Dowagiac ( ) is a city in Cass 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 sover ...

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 5,879 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

–

Mishawaka Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in Penn Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South Be ...

, IN-MI,

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. Dowagiac is situated at the corner of four townships: Wayne Township to the northeast, LaGrange Township to the southeast, Pokagon Township to the southwest, and Silver Creek Township to the northwest. The city name comes from 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 ...

word ''dewje'og'' meaning "fishing ear homewater". Dowagiac is the headquarters of the

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians ( Potawatomi: Pokégnek Bodéwadmik) are a federally recognized Potawatomi-speaking tribe based in southwestern Michigan and northeastern Indiana. Tribal government functions are located in Dowagiac, Michigan. ...

and is also contained within the reservation.

History

Dowagiac was first platted in 1848. It was incorporated as a village in 1863 and as a city in 1877. Dowagiac gained national attention in June 1964 after police began investigating multiple reports of what became known as the

Dewey Lake Monster The Dewey Lake Monster, also known as the Sister Lakes Sasquatch, in Michigan folklore, is purported to be an ape-like creature, similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, that was allegedly sighted in the summer of 1964 near Dewey Lake and Sister Lakes ...

. In 1854, Dowagiac was the final destination for the first group of orphans brought to the Midwest from New York City on the

Orphan Train The Orphan Train Movement was a supervised welfare program that transported children from crowded Eastern cities of the United States to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the Midwestern United States, Midwest. The orphan trains opera ...

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.

Dowagiac Woods Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary, commonly referred to as Dowagiac Woods, is a woods located in Cass County, Michigan. It is maintained and preserved by the Michigan Nature Association, known as "MNA". History These woods were virtually unknown ...

Nature Sanctuary, commonly referred to as

, a woods located in Cass, is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting Michigan's exceptional natural habitats and extraordinary and endangered plants and animals. The

Dowagiac River The Dowagiac River is a southwesterly flowing U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 19, 2011 stream in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is tributary to ...

flows from the stream which rises as the "Dowagiac Drain" in central Decatur Township in southern Van Buren County, Michigan. It is joined first by the "Red Run" and then by the "Lake of the Woods Drain" near the southern edge of Hamilton Township, it becomes the "Dowagiac River" before entering Wayne Township in Cass County. North of the city of Dowagiac, the river passes through the "Dowagiac Swamp". Just west of Dowagiac, the river is joined by its principal tributary, the "Dowagiac Creek".

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

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 2010, there were 5,879 people, 2,337 households, and 1,463 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 2,674 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.5%

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 ...

, 14.3%

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 ...

, 3.0% Native American, 0.8%

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 ...

, 2.4% 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 6.1% 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 ...

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 5.4% of the population. There were 2,337 households, of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.6% 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, 22.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age in the city was 32 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,147 people, 2,421 households, and 1,542 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,631 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 76.95%

, 15.63%

, 2.02% Native American, 0.57%

, 1.59% from

, and 3.24% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.49% of the population. There were 2,421 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were

living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,926, and the median income for a family was $33,443. Males had a median income of $28,534 versus $22,282 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 city was $16,659. About 14.3% of families and 17.8% 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 25.6% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those aged 65 or over.

Transportation

Air

Dowagiac Municipal Airport has a long paved runway for private pilots with a turf runway as well.

Highways

The city is at the junction of

M-51 M51 or M-51 may refer to: * M-51 (Michigan highway), a state highway in Michigan * M51 highway (Russia) * M51 (Cape Town), a Metropolitan Route in Cape Town, South Africa * M51 Skysweeper, an anti-aircraft gun * M51 MACI mine * M51 SLBM, a French ...

and M-62. M-51 connects with Niles to the southwest and with I-94 to the northeast. M-62 connects with

Cassopolis Cassopolis is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Cass County. It is located mostly in LaGrange Township with a small portion extending east into Penn Township. The village and county are named after statesman Lewis ...

eight miles (13 km) to the southeast and with M-140 nine miles (14 km) to the west.

Bus

One of the oldest dial-a-ride services in Michigan, Dowagiac DART began service in June 1975 with a three-bus fleet. The service is provided to the community of Dowagiac with service extended out to Southwest Michigan College. The service is provided by the city administration and is operated from a multi-modal terminal located on an Amtrak line. In its former life, the building was originally a Michigan Central, and later a Penn Central, train station. The building has been preserved and is maintained by the City of Dowagiac.

Rail

Dowagiac is served by

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 ...

trains with daily service to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

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 ...

