Grant 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 re ...

Keweenaw County Keweenaw County (, ; , ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, the state's northernmost county. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,046, making it Michigan's least populous county. It is also the ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. The population was 275 at the 2020 census. Grant Township is one of the most isolated municipalities in Michigan, as it forms the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, which projects into

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

Communities

Bete Grise Bete Grise (from the French ''Bête grise'', "Gray Beast") is a nature preserve on Keweenaw Peninsula, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, beach and bay on Lake Superior, where the sand is said to "sing" in situ. It is located in Grant Townshi ...

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 . It is also the center of the Bete Grise Nature Preserve. *Betsy is an unincorporated community at the south end of the township at . * Copper Harbor is an unincorporated community and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

located at the northern end of the township at . It is the northernmost community in the state with a year-round population. *

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

is an unincorporated community in the western portion of the township along

U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

at . * Lac La Belle is an unincorporated community located at . It is located along the lake of the same name, which is part of the

Little Gratiot River The Little Gratiot River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed February 3, 2012 river in Keweenaw County on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. It flows ...

. *

Mandan The Mandan are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains who have lived for centuries primarily in what is now North Dakota. They are enrolled in the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. About half of the Mandan still re ...

is an unincorporated community located along U.S. Route 41 at . *Wyoming is an unincorporated community located along the Montreal River at . Wyoming was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted in 1862 on the site of an old stamping mill.

History

Grant Township was one of the original townships of

, which was organized in 1861. At the time, Grant Township occupied a much smaller centralized area of the county. The township soon expanded and absorbed the townships of Sibley and Copper Harbor, which are now defunct but can be seen on a
1873 map
of Keweenaw County. The

Keweenaw Rocket Range The Keweenaw Rocket Range is an isolated launch pad located in the U.S. state of Michigan, Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. It was used between 1964 and 1971 for launching rockets for meteorological data collection. NASA, along with the University ...

is located within the township at the easternmost tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. It was used by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

as a rocket launch site from 1964 until 1971.

Historic sites

Brockway Mountain Drive Brockway Mountain Drive is an scenic roadway just west of Copper Harbor in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. Drivers can access the road from State Highway M-26 on either end near Eagle Harbor to the west or Copper Harbor ...

, a historic scenic route that runs briefly through the western edge of the township * Copper Harbor Cemetery, a historic cemetery dating back to 1853 * Copper Harbor Light, an active lighthouse first built in 1848 *

Fort Wilkins Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is a historical park operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at Copper Harbor, Michigan. The park preserves the restored 1844 army military outpost, Fort Wilkins, which was placed on the National ...

, a deactivated military base that operated from 1844 to 1870 *

Gull Rock Light Station The Gull Rock Light Station is an active lighthouse located on Gull Rock, just west of Manitou Island (Lake Superior), Manitou Island, off the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. The light was listed on the National Register ...

, an active lighthouse first activated in 1867 *

Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex is a resort located near Copper Harbor, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976 listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and open to the public. ...

, a resort complex built during the Great Depression *

Manitou Island Light Station The Manitou Island Light Station is a lighthouse located on Manitou Island, off the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Description The Manitou Island Lig ...

, an active lighthouse dating back to 1850 * US 41–Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge, a bridge built along U.S. Route 41 in 1928

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 (41.20%) is water. Grant Township is located at the northern end of the Keweenaw Peninsula along

, and the township has the northernmost point of mainland in the state of Michigan. The township contains

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is a historical park operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at Copper Harbor, Michigan. The park preserves the restored 1844 army military outpost, Fort Wilkins, which was placed on the National ...

, and the community of Copper Harbor also provides the main ferry access to

Isle Royale National Park Isle Royale National Park is an American national park consisting of Isle Royale – known as Minong to the native Ojibwe – along with more than 400 small adjacent islands and the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in the state of Michigan ...

via the ''

Isle Royale Queen IV ''Isle Royale Queen IV'' is a passenger ferry operating on Lake Superior between Copper Harbor, Michigan, and Isle Royale National Park, the largest island on Lake Superior and the State of Michigan's only national park. The ferry operates from ...

''. The Montreal River flows through the township, and the township contains numerous lakes, most notably Lac La Belle, Lake Fanny Hooe, and a part of Lake Gratiot. There are several lighthouses located within Grant Township, including Copper Harbor Light (and Copper Harbor Front Range Light),

, and Mendota (Bete Grise) Light. The township includes three islands: Gull Rock, Manitou Island, and Porters Island.

Major highways

* is a lengthy

U.S. Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

that has its northern terminus within the township. * is a state highway that briefly enters the northwest corner of the township before having its northern terminus at US 41 in Copper Harbor. *

is a scenic roadway that briefly enters the western edge of the township before ending at M-28 in Copper Harbor.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 172 people, 87 households, and 52 families residing in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 1.4 per square mile (0.6/km²). There were 480 housing units at an average density of 4.0 per square mile (1.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.84%

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 o ...

, and 1.16% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 0.58% of the population. 38.5% were of

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

, 8.5%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 7.7% French, 6.2%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and 5.4% Scots-Irish ancestry. There were 87 households, out of which 12.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.48. In the township the population was spread out, with 11.6% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 43.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $34,464, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $27,917 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 $24,336. About 11.4% of families and 10.8% 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 25.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 7.0% of those 65 or over.

Education

The entire township is served conterminously by its own public school district, the Grant Township School District Number 2. The district operates a single

one-room schoolhouse One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...

, Copper Harbor School, which serves students from kindergarten to eighth grade. The school was established in 1850 and continues to operate a small school with a very small student population. It is one of the smallest districts by enrollment in the state, as it recorded only 10 students for the 2020–21 school year with one teacher.

Images

File:Copper Harbor from BWMD.jpg, File:Copper Harbor Light 2020-08-31.jpg, File:Copper Harbor School 2020-08-31.jpg, File:Keweenaw Rocket Range.jpg,

References

{{authority control Townships in Keweenaw County, Michigan Houghton micropolitan area, Michigan Townships in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Superior