Raber 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
Chippewa 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 ...
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 647 at the
2010 census.
Communities
* Goetzville 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 the township on
M-48 approximately north of
M-134 at . The Goetzville
ZIP code 49736 serves the central portion of the township, as well a small area in the southeast corner of
Pickford Township and areas in the northwest of
Detour Township. The Goetz family settled here in 1882. A post office was established in October 1882 spelled as Gatesville, but was changed to Goetzville in February 1917.
* Raber is an unincorporated community on Raber Bay in the
St. Marys River. It is approximately north-northeast of Goetzville at . The first white settler is considered to be John Stevenson from
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, who emigrated here in 1878. It was named for Mueller M. Raber, a pioneer lumberman in the area. A post office operated from September 1889 until December 1954.
* Stalwart is an unincorporated community in the township on M-48, approximately west-northwest of Goetzville at . Stalwart is an acceptable name for the Goetzville ZIP code. Stalwart was first settled in 1878. An application was submitted in 1881 for a post office to be named "Garfield", after U.S. President
James A. Garfield
James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...
, but the name was already in use at the time by another post office. The application was resubmitted for a post office named "Arthur", after
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A ...
, and was denied for the same reason. Because Garfield and Arthur represented what was known as the
Stalwart faction of the
Republican Party, the application was made for the post office to be named "Stalwart". The office was established in February 1881.
Geography
Raber Township is located in eastern Chippewa County and is bordered to the northeast by the St. Marys River, with
St. Joseph Island in the
Algoma District
Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The name was created by an American ethnologist, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793-1864), who was appointed Indian agent to the Ojibwe in ...
of
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, on the far side. The southern boundary and part of the western boundary of the township follows the
Mackinac County
Mackinac County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 Census, the population was 10,834. The county seat is St. Ignace, Michigan, St. Ignace. Forme ...
line, with the southern boundary very close to the northern shore of
Lake Huron
Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
.
Lake Superior State Forest
Lake Superior State Forest is a state forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The North Country Trail utilizes this state forest for 43 miles (69 km) of its route.
The Lake ...
occupies large areas in the northern and southern parts 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 the ...
, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 31.64%, is water.
is to the southeast, while the DeTour Village 49725 ZIP Code serves the southeast corner of Raber Township.
Pickford Pickford is a surname, and may refer to
* Sir Alfred Pickford, Alfred "Pickle" Pickford, Scouting luminary and friend of Lord Baden-Powell
* Charlotte Hennessy, aka Charlotte Smith Pickford, Canadian-American actress, mother of Mary, Lottie, and Ja ...
is to the northwest, while the Pickford 49774 ZIP Code serves the northwest corner of Raber Township.
49774 5-Digit ZCTA, 497 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census
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 ...
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km). There were 602 housing units at an average density of 6.1 per square mile (2.4/km). The racial makeup of the township was 91.64% 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 ...
, 0.60% 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 ...
, 4.33% Native American, 0.15% 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 ...
, 0.15% 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 3.13% 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 ...
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 1.64% of the population.
There were 310 households, out of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% 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, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.63.
In the township the population was spread out, with 16.3% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $27,589, and the median income for a family was $36,964. Males had a median income of $30,469 versus $23,750 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 $18,956. About 8.5% of families and 11.5% 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 20.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
References
External links
Raber Township official website
{{authority control
Townships in Chippewa County, Michigan
Townships in Michigan
Populated places on Lake Huron in the United States