. The historic depot is located at 200 Depot Drive in the downtown area. Baggage cannot be checked at this location; however, up to two suitcases in addition to any personal items such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant equipment are allowed aboard as carry-ons. Also, this historical train depot is where the first orphans from the orphan train were dropped off and adopted.

Education

Dowagiac is served by the Dowagiac Union School District, consisting of the following schools: * Justus Gage Elementary * Kincheloe Elementary * Patrick Hamilton Elementary * Sister Lakes Elementary * Dowagiac Middle School *

Dowagiac Union High School Dowagiac ( ) is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,879 at the 2010 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Dowagiac is situated at the corner of four townsh ...

Dowagiac is also home to Southwestern Michigan College. SMC is a two-year school that offers on-campus housing.

Notable people

Dave Behrman David Wesley Behrman (November 9, 1941 – December 9, 2014) was an American football offensive lineman who played in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1963 AFL Draft by ...

– Michigan State and Buffalo Bills football player, AFL and NFL first-round draft pick in 1963 * Philo D. Beckwith – Founder of Round Oak Stove Company and Mayor of Dowagiac *

Dickinson Bishop Dickinson H. Bishop (March 24, 1887 – February 16, 1961) was an American businessman who traveled on board the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, RMS ''Titanic'' while on his honeymoon with bride Helen, ''née'' Walton. They both ...

– Businessman and ''Titanic'' sinking survivor *

David Cargo David Francis Cargo (January 13, 1929 – July 5, 2013) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 22nd governor of New Mexico between 1967 and 1971. Early life and education Cargo was born in Dowagiac, Michigan, the eldest o ...

– Governor of New Mexico 1967–71 *

Wally Fromhart Wallace Leo Fromhart (May 18, 1913 – May 23, 2002) was an American football player and coach. Born in the tiny mountain town of Newburg, West Virginia, he lived and attended school there until his freshman year of high school, after which ...

—Notre Dame football player *

Billi Gordon Wilbert Anthony Gordon Jr. (September 2, 1954 – February 22, 2018), better known as Billi Gordon, was an American author, television writer, neuroscientist, actor and model,Seaver, Linda. ''The Secret of Her Excess'' ''Oakland Tribune'' (8-13-87 ...

– Model, actor, author, screenwriter, Doctor of Functional Human Brain Research * James Heddon – Inventor of the artificial fishing lure * Sean Hill – NFL player *

Judith Ivey Judith Lee Ivey (born September 4, 1951) is an American actress and theatre director. She has twice won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play: for ''Steaming'' (1981) and ''Hurlyburly'' (1984). She has also appeared in several films ...

– Tony Award-winning actress *

Franz Jackson Franz Jackson (November 1, 1912 – May 6, 2008) was an American saxophonist and clarinetist of the Chicago jazz school. Early life Jackson was born in Rock Island, Illinois, United States on November 1, 1912. "He received his first lessons on sa ...

- Saxophonist and clarinet player *

Webb Miller (journalist) Webb Miller (February 10, 1891 – May 7, 1940) was an American journalist and war correspondent. He covered the Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, the Spanish Civil War, the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Italian invasion of Ethiopia, the Phoney ...

– Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist and author *

Adolph Otto Niedner Adolph Otto Niedner (October 1, 1863 – December 27, 1954) was an American gunsmith remembered for pioneering work with cartridges including the .22 Long Rifle and .25-06 Remington. Early life Niedner was born in Philadelphia to Germans, German ...

– Custom gunsmith and wildcat cartridge inventor and Mayor of Dowagiac *

Carrie Newcomer Carrie Newcomer is an American singer, songwriter and author. She has produced 19 solo CDs and has received numerous awards for her music and related charitable activities. She has done numerous collaborations with authors, academics, philosop ...

– Singer-songwriter * Kenneth Porter – World War I pilot, credited with 5 enemy aircraft destroyed * Donavon F. Smith – World War II pilot and

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

lieutenant general, credited with 5.5 enemy aircraft destroyed *

William Alden Smith William Alden Smith (May 12, 1859 – October 11, 1932) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. After the 1912 sinking of the ''Titanic'', Smith chaired the Senate hearings into the disaster. The audience ...

– US Senator * Chris Taylor – wrestler, Olympic medalist *

Emery Valentine Emery (or Emory) Valentine (1858 – September 9, 1930) was an American politician and the sixth mayor of Juneau, Alaska, from 1908 to 1912 and from 1917 to 1919. He was also a miner, goldsmith, jeweller, assayer, gunsmith, watchmaker, arc ...

– Alaskan statesman and businessman