St. James 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 Charlevoix 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 365 at the 2010 census.

Communities

*Beaver Island 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 ...

at the northern end of Beaver Island. The island was named for the numerous beavers that once populated it. A post office named Beaver Island opened on January 13, 1849. The name of the post office was changed to St. James from October 10, 1854 until it closed on March 6, 1868. It was restored under the name Beaver Island on December 19, 1868 and remains in operation. The Beaver Island 49782 ZIP Code serves the entirely of the island, including all of Peaine and St. James townships, as well as several uninhabited outlying islands. The current post office is located at 26135 Main Street. *High Island is a former settlement that occupied

High Island Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...

just west of Beaver Island. A post office named High Island opened on June 5, 1913 as a rural branch of Beaver Island with Gladys Hill serving as the first postmaster. The post office is no longer in operation, and the island is now uninhabited. * St. James is an unincorporated community 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 ...

located at the northern end of Beaver Island at .

History

The township was named for James Strang, who led a faction of

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

settlers to Beaver Island in 1848. Producing mysterious brass plates from the ground, and receiving directives from God, Strang formed a colony on Beaver Island in 1848 called St. James, naming it after himself. Strang led those who accepted him to

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its ...

, and then Voree, Wisconsin, before deciding that God wanted him to bring his flock to Beaver Island. James J. Strang appointed by

Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

presided over the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—usually distinguished with a parenthetical (Strangite)—is one of the several organizations that claim to be the legitimate continuation of the church founded by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830. I ...

from 1844 to 1856.

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 (93.56%) is water. St. James Township is one of only seven municipalities in the state of Michigan to consist entirely of islands, including Grosse Ile Township, Drummond Township, Bois Blanc Township,

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac an ...

, Peaine Township, and Sugar Island Township. St. James Township occupies the northern portion of Beaver Island and shares the islands with Peaine Township. St. James Township consists of the following islands in

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

, in which only Beaver Island has a permanent population. Most of the township's population lives in the unincorporated community of St. James at the northeastern end of Beaver Island.

Islands

* Beaver Island * Garden Island * Gull Island *Hat Island *

* Hog Island *Horseshoe Island *Little Island *Pismire Island *Shoe Island * Squaw Island * Trout Island * Whiskey Island

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 307 people, 138 households, and 82 families residing in the township. The

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 15.4 per square mile (5.9/km). There were 331 housing units at an average density of 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km). The racial makeup of the township was 98.70%

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 ...

, and 1.30% Native American. There were 138 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% 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, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.93. In the township the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $33,182, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,000 versus $20,682 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 $20,109. About 5.6% of families and 6.6% 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 5.5% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

Education

St. James Township is served entirely by Beaver Island Community School. The Beaver Island Community School is located within St. James Township and serves the entire district. It is one of only four insular school districts in the state, along with

Bois Blanc Pines School District Bois Blanc Pines School District is a public school district located in Bois Blanc Township in the U.S. state of Michigan. The district had an enrollment of four students for the 2021–22 school year. It ranks as the smallest district in th ...

Grosse Ile Township Schools Grosse Ile Township Schools is a school district in Grosse Ile Township, Michigan. In 2001, Grosse Ile was ranked the highest out of 88 school districts in Michigan by the Detroit News. Schools * Grosse Ile High School * Grosse Ile Middle Schoo ...

, and

Mackinac Island School District Mackinac Island School District is a public school district serving the city of Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. The school district operates one school, Mackinac Island Public School (MIPS). Mackinac Island School District include ...

References

Sources

External links

St. James Township official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint James Township, Michigan Townships in Charlevoix County, Michigan Significant places in Mormonism Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) Townships in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan