Stronach Township, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Stronach Township is a civil 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 Manistee County
Manistee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,527 people, 9,860 households, and 6,714 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 14,272 housing units at an average density of 26 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"....

. The population was 804 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

  • Stronach is an unincorporated community on the western boundary of the township along the southeast end of Lake Manistee at 44°12′48"N 86°16′31"W The settlement was first called "Paggeotville" and was renamed when John and Adam Stronach built a sawmill in 1841. A post office opened August 9, 1866 and was discontinued on December 21, 1893. Other sources indicate the post office operated until March 31, 1954 or until December 21, 1983. The area is now served by the Manistee
    Manistee, Michigan
    Manistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from...

     post office with ZIP code 49660.
  • The village of Free Soil
    Free Soil, Michigan
    Free Soil is a village in Mason County of the U.S. state of Michigan.. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 177. The village is located within Free Soil Township. The village is close to the intersection of Free Soil and Custer Roads. Free Soil previously operated a two-building K-12...

     is to the south in Mason County
    Mason County, Michigan
    Mason County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,705. The county seat is Ludington.-History:...

     and the Free Soil ZIP code 49411 also serves an area in the southern part of Stronach Township.

History

Stronach Township is the oldest non-native settlement in Manistee County. In 1840 Joseph Stronach cleared a site to establish a sawmill in the township. In 1841 Joseph Stronach's brother, David Stronach and his son Adam Stronach arrived by schooner with machinery and approximately 15 men to begin construction of the sawmill.

Geography

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 55.7 square miles (144.3 km²), of which, 55.5 square miles (143.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 804 people, 347 households, and 235 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 14.5 per square mile (5.6/km²). There were 549 housing units at an average density of 9.9 per square mile (3.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.40% White, 2.74% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.37% 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 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 347 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 117.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $36,181, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $21,369 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 $17,683. About 3.8% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Wildlife

Stronach is located within the Huron-Manistee National Forests
Huron-Manistee National Forests
The Huron-Manistee National Forests are two national forests combined in 1945 for administration purposes and which comprise of public lands, including of wetlands, extending across the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The Huron-Manistee National Forests provide recreation opportunities...

 and has thousands of acres of unspoiled habitat for wildlife. In addition to world class fly fishing, the following may be found within the township: white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...

, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...

, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...

, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

, and the invasive species savannah monitor
Savannah monitor
The savanna monitor is a species of monitor lizard native to Africa. The species is known as Bosc's monitor in Europe, since French scientist Louis Bosc first described the species...

.
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