Buchanan is a city in
Berrien County 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 4,456 at the
2010 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of
Buchanan Township, about 5 miles (8 km) west of
Niles.
History
The community was named after
James Buchanan
James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
, the 15th President of the United States. Popularly known as "Redbud City" because of the many
redbud
''Cercis'' is a genus of about 10 species in the subfamily Cercidoideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to warm temperate regions. It contains small deciduous trees or large shrubs commonly known as redbuds. They are characterised by si ...
trees that have historically lined city streets and the major approaches to the city, Buchanan has long been recognized as a
Tree City USA
The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...
by the
National Arbor Day Foundation.
The area, already having been populated by Native Americans in places such as the
Moccasin Bluff site
The Moccasin Bluff site (also designated 20BE8) is an archaeological site located along the Red Bud Trail and the St. Joseph River north of Buchanan, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and has been cla ...
, was first settled in 1833 at the spot where
McCoy Creek meets the
St. Joseph River. The village of Buchanan was platted in 1842 and incorporated in 1858.
In 1941, as part of the
Section of Fine Arts
The Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture was a New Deal art project established on October 16, 1934, and administered by the Procurement Division of the United States Department of the Treasury.
Commonly known as the Section, it was rena ...
arts projects,
Gertrude Goodrich
Gertrude Simone Goodrich (1914–2017) was an American painter and writer, whose style has been described as "primitive".
Goodrich was born in New York City in 1914. During her career, she produced work for New Deal art projects. Among these wa ...
painted a mural, ''Production'', in the Buchanan post office. Later painted over, it is in the process of being restored.
On April 12, 1979, farms, houses and mobile homes just north of the city were damaged by an F2
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
. There were no deaths but several residences sustained significant damage.
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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 4,456 people, 1,901 households, and 1,136 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,139 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.6%
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 ...
, 7.5%
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 ...
, 1.2%
Native American, 0.3%
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 ...
, 1.3% 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 3.1% 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 ...
or
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 3.3% of the population.
There were 1,901 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census,
there were 4,681 people, 1,915 households, and 1,191 families in the city. The population density was . There were 2,098 housing units, for an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 86.26%
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 ...
, 10.23%
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 ...
, 1.92%
multiracial
Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...
, 0.60%
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 ...
, 0.51%
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 0.47%
Native American.
Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.84% of the population.
There were 1,915 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
The age structure of the population was diffuse, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% aged 18–24, 29.0% aged 25–44, 21.3% aged 45–64, and 14.5% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35. Sex ratio was skewed toward females, with 87.5 males for every 100 females of all ages and 83.1 males for every 100 females 18 years or older.
Median income was $34,244 for a household and $43,860 for a family. Males had a median income of $32,950 versus $21,857 for females.
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 ...
was $16,600. About 10.9% of families and 12.4% 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 14.7% of those younger than 18 and 10.7% of those older than 64.
Economy
Buchanan was historically known as the headquarters for
Clark Equipment Company
Clark Equipment Company was an American designer, manufacturer, and seller of industrial and construction machinery and equipment.
History
Clark's predecessor was the George R. Rich Manufacturing Company, founded in 1903 in Chicago, Illinoi ...
, a manufacturer of truck axles, fork lift trucks, front-end loaders, and other heavy machinery. The company was formed in 1916 out of an acquisition of two other Buchanan companies. Clark left the area in the 1990s, forcing the city to diversify, and a number of smaller businesses took over the buildings Clark essentially donated to the city.
Electro-Voice, a manufacturer of high quality audio equipment such as microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers, was also headquartered in Buchanan.
Arts and culture
Attractions
Pears Mill, a flour mill using the water power of the swiftly flowing McCoy Creek, was built in 1857 and still stands. It is open during the summer for visitors.
The Tin Shop Theatre, located near Pears Mill, is a small theater with performances in the summer. The seasons run into September and a variety of shows for everyone of any age and any occasion are performed there.
Buchanan Art Center, located near the old Police Station holds art shows and fundraisers all year round
Red Bud MX is a racetrack opened in 1973 that hosts a round of the
AMA Motocross Championship
The AMA Motocross Championship (commercially known as Lucas Oil Pro Motocross) is an American motorcycle racing series. The motocross race series was founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1972. The series is th ...
on the Independence Day weekend.
Many other attractions are located in surrounding
Buchanan Township.
Education
Buchanan Community Schools consists of two elementary schools, Ottawa and Moccasin (grades K-4), Buchanan Middle School (grades 5-7), and
Buchanan High School.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Buchanan is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of
US 12, 2.3 miles (3.7 km) west of
US 31, 9.3 miles (15.0 km) north of the US 31 interchange on the
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a tolled freeway that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line. It has been advertised as the "Main Street of the ...
(I-80, I-90), and 20 miles (32.2 km) east of
I-94 (exit 4 via US 12).
The nearest rail hubs are the
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
stations at
Niles and
New Buffalo, and the
South Shore Line
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in ...
station in
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
.
Commercial air service is provided by the
South Bend International Airport
South Bend International Airport
is a commercial and freight airport located three miles northwest of downtown South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. It is the state's second busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic aft ...
, with flights to larger hubs such as
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Chicago O’Hare,
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Minneapolis-St. Paul,
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
, and
St. Petersburg-Clearwater.
Notable people
*
Peggy Cramer
Peggy Corrine Cramer (June 27, 1937 – August 4, 2016) was a catcher who played for the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1954. Listed at 5' 4", 125 lb., she batted and threw right handed. ,
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...
player, born in Buchanan
*
Virgil Exner
Virgil Max "Ex" Exner Sr. (September 24, 1909 – December 22, 1973) was an automobile designer for several American automobile companies, most notably Chrysler and Studebaker.
Exner is widely known for the "Forward Look" he created for the ...
, influential automobile designer, lived in Buchanan during his youth and graduated from Buchanan High School
*
John Grant, singer-songwriter born in Buchanan
*
Jack "Sky" Knight, aviation pioneer
*
Cary Moon, urban planner and politician
*
Harry Niles, outfielder and second baseman for
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
,
New York Highlanders
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, and
Cleveland Naps
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...
; born in Buchanan
*
Jackson Scholz
Jackson Volney Scholz (March 15, 1897 – October 26, 1986) was an American sprint runner. In the 1920s, he became the first person to appear in an Olympic sprint final in three different Olympic Games. After his athletic career, he also gained ...
, the
200-m sprint champion in the
1924 Olympics (portrayed in the film ''
Chariots of Fire
''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a de ...
''), also a successful author; born in Buchanan
*
Jay Town,
United States District Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
, raised in Buchanan and graduated from Buchanan High School
*Hannah Roberts, (BMX cyclist) born in Buchanan
See also
*
List of cities in Michigan
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Berrien County, Michigan
Populated places established in 1842
1842 establishments in Michigan