Charlotte, Michigan
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Charlotte ( ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Eaton County, Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 9,299. Charlotte is in the central portion of the county on the boundary between Eaton Township and Carmel Township but is politically independent of both. Interstate 69 serves the city and connects it to the state capital of Lansing. It is located from downtown Lansing.


History

In 1832, George William Barnes purchased the land that would become Charlotte from the U.S. government. Barnes in turn sold the land to Edmond B. Bostwick, a land speculator from New York City three years later in 1835. Bostwick then sold portions of the land to H.I. Lawrence, Townsend Harris, and Francis Cochran. The four created the village which they named after Edmond Bostwick's wife, Charlotte, who originally wanted it to be called Charlotteville. Jonathan Searles became the first postmaster on March 17, 1838. Charlotte was incorporated as a village on October 10, 1863, and as a city on March 29, 1871. At various times, Charlotte had the unofficial names of Eaton Centre, and Carmel. It was designated as the county seat when Eaton County was organized in 1837; however, due to a lack of population and buildings, county functions were conducted at Bellevue until 1840. The Dolson automobile was manufactured in Charlotte from 1904 to 1907.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Charlotte is situated on gently rolling prairie. The Battle Creek River has its northern bend in the south part of the city, entering from the southeast and exiting to the southwest. The northern part of the city is part of the Thornapple River watershed.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 9,074 people, 3,661 households, and 2,291 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 3,997 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
. There were 3,661 households, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.0% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 35.8 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 23.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 8,389 people, 3,249 households, and 2,124 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,417 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.79%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.94% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 1.07% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 3.46% of the population. There were 3,249 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% 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. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,473, and the median income for a family was $45,759. Males had a median income of $31,573 versus $27,019 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $18,066. About 7.8% of families and 10.0% 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 ...
, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Charlotte Public Schools operates Galewood Early Elementary for developmental kindergarten and kindergarten students, operates Parkview Elementary School and Washington Elementary School for first through third grade, and operates Charlotte Upper Elementary for fourth grade and fifth grade students. Charlotte Middle School serves seventh and eighth grade students while Charlotte High School serves ninth through twelfth grade students. The district also operates the Weymouth Child Development Center as a childcare facility. There are two parochial schools in the city. Charlotte Adventist Christian School serves grades 1 through 8 and is owned and operated by the Charlotte Seventh-day Adventist Church and is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system. St. Mary Elementary School is run by Saint Mary Catholic Church and serves K-8 students and Preschool. There is one alternative education school known as the Relevant Academy of Eaton County. In addition, special needs children are served by the Eaton Intermediate School District. For post-secondary students, Olivet College is to the south and Michigan State University is to the northeast. The
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
is located southeast. Lansing Community College is located to the northeast, and features cooperative relationships with a number of other universities around the state. Further education/training can also be obtained at the Southridge Vocational Center.


Transportation


Highways

* * * *


Air

* In the northeast corner of the city is the Fitch H. Beach Airport. * Scheduled passenger carrier flights are available at Capital Region International Airport, near the northeast corner of Eaton County.


Rail

* Charlotte was once serviced by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and the Michigan Central Railroad. The original Michigan Central Railroad depot still stands at 430 N. Cochran Ave. and at various times has operated as a restaurant, ice cream parlor, and coffee shop. * Currently Canadian National Railway and the Charlotte Southern Railroad provide rail service to the city.


Entertainment

The Eaton Theatre, located downtown, also shows movies nightly and features two arcade rooms. The Eaton Theatre opened as a single screen in 1931 and is located downtown. Built during the Art Deco era it was totally modernized when it was twinned. It still has the large square marquee and the vertical sign, however the balcony area was transformed into a separate upstairs room to house a second screen. The theater is now owned and operated by Leann Owen. The Charlotte Performing Arts Center is home to music, vocal, and theatre performances by Charlotte Public Schools students. It is also home to performances by other groups based in and out of Charlotte.


Hospitals

* University of Michigan Health - Sparrow, Eaton * Charlotte Veterinary Hospital(Closed) * AL!VE * Charlotte Family Center * Sensations Memory Care(Originally the Eaton Manor)


City Parks

The city of Charlotte has many wonderful parks. City Parks are open May 1 thru October 31. These include: Bennett Park (1225 S. Cochran), Dean Park (526 W. Stoddard), Gateway Park (N. Cochran and Packard), Lincoln Park (Lincoln St. and W. Shepherd), Oak Park (230 St. Clinton/Seminary St.), Snell Park (Upland and E. Shepherd), Southridge Park (312 W. Third), and U.S. Veterans Memorial Park (1501 S. Cochran). Lincoln Park contains a Skate Park and Disc Golf Course. By the water tower nearby (at 619 W. Shepherd) there is a sled hill and ice skating rink, as well as a small outdoor dirt track for RC racing (aka Lincoln Park Raceway; added late 2013). Tennis Courts and Gobel Football field are located at 1149 S. Cochran. A popular sled hill known locally as Kane's Hill (named after the Kane family who lived nearby and operated Kane's Heating Services) is located on Gale St. between Church St. and E. Lovett St.


Economy

Spartan Motors, an automobile design company that designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles, truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the recreational vehicle (RV), emergency response, government services, defense, and delivery and service markets, is based in Charlotte.


Notable people

* Emerson R. Boyles, chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1940–1956) * A. Whitney Brown, comedian and writer known for ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' * Paul H. Bruske, journalist, advertising executive, and sportsman * Luren Dickinson, 37th governor of Michigan * Francis C. Flaherty, WWII Medal of Honor recipient * Brock Gutierrez, National Football League player * Frank A. Hooker, justice of the Michigan Supreme Court * Eric Menk, professional basketball player in Denmark and the Philippines * Rocco Moore, National Football League player * Harry T. Morey, stage and film actor * Cooper Rush, National Football League
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
with the Dallas Cowboys * Richard Clyde Taylor, metaphysical philosopher and author * Wayne Terwilliger, Major League Baseball player and coach * Micheal Ranville, writer of To Strike at a King


Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Charlotte has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.


References


External links


City of Charlotte
{{Coord, 42, 33, 49, N, 84, 50, 09, W, type:city_region:US-MI, display=title Cities in Eaton County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area Populated places established in 1863 1863 establishments in Michigan