Bridgewater Township is a

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...

Washtenaw County Washtenaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw ...

in the U.S. state of

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 the ...

. The population was 1,674 at the 2010 census.

History

Bridgewater Township was organized in 1832. It was originally known as Hixon Township after one of it first settlers, Colonel Daniel Hixon. In 1833, it was renamed Bridgewater Township after

Bridgewater, New York Bridgewater is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,522 at the 2010 census. The Town of Bridgewater is on the southern border of the county. The town has a former village called Bridgewater near the southern t ...

. Originally, the township occupied the southwest corner of the county as well until Manchester Township was set aside from the western half of the Bridgewater Township in 1837. The first township hall was built in Bridgewater Township in 1856. The current township hall was rebuilt on the same site and it now a designated. By 1850, there were 2 towns, Bridgewater and River Raisin. River Raisin was located in section 20. It had a few mills, a train station, a post office, a store, and a few other businesses. The river raisin community no longer exists.

Michigan State Historic Site The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is one of 59 state historic preservation offices established according to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 that plays a role in implementing federal historic preservation policy in the ...

Communities

* Bridgewater is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located within the township at . The community was first settled in 1829 by Col. Daniel Hixon. It was given a post office under the name Columbia Lake on April 3, 1833. The post office was renamed Bridgewater on May 8, 1843 after the township. It closed briefly from March 1, 1869 until it was restored on January 19, 1871 and has remained operating since. * River Raisin is an unincorporated community located along the

River Raisin The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States, that flows through Ice age, glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agriculture, agricultural and Industrial sector, industrial center of Michigan. The river flo ...

within the township at . The community was established with a post office on May 7, 1864 and was named after river, which is the French word for ''grape''. The post office operated until February 28, 1902.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (1.15%) is water. The

runs through the western part of the township, while the Saline River has its headwaters in Joslin Lake in the northeast of the township.

Major highways

* runs briefly through the southeast corner of the township.

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,646 people, 598 households, and 477 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 615 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 99.15%

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 on ...

, 0.12%

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 ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.06%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 0.55% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.49% of the population. There were 598 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% 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 t ...

living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.07. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the township was $68,011, and the median income for a family was $73,375. Males had a median income of $51,360 versus $29,875 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 $27,120. About 1.9% of families and 3.6% 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 t ...

, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bridgewater Township is served by three public school districts. The majority of the township is served by

Clinton Community Schools Clinton Community Schools are a group of community schools located in Clinton, Lenawee County, Michigan Clinton is a village in Lenawee County in the Irish Hills area of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,336 at the 2010 cen ...

to the south in

Lenawee County Lenawee County ( ') is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 99,423. The county seat is Adrian. The county was created in 1822, from territory partitioned from Monroe County. Its g ...

. The northwestern portion of the township is served by

Manchester Community Schools Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. A small northeastern portion of the township is served by

Saline Area Schools Saline Area Schools is a school district headquartered in Liberty School in Saline, Michigan, Saline, Michigan. The district serves Saline, Pittsfield Charter Township, and a portions of York Charter Township, Lodi Township, Michigan, Lodi Townshi ...

Saline Saline may refer to: * Saline (medicine), a liquid with salt content to match the human body * Saline water, non-medicinal salt water * Saline, a historical term (especially US) for a salt works or saltern Places * Saline, Calvados, a commune in ...

Images

File:Bridgewater Michigan.JPG, File:Bridgewater_Township_Township_Cemetery.JPG, File:Bridgewater Township Corn Field.JPG,

References

Sources

External links

Bridgewater Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Washtenaw County, Michigan Townships in Michigan 1833 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1833