Whiteford 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
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe:
* Monroe County, Alabama
*Monroe County, Arkansas
* Monroe County, Florida
* Monroe County, Georgia
*Monroe County, Illinois
*Monroe County, Indian ...
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 4,602 at the
2010 census.
Communities
* Gert is a former community within the township. It had its own post office from February 16, 1985 until March 31, 1904. Gert can be seen within Whiteford Township on
1911 mapof Monroe County.
*
Ottawa Lake 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 ...
within the township at . Ottawa Lake has its own post office with the 49267 ZIP Code, which serves the majority of the township.
* Pleasant View is a former community within the township. It appeared along the
Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway line and can be seen in section 36 on an 1876 map of Whiteford Township.
* Saint Anthony is an unincorporated community located at . The community was settled in 1920 as a location between Ottawa Lake and
Temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
*Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
.
* Whiteford was the original settlement of Whiteford Township when it was organized in 1834. The Whiteford post office was established on June 2, 1835 but was quickly transferred to
Toledo on September 19, which was then still part of Monroe County in the
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...
.
* Whiteford Center (or Whiteford Centre) is an unincorporated community located in the east-central part of the township at . It was settled as early as 1840 and contained its own post office from June 26, 1867 until September 30, 1905.
Early history
Whiteford Township was organized in March 1834 and carved out of western parts of Erie Township and the former Port Lawrence Township. It was named after Gen. David White, the township's first supervisor and a pioneer settler. At the time of founding, Whiteford Township was a much larger township in land area than it is today. It originally extended into present-day Ohio, when that part of the state (known as the Toledo Strip) was claimed by both Ohio and Michigan during the
Toledo War
The Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or the Ohio–Michigan War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toledo S ...
. This larger Whiteford Township included most of present-day Sylvania, Sylvania Township, northern Springfield Township and a small section of present-day Toledo north of Airport Highway between Reynolds Road and Holland-Sylvania. However, by December 1836, the boundary dispute between Ohio and Michigan had been settled, the Toledo Strip was awarded to Ohio, and Whiteford Township subsequently lost all of its territory south of this newly agreed upon state boundary.
Throughout the mid and late 19th Century, most of the land in the township was used agriculturally with many of the square-mile sections divided up into parcels of 40 to 160 acres. In 1880, over 95% of the householders residing there were occupied as farmers or farm laborers. Merchants and manufacturers could be found in the unincorporated settlements of Whiteford Center and Ottawa Lake, the latter being home to a large stave mill in which residents were employed during the 1870s and 1880s.
In 1880, the total population of the township was 2044 of which 2030 residents were classified as White and 14 were listed as Black/Mulatto. By 1900 the population had risen to 2050, with all residents listed as White.
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 (1.29%) is water.
Major highways
*
*
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 4,420 people, 1,582 households, and 1,243 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 111.0 per square mile (42.8/km). There were 1,654 housing units at an average density of 41.5 per square mile (16.0/km). The racial makeup of the township was 95.41%
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 ...
, 1.97%
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 ...
, 0.07%
Native American, 0.20%
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 ...
, 1.49% 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 0.86% 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 2.49% of the population.
There were 1,582 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $56,280, and the median income for a family was $61,667. Males had a median income of $47,950 versus $26,275 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 $21,899. About 3.1% of families and 5.1% 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 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Images
File:Whiteford Center, Michigan.jpg,
File:Whiteford_township_High_school.JPG,
File:Whiteford township fire department.JPG,
File:Whiteford township whiteford schoolhouse.JPG,
File:Whiteford township st. michael lutheran church.JPG,
References
Sources
*
External links
Whiteford Township Official websiteWhiteford Township Fire Department
{{authority control
Townships in Monroe County, Michigan
Townships in Michigan
Populated places established in 1834
1834 establishments in Michigan Territory