Nottawa 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 ref ...

of Isabella County in the U.S. state of

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 2,225 at the 2020 census.

Communities

Beal City Beal City is an unincorporated community in Isabella County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes, although Beal City is not an incorporated municipality and holds no legal autonomy. The pop ...

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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

in the center of the township. * Weidman is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the western portion of the township. The CDP also extends west into Sherman Township.

History

The township's first white settler was Michael McGeehan, who became the first supervisor when the township was organized in 1875. The township was named after a local

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

(Chippewa) chief who lived in the area from 1781 to 1881.

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 (1.73%) is water. The entire township is within the boundaries of the

Isabella Indian Reservation The Isabella Indian Reservation is the primary land base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation, located in Isabella County in the central part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The tribe also has some small parcels of off-reser ...

. The North Branch of the Chippewa River and the Coldwater River flow through the township.

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 2,278 people, 846 households, and 620 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 951 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.06%

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 ...

, 0.09%

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 ...

, 2.15% Native American, 0.04%

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 ...

, 0.09% 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 0.57% 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 0.79% of the population. There were 846 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15. In the township the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $40,766, and the median income for a family was $46,523. Males had a median income of $31,798 versus $26,438 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 $18,340. About 4.6% of families and 6.5% 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 4.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Nottawa Township is served by four separate public school districts. The majority of the township is served by Beal City Public Schools in the community of

. The western portion of the township is served by Chippewa Hills School District in the community of Remus, Michigan to the west in Mecosta County. A very small portion of the northeast corner of the township is served by Farwell Area Schools to the north in the village of Farwell in

Clare County Clare County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 30,856. The county seat is Harrison. History The county was created by the Michigan Legislature from part of Michilimackinac County in 1840, ...

. A very small portion of the southeast corner of the township is served by Mount Pleasant City School District in the city of Mount Pleasant.

Notable people

John Engler John Mathias Engler (born October 12, 1948) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he later worked for Business Roundtable, where '' The Hill'' ...

, politician and former governor of Michigan, grew up near Beal City * Roger Hauck, state politician who was born in Beal City *

Nathaniel B. Nichols Nathaniel B. Nichols (1914–1997) was an American control engineer who made significant contributions to the field of control theory. He is well known for his book ''Theory of Servomechanisms'', one of the most widely read books in control engin ...

, engineer who was born in Nottawa Township

References

External links

Nottawa Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Isabella County, Michigan Townships in Michigan Populated places established in 1875 1875 establishments in Michigan