White Pigeon is a village in St. Joseph 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 ...

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 1,522 at the 2010 census. The village is located within

White Pigeon Township White Pigeon Township is a civil township of St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,847 at the 2000 census. The village of White Pigeon is located within the township. Geography According to the United States Cen ...

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 village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The White Pigeon River flows through the south end of town, emptying into the St. Joseph River that flows to Lake Michigan.

Major highways

* *

History

White Pigeon was incorporated by European Americans in 1837. The

United States Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department o ...

, located in downtown White Pigeon, is the oldest surviving U.S. Land office in the state of Michigan. Following the cession of Native American lands in this area by leaders of regional tribes, the U.S. government sold more than 250,000 acres of land in Michigan for $1.25 an acre in the 1830s to settlers of Western Michigan. The town was named after the local

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 m ...

chief ''Wahbememe'', which means White Pigeon. He was buried in the town, with a memorial stone marking his grave. This gravesite is now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. According to legend, while he was at the gathering of the chiefs in Detroit, Wahbememe heard plans to attack the settlement which is now White Pigeon. The chief was a friend to the white settlers and did not want to see harm come to them, so he set out on foot and ran almost 150 miles to the settlement to warn the people. After running that long distance and giving his warning, he collapsed and soon died from exhaustion.

Demographics

2010 census

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 2010, there were 1,522 people, 621 households, and 383 families residing in the village. 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 . There were 724 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.3%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.5%

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 ...

, 2.6% 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 2.4% 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 ...

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 5.2% of the population. There were 621 households, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% 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, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the village was 37.1 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,627 people, 602 households, and 431 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 640 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.59%

, 0.18%

, 1.11% Native American, 0.55%

, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 2.03% from

, and 1.48% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.58% of the population. There were 602 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were

living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.13. In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $41,292, and the median income for a family was $43,182. Males had a median income of $32,470 versus $21,327 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 village was $16,895. About 10.5% of families and 13.1% 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 20.1% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

White Pigeon is served by the Michigan Southern Railroad (which has its main yard complex in town) and the

Grand Elk Railroad The Grand Elk Railroad is a Class III railroad which operates in the states of Indiana and Michigan. It is one of 40+ short-line railroads owned by Watco. The company leases a line from the Norfolk Southern running south from Grand Rapids, Michi ...

to the west of town.

Notable people

John S. Barry John Stewart Barry (January 29, 1802– January 14, 1870) was the fourth and eighth governor of Michigan. He was Michigan's only three-term governor in the 19th century. His main accomplishment was to rationalize state finances after the state's ...

, fourth

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...

, lived in White Pigeon. *

Orris Pratt Orris Pratt was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving one term. Born in Michigan, he moved to Wisconsin as a child with his family. He followed his father into farming and politics. Biography Orris Pratt was born on September 18, 1837 ...

, farmer and member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, was born in White Pigeon. *

Scott Bales William Scott Bales (born July 20, 1956) is the former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. He was appointed to the court in 2005 by Governor Janet Napolitano through Arizona's merit selection system. He was elected by his fellow justices ...

(born 1956), former Chief Justice of the

Arizona Supreme Court The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. Sitting in the Supreme Court building in downtown Phoenix, the court consists of a chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five associate justices. Each justice i ...

grew up in White Pigeon. * Samuel Pratt, farmer and member of the

and the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

, lived for a time in White Pigeon, where his son Orris Pratt (above) was born. * Laney Byler, farmer and member of the

Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...

, was born and raised in White Pigeon where she was inducted into the White Pigeon Hall of Fame in 2019.

References

External links

{{Authority control Villages in St. Joseph County, Michigan 1837 establishments in Michigan Michigan placenames of Native American origin