Douglas (officially known as the City of the Village of Douglas) is a city in Allegan 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 the ...

. The population was 1,378 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Saugatuck Township and the city of Saugatuck is adjacent on the north. On December 13, 2004, residents voted to adopt a charter changing the status of the village into a city form of government. Under Michigan law, cities are independent entities whereas villages are part of the township. The official name is City of the Village of Douglas.

Neighborhoods

*Beachmont is located on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan. *Summer Grove is on Wiley Road half of a mile from Lake Michigan.

History

Douglas, originally known as Dudleyville, was first settled by European-Americans in 1851 as a lumber mill town. In 1861, residents changed the name to Douglas. Reportedly the name was chosen to honor the American statesman

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

, but other reports indicate that a relative of the original owner of the land also suggested the name because he came from

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

, the capital of the

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. Douglas was incorporated as a village in 1870. Area sawmills provided much of the lumber used to rebuild

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

after the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

of 1871. After most of the harvestable trees in the area were cleared by the lumber industry, the area became a center for growing and shipping fruit, especially

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

es.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

and resorts also became an important part of the area economy.

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. The city has over 1.5 miles of coastline along the shores of Lake Michigan, and over two miles of frontage along the meandering Kalamazoo River and Lake Kalamazoo Harbor.

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 1,232 people, 645 households, and 279 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 1,075 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.9% 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 0.9% 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 3.7% of the population. There were 645 households, of which 15.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.7% were non-families. 46.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.60. The median age in the city was 54.3 years. 14% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.9% were from 25 to 44; 41.6% were from 45 to 64; and 26% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,214 people, 587 households and 284 families residing in the city of Douglas. The population density was . There were 853 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.87%

, 0.58%

, 0.08% Native American, 0.16%

, 0.74% from

, and 1.57% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.64% of the population. There were 587 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 43.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.60. In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.1% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $49,750. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $28,906 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 $26,517. About 8.7% of families and 10.3% 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 14.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Douglas is well known for its impressive art galleries and dining options. Water Street Gallery, LaFontsee Galleries, Button Gallery, Mr. Miller's Art Emporium, and LebenArt Gallery are just a few of the well known stops for local and national artworks.

Notable person

George Washington Maher George Washington Maher (December 25, 1864 – September 12, 1926) was an American architect during the first quarter of the 20th century. He is considered part of the Prairie School-style and was known for blending traditional architecture wit ...

- early 20th century

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in ...

style architect

References

External links

City of the Village of Douglas official websiteSaugatuck/Douglas Convention & Visitors BureauSaugatuck-Douglas Historical Society
{{Allegan County, Michigan Cities in Allegan County, Michigan Populated places established in 1851 1851 establishments in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan