Shiawassee County ( ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located 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 sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. 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 of ...

, the population was 68,094. 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 ...

is Corunna, and the largest city in the county is Owosso. In 2010, the center of population of Michigan was located in Shiawassee County, in Bennington Township. Shiawassee County is included in the

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...

, MI

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

In 1822, the Michigan Territorial legislature defined a new county, Shiawassee (named for the river), taken from portions of existing Oakland and St. Clair counties. However, for purposes of representation, revenue, and judicial matters, the area was temporarily assigned to adjoining county governments. In early 1837, the Michigan Territory was admitted into the Union as the State of Michigan, and that same year the new Michigan State government authorized the organization of a county government in Shiawassee.

Geography

According to the

US 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water. The

Shiawassee River The Shiawassee River ( ) in the U.S. state of Michigan drains an area of within Oakland, Genesee, Livingston, Shiawassee, Midland and Saginaw counties. It flows in a generally northerly direction for approximately from its source to its co ...

enters it from Genesee County in the southeast and flows through Corunna and Owosso in the center of the county, exiting to Saginaw County in the north. Shiawassee County is considered to be a part of

Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan cor ...

Adjacent counties

Saginaw County Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully orga ...

– north * Genesee County – east * Livingston County – southeast *

Ingham County Ingham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 284,900. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is largely located within the county. (Lansing is the only ...

– southwest *

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York ** Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...

– west * Gratiot County – northwest

Transportation

Highways

* - enters near SW corner of county. Runs ENE past Shaftsburg, Perry, Morrice, Bancroft, Durand. Exits running east into Genesee County. * - runs along the east line of county, from NE corner to intersection with I69 one mile (1.6 km) south of Lennon. * - runs east-west through upper middle of county, passing Corunna and Owosso. * - enters north line of county at Oakley. Runs south to Owosso, then SW and south to Perry. Exits running south into Ingham County. * - begins at Owosso. Runs ESE to intersection with I69, one mile (1.6 km) NW of Durand.

Rail

Durand Union Station Durand Union Station is a historic train station in Durand, Michigan. The station, which now serves Amtrak '' Blue Water'' trains, was originally a busy Grand Trunk Western Railroad and Ann Arbor Railroad station, as well as a local office for ...

in Durand offers access to

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

Blue Water Maritime geography is a collection of terms used by naval military units to loosely define three maritime regions: brown water, green water, and blue water. Definitions The elements of maritime geography are loosely defined and their meanings hav ...

route. The train runs from

Port Huron Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Airport

Owosso Community Airport Owosso Community Airport is a public-use airport located in Caledonia Charter Township, two miles (3 km) east of Owosso, between the cities of Owosso and Corunna, in Shiawassee County, Michigan, United States. It is owned by the Shiawasse ...

– 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Owosso. Public airport for

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

, primarily smaller aircraft.

Demographics

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, Shiawassee County had a 2010 population of 70,648. This decrease of -1,039 people from the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the 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 enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

represents a decrease of 1.4% during that ten-year period. In 2010 there were 27,481 households and 19,397 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 133.1 per square mile (51.4 square kilometers). There were 30,319 housing units at an average density of 57.1 per square mile (22.0 per km²). 96.7% of the population were

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 o ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Black or African 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 ...

, 0.5% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 2.4% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race). 22.2% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 21.8%

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%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 5.2% French, French Canadian or

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

and 5.1%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

ancestry according to 2010 American Community Survey. There were 27,481 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were husband and wife families, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.2% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99. The county population contained 24.1% under age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males. The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $46,528 and the median income for a family was $52,614. Males had a median income of $32,155 versus $19,301 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 $21,103. About 10.6% of families and 15.4% 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 22.1% of those under the age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Shiawassee County has tended to vote Republican since the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried 74% of the elections (25 of 34). The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, 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 social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has 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.

COVID-19 hazard pay scandal

On July 25, 2021, it was revealed that the county's board of commissioners paid themselves a total of $65,000 out of a $557,000 federal relief funds earmarked for county employee hazard pay due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Employees typically received $1,000 to $2,000. The seven member board of commissioners voted themselves $5,000 for four members, $10,000 for two, and the chairman of the county commissioners $25,000. Following days of criticism, a Shiawassee prosecutor declared the bonuses illegal; commissioners responded that they would return the money.

Elected officials

* Governor: Gretchen Whitmer (D) * Lt. Governor: Garlin Gilchrist (D) * Attorney General: Dana Nessel (D) * Secretary of State: Jocelyn Benson (D) * State Senator 24th District: Tom Barrett (R) * State Rep. 85th District: Ben Frederick (R) * U.S.Rep 4th District: John Moolenaar (R) * Prosecutor: Scott Koerner (R) * Sheriff: Brian BeGole (R) * County Clerk: Caroline Wilson (R) * County Treasurer: Thomas W. Dwyer (R) * Register of Deeds: Lori Kimble (R) * Drain Commissioner: Tony Newman (D) * County Surveyor: William Wascher (R) * Road Commissioners: Mike Constine (R); Ric Crawford (R); John Michalec (D) * Commissioner District 1: Marlene Webster (R) * Commissioner District 2: Greg Brodeur (R) * Commissioner District 3: Gary Holzhausen (R) * Commissioner District 4: Brandon Marks (R) * Commissioner District 5: Brad Howard (R) * Commissioner District 6: Cindy Garber (R) * Commissioner District 7: John Plowman (R) (information as of March 2022)

Communities

Cities

* Corunna (county seat) * Durand * Laingsburg *

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

(partial) * Owosso *

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

Villages

* Bancroft *

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

* Morrice * New Lothrop * Vernon

Charter townships

* Caledonia Charter Township * Owosso Charter Township

Civil townships

* Antrim Township * Bennington Township * Burns Township * Fairfield Township * Hazelton Township * Middlebury Township * New Haven Township * Perry Township * Rush Township * Sciota Township * Shiawassee Township * Venice Township * Vernon Township * Woodhull Township

Census-designated places

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada * H ...

* Middletown

Other unincorporated communities

* Antrim Center * Bennington * Burton * Carland * Easton * Five Points * Five Points North * Forest Green Estates * Hoovers Corners * Juddville * Kerby * Newburg *

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

Nicholson Nicholson may refer to: People *Nicholson (name), a surname, and a list of people with the name Places Australia * Nicholson, Victoria * Nicholson, Queensland * Nicholson County, New South Wales * Nicholson River (disambiguation) * Nicholson ...

* Olney Corners * Pittsburg * Shaftsburg * Shiawasseetown * Smith Crossing * Union Plains * Wolf Crossing

References

External links

Shiawassee County History

Shiawassee County website

City of Corunna, Michigan
*
Owosso Independent
{{Coord, 42.95, -84.14, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Michigan counties 1837 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1837