Holly 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 ...
of
Oakland County
Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...
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 ...
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 11,362 at the
2010 census.
Communities
* The village of
Holly
''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...
is located within the township.
In addition to the incorporated village in the Township, there are two
unincorporated communities
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 ...
within the Township:
*Newark is an located in the northern part of the township at the rail tracks and Belford Road ().
*Five Points is adjacent to Holly Village on Rood and Grange Hall Roads just south of where Quick and Fagan Roads merger to become Rood Road ( Elevation: 928 ft./283 m.).
History
Holly was the last of Oakland County's townships to be organized. It was organized on 6 March 1838.
Holly's oldest cemetery, Oak Hill Cemetery, was established around Holly's incorporation as a Township. There are veterans from every major war interred at Oak Hill, dating back to the Revolutionary War. Many of the founding families of the Holly area are also buried at Oak Hill, as well as Holly's historic 'sister cemetery', Lakeside Cemetery.
Around 1900 Holly reached the pinnacle of socioeconomic growth. Having taken full advantage of the booming rail industry, Holly found itself at the hub of rail transit between Flint, Pontiac and Saginaw, as well as east–west transit from Lansing to Port Huron. To this day trains have a profound effect on Holly's economy and social life.
[Susanne J. Les and Greta Mackler, ''Images of America, Holly'' (2004), p. 32]
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 t ...
, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (5.33%) is water.
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 10,037 people, 3,733 households, and 2,639 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 3,926 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 94.51%
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 ...
, 2.20%
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 ...
, 0.46%
Native American, 0.42%
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 ...
, 0.04%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.83% 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 1.54% 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 ...
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 2.88% of the population.
There were 3,733 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were
married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $52,865, and the median income for a family was $60,783. Males had a median income of $46,943 versus $28,535 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 $22,370. About 4.6% of families and 7.6% 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 9.1% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Tourism
Holly Township is also home to the
Great Lakes National Cemetery. Accessible recreation areas include Seven Lakes State Park, Holly Recreation Area, Groveland Oaks, Rose Oaks, Lakeside Park, Ganshaw Park and Holdridge Lakes Mountain Bike Trails.
Those looking for campgrounds may find outdoor locations provided by KOA, Seven Lakes State Park and Groveland Oaks. Popular events for campers include Holly's regionally accredited Independence Day Celebration and Michigan Renaissance Festival.
News and media
Holly Township is served by th
Tri-County Timesfor print news.
References
External links
Holly TownshipHolly Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Townships in Oakland County, Michigan
Townships in Michigan
Metro Detroit
1838 establishments in Michigan
Populated places established in 1838