Penn 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
Cass 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 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 1,774 at the
2010 census.
Penn Township is the location of the Bonine House, a lookout post on the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
, on the corner of
M-60 and Penn Road.
Vandalia, located within Penn Township, also was affiliated with the Underground Railroad.
Communities
*Geneva was platted in 1831. It was the county seat at the time but not for much longer. The area is now known as Shore Acres.
Geography
Penn Township is located just northeast of the center of Cass County. The village of
Vandalia is in the southeast part of the township.
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 , or 5.18%, is water.
Diamond Lake in the southwest and Donnell Lake in the southeast are the two largest lakes in 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 1,902 people, 747 households, and 560 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,280 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 82.07%
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 ...
, 12.36%
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 ...
, 0.58%
Native American, 2.10%
Asian, 0.37% 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 2.52% 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 1.00% of the population.
There were 747 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were
married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the township the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $38,375, and the median income for a family was $43,077. Males had a median income of $32,167 versus $24,769 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 $19,462. About 9.9% of families and 13.6% 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 17.8% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
References
Notes
Sources
*
{{authority control
Townships in Cass County, Michigan
South Bend – Mishawaka metropolitan area
Townships in Michigan
Populated places on the Underground Railroad