Gilead Township is a
civil township of
Branch County in the
U.S. state of
Michigan. As of the
2010 census, the township population was 661.
There are no incorporated municipalities within the primarily agricultural township. The only concentrated settlements are in two unincorporated communities:
*East Gilead is just north of the
Indiana state border at .
*Gilead is on the east side of Lake Gilead at . Its founding was largely the result of the efforts of
Philander Chase
Philander Chase (December 14, 1775 – September 20, 1852) was an Episcopal Church bishop, educator, and pioneer of the United States western frontier, especially in Ohio and Illinois.
Early life and family
Born in Cornish, New Hampshire to o ...
, who came here in 1831 with plans to found a college. The college did not materialize, but the community did have a post office from 1833 until 1906.
[Walter Romig, ''Michigan Place Names'', p. 223]
Geography
The township is drained mostly by the
Prairie River and several tributary creeks. A small portion of the southwest corner drains into the
Fawn River.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.65%, is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 753 people, 256 households, and 186 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 368 housing units at an average density of 17.5 per square mile (6.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the township was 88.58%
White, 0.40%
Native American, 10.23% from
other races, and 0.80% from two or more races.
Hispanic 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 13.01% of the population.
There were 256 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 131.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 127.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $37,000, and the median income for a family was $43,000. Males had a median income of $34,063 versus $26,974 for females. The
per capita income for the township was $17,256. About 5.9% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
References
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Townships in Branch County, Michigan
Townships in Michigan