Wexford County is a 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 sov ...

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 ...

. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the population was 33,673. The county seat is

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

. Wexford County is part of the Cadillac, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which also includes Missaukee County. It is considered to be part of

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Detroit as " Up North"), is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. A popul ...

. The county is the location of the first known sighting of the Michigan dogman.

History

The county was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 as Kautawaubet County, after a

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a me ...

phrase meaning "broken tooth," and the name of a local Potawatomi chief. In 1843, legislators renamed the county Wexford, after

County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinn ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It was formally organized in 1869.

Geography

The

Manistee River The Manistee River ( '), seldom referred to as the Big Manistee River, runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed November 21, 2011 through the northwestern Lower Peninsula of ...

flows westward through the upper part of Wexford County. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, largely tree-covered.Wexford County MI - Google Maps (accessed 10 July 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the west, with its highest point, Briar Hill in Manistee National Forest at 1,706 (520m) ASL. According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575.46 sqmi (1,490 km²), of which 565.00 sqmi (1,463 km²) is land and 10.46 sqmi (27.1 km²) (1.8%) is water.

Major highways

* * (Cadillac Route) * (Manton Route) * * * *

Adjacent counties

* Grand Traverse County - north * Kalkaska County - northeast * Missaukee County - east * Osceola County - southeast * Lake County - southwest *

Manistee County Manistee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 25,032. The county seat is Manistee. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. ...

- west *

Benzie County Benzie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 17,970. The county seat is Beulah. The county was initially set off in 1863 and organized in 1869.

- northwest

Protected areas

* Brandy Brook Waterfowl Area *

Manistee National Forest The Manistee National Forest is a national forest located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It has a total area of . It was established in 1938, and combined with the Huron National Forest in 1945 for administrative purposes, creating the Huro ...

(part) *

Mitchell State Park William Mitchell State Park is a public recreation area covering within the city limits of Cadillac in northern lower Michigan. The state park is located between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac. The historic Clam Lake Canal, approximately one ...

Lakes

* Hodenpyl Dam Pond *

Lake Cadillac Lake Cadillac is a lake located within the city of Cadillac, Michigan. It is part of the Muskegon River watershed. Natural features Lake Cadillac is fed by two inlets: a small river flowing from Lake Mitchell and a short canal of the same origi ...

* Lake Gitchegumee *

Lake Mitchell Lake Mitchell is one of two lakes in Wexford County, Michigan, that are joined by the Clam Lake Canal. The other lake is Lake Cadillac. Mitchell State Park is located on Lake Mitchell. Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Black Crappie, Rock Bass, Nor ...

* Long Lake * Round Lake (part)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people en ...

, there were 30,484 people, 11,824 households, and 8,383 families in the county. 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 RosenberPop ...

was 54/sqmi (20.8/km²). There were 14,872 housing units at an average density of 26.3/sqmi (10.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.29%

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 ...

, 0.19%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

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 enslav ...

, 0.74% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 0.24% 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 1.09% from two or more races. 1.01% of the population were

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 form ...

or Latino of any race. 21.4% were of German, 11.3%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 9.5% American, 9.4% Irish, 6.1%

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People ...

, 5.8% Swedish and 5.3%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin scree ...

ancestry. 97.7% spoke

and 1.1%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

as their first language. There were 11,824 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% 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, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00. The county population contained 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,363, and the median income for a family was $39,915. Males had a median income of $31,198 versus $21,733 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 county was $17,144. About 7.70% of families and 10.30% 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 11.50% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government operates the

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correct ...

, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains

vital records Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates or divorce party and death certificates. In so ...

, administers

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tri ...

: Corey Wiggins *

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transl ...

: Trent Taylor * County Clerk: Alaina M. Nyman * County Treasurer: Kristi Nottingham *

Register of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

: Lorie L. Sorensen *

Drain Commissioner A drain commissioner is an elected official in county government of the U.S. state of Michigan who is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining surface water drainage systems under Public Act 40 of 1956. In counties with a population und ...

: Michael J. Solomon * County Surveyor: Craig J. Pullen (information as of July 2019)

Politics

Wexford County is one of the few counties to have given majorities to both the first Republican candidate, John C. Frémont, and to

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

in his 2008 presidential campaign. The county also twice favored Democrat Bill Clinton.

Tourism

There are many attractions and hot spots in Wexford County. The

is one recreation site. The Manistee River is used by fishermen, kayakers, and canoers. There are many lakes; the largest are Cadillac and Mitchell. Two hundred miles of snowmobile trails are maintained by the Cadillac Winter Promotions volunteer group. There are at least eight golf courses near Cadillac. There are several museums near Cadillac. The Wexford Civic Center is a 4,000 capacity arena, 300 capacity hockey facility, 300 capacity grand stand, and several buildings for agricultural shows and expos.

Communities

Cities

(county seat) * Manton

Villages

* Buckley * Harrietta * Mesick

Charter township

* Haring Charter Township

Civil townships

* Antioch Township * Boon Township * Cedar Creek Township * Cherry Grove Township * Clam Lake Township * Colfax Township * Greenwood Township * Hanover Township * Henderson Township * Liberty Township * Selma Township * Slagle Township * South Branch Township * Springville Township * Wexford Township

Census-designated places

* Boon * Caberfae * Haring * Wedgewood

Other unincorporated communities

Axin Axin-1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''AXIN1'' gene. Function This gene encodes a cytoplasmic protein which contains a regulation of G-protein signaling (RGS) domain and a dishevelled and axin (DIX) domain. The encoded protei ...

* Bagnall * Baxter * Benson * Garletts Corner * Gilbert * Glengary * Harlan *

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smalle ...

* Hoxeyville * Meauwataka * Millersville * Missaukee Junction * Sherman *

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingd ...

* Wexford Corner * Yuma

Ghost towns

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

* Bond's Mill * Bunyea * Cherry Grove * Claggettville * Coline *

Elton Elton may refer to: Places England * Elton, Cambridgeshire (formerly Huntingdonshire), a village ** Elton Hall, a baronial hall * Elton, Cheshire, a village and civil parish * Elton, County Durham, a village and civil parish * Elton, Derbyshir ...

* Haire * Mystic * Round Lake * Soper *

Thorp ''Thorp'' is a Middle English word for a hamlet or small village. Etymology The name can either come from Old Norse ''þorp'' (also ''thorp''), or from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) ''þrop''. There are many place names in England with the s ...

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 Nat ...

Historical markers

There are ten recognized Michigan historical markers in the county: * Battle of Manton * Caberfae Ski Resort * Cadillac Carnegie Library * Charles T. Mitchell House * Clam Lake Canal * Cobbs & Mitchell Building * Cobbs and Mitchell Mill No.1 * First Wexford County Courthouse * Greenwood Disciples of Christ Church *

Shay Locomotive The Shay locomotive is a geared steam locomotive that originated and was primarily used in North America. The locomotives were built to the patents of Ephraim Shay, who has been credited with the popularization of the concept of a ''geared s ...

References

External links

Wexford County

Chapter XVII Wexford County
in ''A history of northern Michigan and its people'' by Perry F. Powers ; assisted by H.G. Cutler. Powers, Perry Francis, 1857–1945. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912. p. 404
''History of Wexford County, Michigan''
comp. by John H. Wheeler, Logansport, Ind.:B. F. Bowen, 1903.
Wexford County Sheriff's Office
{{Coord, 44.34, -85.58, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Michigan counties 1869 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1869