Standish is a city 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 1,458 at the
2020 census. It is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Arenac County
Arenac County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 Census, the population was 15,002. The county seat is Standish, Michigan, Standish.
History
Arenac County was ...
.
Geography
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 city has a total area of , all land.
Standish is located roughly 5.2 miles from the
Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area. It is located in part ...
.
Climate
History
The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871, who owned all of the land in the vicinity. Before the plat was formally recorded, Standish sold off some of his land in the area. The town was initially named "Granton". John Standish owned the town's first business, a
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
, he later had the town name changed back to Standish.
Jackson and Lansing Railroad
The Jackson and Lansing Railroad (reporting marks JAIL) is a Class III common carrier in Central Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. ...
reached the community in 1871. The first hotel was built in Standish in 1871 and named The Standish House, by a sheriff of Bay County. The hotel went through several owners before it burned down in March 1902. In 1888 the railroad depot was built by local farmers in the area, each bringing their own materials to help with the construction. In 1898 the State Bank of Standish opened, (now Citizens Bank). Standish was incorporated as a village in 1893 with James Austin as its president, and later a city in 1903, with Mr. H. Randall was as its first mayor. In 1907 Standish got its first
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
dealership, a
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
dealership. By 1912 the city got its first commercial electric lighting for homes and businesses, with power being available between 7 A.M. to Midnight. By 1926 the city was receiving 24-hour electricity service supplied by the Northern Power Company. In 1918, the first gravel road between
Pinconning and Standish was built, being a loose dirt road beforehand. The same year that prohibition on alcohol took effect, 1920, three illegal
moonshine
Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...
stills were confiscated by the sheriff, and local arrests were made. By 1938 the population of Standish was 913. The city received the deed to Woodmere Cemetery in 1940. On September 22, 1970 the charter of the city of Standish was adopted, making Standish a home-rule city.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 1,509 people, 619 households, and 353 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 682 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%
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 ...
, 0.5%
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 ...
, 1.5%
Native American, 0.4%
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 ...
, 0.7% 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 1.6% 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 2.6% of the population.
There were 619 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 40 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,581 people, 619 households, and 362 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 672 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.52%
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 ...
, 0.25%
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 ...
, 0.63%
Native American, 0.89%
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 ...
, 0.82% 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 0.89% 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 2.02% of the population.
There were 619 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,212, and the median income for a family was $31,719. Males had a median income of $28,523 versus $20,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,608. About 16.4% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city of Standish is in the Standish-Sterling Community Schools District. There is one elementary school: Standish-Sterling Elementary located in Sterling. Standish-Sterling Middle School operates in the former Standish-Sterling High School. A new high school, Standish-Sterling Central High School, opened in 2001.
Transportation
Major Highways
*
*
*
*
Bus
*
Indian Trails
Indian Trails, Inc. is an inter-city bus company based in Owosso, Michigan, with offices in Romulus (in Metro Detroit) and Kalamazoo.
History
Indian Trails was founded in 1910 in Owosso as the Phillips-Taylor Livery Service, whose main busi ...
provides daily intercity bus service between
St. Ignace
St. Ignace is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Mackinac County. The city had a population of 2,452 at the 2010 census. St. Ignace Township is located just to the north of the city, but the two are administered auto ...
and
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metropol ...
.
Attractions
* The
Saganing Eagles Landing Casino
Saganing Eagles Landing Casino is a casino located just outside the city of Standish, Michigan, United States. Opened on December 31, 2007, the casino is owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council, which also owns the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mo ...
is located south of town in Whites Beach Area.
* Standish Historical Depot and Welcome Center
Correctional Facility
Standish is home to the state
Standish Maximum Correctional Facility
Standish Maximum Correctional Facility (SMF) was a Michigan Department of Corrections maximum security prison in Standish, Michigan. The men's prison was on the south side of M-61. It was once considered as a potential site for housing detaine ...
, which operated from 1990 through 2009. In late 2009 the facility was briefly considered as a potential United States site for more than 220 prisoners to be relocated from the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp ( es, Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Guantánamo, GTMO, and Gitmo (), on the coast of Guant ...
, although neighbors and local residents expressed concern and opposition. At the time, Michigan public officials, including both of its senators (
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services C ...
and
Debbie Stabenow
Deborah Ann Stabenow ( ; née Greer, born April 29, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat she has held since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the state's first female ...
) and governor
Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is a Canadian-American lawyer, educator, author, political commentator, and politician serving as the 16th United States secretary of energy since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she pre ...
, also objected the idea at the time.
In popular culture
* A season 3 episode of the
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
series ''
A Haunting
''A Haunting'' is an American paranormal drama anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of alleged possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. The program features narrations, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments based on ...
'', called ''The Unleashed'', takes place in Standish in 1974.
*Standish was mentioned in the 2018 film
A Simple Favor.
External links
Standish Area Chamber of Commerce
References
{{Authority control
Cities in Arenac County, Michigan
County seats in Michigan