recorded in 1831, but it never developed. Most of the township lies within the Schoolcraft
zip code
(49087), except for small areas in the northwest and south which are part of the Lawton
(49065) and Marcellus
(49067) zip codes, respectively.
Surface water features include Harrison and Paw Paw Lakes in the northern part of the township. Much of the township lies within the drainage area of Flowerfield Creek, which is part of the Rocky River
Sub-Watershed, itself part of the larger St. Joseph River
Watershed. The Michigan Nature Association
maintains a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) nature sanctuary along Flowerfield Creek in Prairie Ronde Township.
for "round meadow") is said to have been given by French explorer Robert Sieur de la Salle
during an overland crossing of the region in 1680. (Some scholars, however, place LaSalle's route across northern Kalamazoo County, a journey which would not have brought him across the Prairie Ronde.)
Present-day Prairie Ronde Township was the first part of Kalamazoo County to be settled by European-Americans. The first white settler was Bazel Harrison, a nephew of revolutionary leader Benjamin Harrison
and first cousin of U.S. President William Henry Harrison
. Originally of Virginia
, Harrison arrived with his family from Ohio
on November 5, 1828.
At the time of settlement, Prairie Ronde was a part of St. Joseph County
and in the township of Brady, which included all of future Kalamazoo and Barry
Counties and a large part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula to the north. Kalamazoo County was set off with its present boundaries in 1829, and the southern half organized as Brady Township
in 1830. Prairie Ronde was set off from Brady Township as a separate township with its present limits in May 1836.
At the time of European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi
. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from Kalamazoo County in October 1840.
A Methodist congregation was organized in Prairie Ronde in 1832. In 1836 they built a small chapel near Harrison Lake called the Ebenezer Episcopal Church of Prairie Ronde. This was the first church building of any denomination built north of the St. Joseph River. Around 1850, the congregation moved to Schoolcraft, where it continues today as the Schoolcraft United Methodist Church.
of 2000, there were 2,086 people, 707 households, and 601 families residing in the township. The population density
was 58.3 per square mile (22.5/km²). There were 733 housing units at an average density of 20.5 per square mile (7.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.84% White, 0.29% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.19% from other races
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. The most common reported ancestries for township residents are German
(26.8%), Dutch (12.8%), and Irish
(11.8%).
There were 707 households out of which 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.5% were married couples
living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the township the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $65,385, and the median income for a family was $67,458. Males had a median income of $48,074 versus $27,038 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $23,431. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Community Schools school district. The northwestern part of the township is within the Mattawan
Consolidated School District and a smaller section along the western edge of the township is within the Lawton
Community School District.
. The Fanckboner-Nichols Farmstead (5992 W. VW Avenue) was established in 1838 by William and Elizabeth Crose Fanckboner, who had arrived with their five children from near Belvidere, New Jersey
the previous year. Still owned by Fanckboner descendants, the family's Greek Revival farmhouse, built c. 1840, along with later outbuildings, stands in a small farmstead area at one corner of the 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) farm property. The farmstead, added to the Register in 2007, is preserved as an illustration of the lives of the early settlers on the Prairie Ronde.
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,...
located in the extreme southwestern corner of Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
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 2,086 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...
.
Prairie Ronde is the birthplace of the women's suffragist
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
Olympia Brown
Olympia Brown
Olympia Brown was an American suffragist. She is regarded as the first woman to graduate from a theological school, as well as becoming the first full time ordained minister...
.
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 36.4 square miles (94.3 km²), of which 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) (1.73%) is water.
There are no incorporated or unincorporated communities within the boundaries of the township. A village named Shirland, to be located on Section 25 (near the present-day Olde Mill Golf Course), was platted and recorded in 1831, but it never developed. Most of the township lies within the Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft, Michigan
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.-Demographics:...
zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
(49087), except for small areas in the northwest and south which are part of the Lawton
Lawton, Michigan
Lawton is a village in Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,859.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
(49065) and Marcellus
Marcellus, Michigan
Marcellus is a village in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,162 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Marcellus Township...
(49067) zip codes, respectively.
Surface water features include Harrison and Paw Paw Lakes in the northern part of the township. Much of the township lies within the drainage area of Flowerfield Creek, which is part of the Rocky River
Rocky River (Michigan)
The Rocky River is a stream located in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Michigan that flows into the St. Joseph River at in the city of Three Rivers in St. Joseph County. The Rocky River, along with the St...
Sub-Watershed, itself part of the larger St. Joseph River
St. 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...
Watershed. The Michigan Nature Association
Michigan Nature Association
The Michigan Nature Association is an association in the U.S. state of Michigan which was established in 1952. It is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting Michigan's exceptional natural habitats and extraordinary and endangered plants and animals...
maintains a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) nature sanctuary along Flowerfield Creek in Prairie Ronde Township.
History
The township is named for its distinctive geographic feature, the Prairie Ronde, a 14000 acres (56.7 km²) grassland and the largest of the eight prairies in what would become Kalamazoo County. The name Prairie Ronde (FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "round meadow") is said to have been given by French explorer Robert Sieur de la Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle was a French explorer. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico...
during an overland crossing of the region in 1680. (Some scholars, however, place LaSalle's route across northern Kalamazoo County, a journey which would not have brought him across the Prairie Ronde.)
Present-day Prairie Ronde Township was the first part of Kalamazoo County to be settled by European-Americans. The first white settler was Bazel Harrison, a nephew of revolutionary leader Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison V
Benjamin Harrison V was an American planter and revolutionary leader from Charles City County, Virginia. He earned his higher education at the College of William and Mary, and he was perhaps the first figure in the Harrison family to gain national attention...
and first cousin of U.S. President William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
. Originally of 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...
, Harrison arrived with his family from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
on November 5, 1828.
At the time of settlement, Prairie Ronde was a part of St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,422 people, 23,381 households, and 16,600 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 26,503 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
and in the township of Brady, which included all of future Kalamazoo and Barry
Barry County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-37* M-43* M-50* M-66* M-78* M-79* M-89* M-179-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 56,755 people, 21,035 households, and 15,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of...
Counties and a large part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula to the north. Kalamazoo County was set off with its present boundaries in 1829, and the southern half organized as Brady Township
Brady Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Brady Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 4,263.-Communities:*The village of Vicksburg is located partially within the township on the west side.-Geography:...
in 1830. Prairie Ronde was set off from Brady Township as a separate township with its present limits in May 1836.
At the time of European settlement, the area was inhabited by 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...
. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from Kalamazoo County in October 1840.
A Methodist congregation was organized in Prairie Ronde in 1832. In 1836 they built a small chapel near Harrison Lake called the Ebenezer Episcopal Church of Prairie Ronde. This was the first church building of any denomination built north of the St. Joseph River. Around 1850, the congregation moved to Schoolcraft, where it continues today as the Schoolcraft United Methodist Church.
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 2,086 people, 707 households, and 601 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 58.3 per square mile (22.5/km²). There were 733 housing units at an average density of 20.5 per square mile (7.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.84% White, 0.29% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.19% 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 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. The most common reported ancestries for township residents are German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(26.8%), Dutch (12.8%), and Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(11.8%).
There were 707 households out of which 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.5% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the township the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $65,385, and the median income for a family was $67,458. Males had a median income of $48,074 versus $27,038 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 $23,431. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Most of the township belongs to the SchoolcraftSchoolcraft, Michigan
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.-Demographics:...
Community Schools school district. The northwestern part of the township is within the Mattawan
Mattawan, Michigan
Mattawan is a village suburb of Kalamazoo, in Antwerp Township, Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,536.-History:...
Consolidated School District and a smaller section along the western edge of the township is within the Lawton
Lawton, Michigan
Lawton is a village in Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,859.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
Community School District.
Listed Historic Sites
Prairie Ronde Township has one site listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Fanckboner-Nichols Farmstead (5992 W. VW Avenue) was established in 1838 by William and Elizabeth Crose Fanckboner, who had arrived with their five children from near Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
the previous year. Still owned by Fanckboner descendants, the family's Greek Revival farmhouse, built c. 1840, along with later outbuildings, stands in a small farmstead area at one corner of the 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) farm property. The farmstead, added to the Register in 2007, is preserved as an illustration of the lives of the early settlers on the Prairie Ronde.