Grawn () 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 ...

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 ...

(CDP) in Grand Traverse 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 ...

. At the 2020 census, the community's population was 816. The community is located within Blair Township on the border with Green Lake Township.

History

Grawn was founded in the 1870s as Blackwood after its first settler, James B. Blackwood. The

Chicago and West Michigan Railway The Chicago and West Michigan Railway (C&WM) is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1881 and 1899.Central Michigan Normal School, and later the superintendent of

Traverse City Area Public Schools Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS; ) is a public school district based in Traverse City, Michigan, United States. This district includes 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools, 1 alternative high school, and 1 Monte ...

. The same year, the name was shortened to Grawn, and given a post office with William H. Gibbs as the first postmaster. By 1905, potatoes had become the main crop of Grawn. In December 1995, a fire broke out at Carl's Tire Retreading Company in Grawn. The fire burned for 20 days, and led to the evacuation of locals and of Blair Elementary School. In 2003,

PFAS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms attached to an alkyl chain. An early definition, from 2011, required that they contain at least one perfluoroalkyl mo ...

was found at the site and in local wells as a result of chemicals used to extinguish the fire. The community of Grawn was listed as a newly-organized

for the 2010 census, meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics.

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 CDP has a total area of , all land.

Major highways

* runs west–east at this portion of its route through the center of the community.

Demographics

Education

It is within

References

Unincorporated communities in Grand Traverse County, Michigan Unincorporated communities in Michigan Census-designated places in Grand Traverse County, Michigan Census-designated places in Michigan Traverse City micropolitan area {{GrandTraverseCountyMI-geo-stub