Marne () 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 ...

in Wright Township of Ottawa 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 ...

Geography

Marne is 2.19 sq. miles large and it is 12 miles northwest of downtown Grand Rapids. The Marne ZIP code 49435 serves areas in southern and eastern Wright Township, as well as areas of central Tallmadge Township to the south and small areas of Alpine Township to the east in Kent County. Marne is located at off exit 23 on

Interstate 96 Interstate 96 (I-96) is an east–west Interstate Highway that runs for approximately entirely within the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 (US 31) and Bu ...

, 12 miles northwest of

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

. Township offices are located in the community.

History

Marne was originally called Berlin due to the many German settlers in the area. It received a post office in 1852 and 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 bear ...

ted in 1857. Due to

anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as Anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language. Its opposite is Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment largely began with t ...

s during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the name was changed in 1919 to Marne, to honor those soldiers who fought in the

Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First World War. The attack failed wh ...

. However, the name Berlin continues to manifest in many ways, includin
Berlin Baptist Church
the Berlin Fairgrounds, Berlin Fair Drive and the Berlin Raceway, where

Johnny Benson Jonathan Thomas Benson Jr. (born June 27, 1963) is an American retired stock car racing driver and the son of former Michigan modified driver John Benson Sr. Benson has raced across NASCAR's three national series ( Cup, Busch, Truck), and his ...

raced. Marne (at the time Berlin) also served as a stop on the historic Grand Rapids, Grand Haven & Muskegon interurban railroad. The depot still remains to this day, although it serves as a restaurant now.

Ed Cole Edward Nicholas Cole (September 17, 1909 – May 2, 1977) was an American automotive executive for General Motors. Career Cole was the son of a dairy farmer. In his youth, he designed, built, and sold homemade radio sets, and as a teenager ...

, an automotive executive for

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

, was born in Marne, where his father was a dairy farmer. Marne serves as a

trailhead A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain rest rooms, maps, sign posts and distribution centers for information ...

for the Musketawa Trail.

Demographics

According to the 2011 US Census Bureau, the total population was 3,177. The median age was 42.8 and the percentage of high school graduates and higher was 91%. The median house value in 2011 was $177,300 while the median household income was $64,245. 6.8% of the population was below the poverty line in 2011.

Education

The Kenowa Hills Public Schools serves Marne. Marne Elementary School was formerly located in Marne.Marne Elementary
" Kenowa Hills Public Schools. February 5, 2004. Retrieved on December 27, 2012. "14141 State St. Marne, MI 49435"

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Ottawa County, Michigan Unincorporated communities in Michigan 1857 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1857