Allendale Charter Township is a

charter township A charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. Townships in Michigan are organized governments. A charter township has been granted a charter, which allows it certain rights and responsibilities of home rule tha ...

of Ottawa County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. At the 2020 Census, the township population was 26,583. Major commuter routes into the city ( M-45 and I-96). Allendale is located in the center of Ottawa County, bordered by Tallmadge Township, Polkton Township (City of Coopersville), Robinson Township, Blendon Township and Georgetown Township. Allendale Charter Township is best known as being home to the main campus of

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The universit ...

History

The land within the current borders of the township has been inhabited by humans since at least ca. 200 BCE to 500 CE, earliest evidence suggests occupation by

Goodall focus The Goodall focus was a Hopewellian culture from the Middle Woodland period peoples that occupied Western Michigan and northern Indiana from around 200 BCE to 500 CE. Extensive trade networks existed at this time, particularly among the many local ...

, a Middle Woodland Hopewellian culture. At the time of European contact,

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawa ...

-speaking peoples, the

Odawa The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They h ...

and the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

lived within the current township. The first documented European in what is now Allendale was Pierre Constant, a French fur trader who established a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

at Charleston for John Jacob Astor's

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British ...

in 1810. The first permanent European settler was Richard Roberts, of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, who purchased one hundred and sixty acres along the Grand River, building a log cabin in 1842 that became known as the Half-way House, as it was situated roughly halfway between Grand Haven and Grandville. Roberts established a sawmill, a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

shop, a

wheelwright A wheelwright is a craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the word "wright", (which comes from the Old English word "''wryhta''", meaning a worker or shaper of wood) as in shipwright and arkwr ...

and a store. In the winter of 1848–49, a meeting was held at the home of Alexander Milne for the purpose of drafting a petition requesting to become an organized Township, to be called the Township of Isaac. Those attending the meeting, along with Milne, were James Scott, Johnson Balcom, Alexander Scott, Robert Scott, John Hanna and Henry M. Reed. James Scott drew up the township petition which was signed by all of them. The petition was presented to the state legislature by state Senator Henry Pennoyer of Grand Haven. Senator Pennoyer, on his own initiative, substituted Isaac with the (misspelled) ''Allandale'' after Agnes Allen, the first name appearing on the tax roll, and the widow of Hannibal Allen, son of Revolutionary War hero

Ethan Allen Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and fo ...

. The spelling was subsequently changed from Allandale to the current Allendale. In 1854 the township of Blendon was organized, and set off from Allendale.

Communities

There are no incorporated municipalities within the township. * Allendale is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

consisting of the northern two-thirds of the township and the Allendale ZIP code 49401 serves most of the township except for small areas along the southern boundary. *Conger was the name of a rural post office in the township from 1899 until 1907. * Hudsonville is to the southeast, and the Hudsonville ZIP code serves a small area on the central part of the southern boundary of Allendale Township. * Jenison is to the southeast, and the Jenison ZIP code 49428 serves a small area in the southeast corner of the Allendale Township. * Pearline, also known as East Allendale, is an unincorporated community about one mile east of Allendale on M-45/Lake Michigan Dr. at . Fruit grower Joh W. Everhart was the first postmaster of a rural post office here, which operated from April 29, 1891, until May 31, 1908.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (2.80%) is water. The Grand River forms the northern and eastern boundaries of the township. Georgetown Township is to the southeast, Blendon Township to the south, Olive Township to the southwest, Robinson Township to the west. Across the Grand River, Crockery Township is to the northwest, Polkton Township to the north, and Tallmadge Township to the east and northeast. M-45 crosses east–west through the township, and crosses the Grand River in the east. Except for US-31 in Grand Haven; M-45, 68th Avenue just to the north and M-231 to the west are the only roads to cross the Grand River in Ottawa County.

Climate

Allendale experiences a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Dfb''), warm to hot summers and cold winters, similar to most of the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

. It is often humid in the summer. Allendale receives 132 inches of measurable precipitation per year, on average 33 inches of rain and 82 inches of snowfall.Allendale, Michigan Climate
/ref> There are 162 sunny days per year. The comfort index, based on humidity during the hot months, is a 51 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. The US average on the comfort index is 44.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 20,708 people, 3,306 households, and 2,294 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 3,492 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 93.61%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 2.68%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.35% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.43% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.01% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.88% of the population. There were 3,306 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 15.5% 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 3.03 and the average family size was 3.41. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 39.3% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 10.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in the township was $48,669, and the median income for a family was $58,576. Males had a median income of $40,419 versus $25,188 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the township was $15,065. About 2.8% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

* Allendale Public Schools ** Allendale High School **New Options Alternative High School **Allendale Middle School **Oakwood Intermediate School **Evergreen Elementary **Allendale Early Childhood Center * Allendale Christian School

Higher education

The main campus of

, founded in 1960, is located in Allendale Charter Township on .

is the fastest growing university in the United States, both in population and physical size, as the university is continually building more facilities. The university is also ranked one of the top up and coming schools in the Midwest. The university enrolls a total of just under 25,000 students on the Allendale campus and two campuses in the surrounding area, and offers over 200 areas of study, making it the largest university in the

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

region.

Slave Child kneeling at the feet of a Confederate soldier

Parks

Allendale Community Park is a park situated near the township office. It contains a Veterans Garden of Honor honoring U.S. soldiers. It contains nine statues representing veterans of U.S. wars. One of the statues, installed in 1998, depicting a Confederate and Union soldier standing back-to-back with a young slave crouched between them at their feet, has been controversial for seeming to honor the Confederacy. During the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internat ...

in 2020, the Allendale Township Board voted on June 30, 2020, to keep it.

Points of interest

On campus

* Lubbers Stadium, home of Grand Valley State Laker football. *

Cook Carillon Tower The Cook Carillon Tower is a 10-story-tall carillon-clock tower located in the center of the Grand Valley State University-Allendale campus in Allendale, Michigan. The tower and carillon were built in 1994 with help from generous donations by Pet ...

* The Meadows at Grand Valley State University *

GVSU Fieldhouse GVSU Fieldhouse Arena is a 4,200-seat indoor arena located in Allendale, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, on the campus of Grand Valley State University. It was built in the early 1980s as the home of the Grand Valley State University Lakers b ...

Off campus

* Allendale Township is home to a large number of off campus student housing complexes. As of 2021 there are approximately 8,000 beds according to township assessing records. File:The Lodge Apt.pdf File:48 West.pdf, Apartment complexes * Grand River * Bass River Recreation Area * Grand River Park

Local media

Newspapers

* Grand Valley Advance * Grand Valley Lanthorn

Radio

WGVU-FM WGVU-FM is an NPR member station serving Grand Rapids, Michigan. Owned by Grand Valley State University, it is simulcast in West Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale, the Grand Rapids suburb that i ...

(88.5 FM Allendale/

) – GVSU Public Radio (

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

/Jazz) * WCKS "The Whale" – GVSU student run radio

Television

* WGVU-TV – GVSU PBS member station *GVBN – GVSU student run television station

Transportation

Mass transit

* Interurban Transit Partnership (The Rapid), is a public regional bus system that provides transit throughout the eastern part of Allendale, GVSU,

and the surrounding areas. It connects Allendale and GVSU with Grand Rapids and GVSU's Pew Campus.

Major highways

References

External links

Allendale Charter Township
{{Grand Valley State University Townships in Ottawa County, Michigan Charter townships in Michigan Allendale, Michigan Grand Valley State University Populated places established in 1849 1849 establishments in Michigan