Douglas (officially known as the City of the Village of Douglas) is a city in Allegan 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 so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 1,378 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Saugatuck Township and the city of Saugatuck is adjacent on the north. On December 13, 2004, residents voted to adopt a charter changing the status of the village into a city form of government. Under Michigan law, cities are independent entities whereas villages are part of the township. The official name is City of the Village of Douglas.

Neighborhoods

*Beachmont is located on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan. *Summer Grove is on Wiley Road half of a mile from Lake Michigan.

History

Douglas, originally known as Dudleyville, was first settled by European-Americans in 1851 as a lumber mill town. In 1861, residents changed the name to Douglas. Reportedly the name was chosen to honor the American statesman

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (né Douglass; April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. As a United States Senate, U.S. senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party (United States) ...

, but other reports indicate that a relative of the original owner of the land also suggested the name because he came from Douglas, the capital of the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. Douglas was incorporated as a village in 1870. Area sawmills provided much of the lumber used to rebuild

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

after the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

of 1871. After most of the harvestable trees in the area were cleared by the lumber industry, the area became a center for growing and shipping fruit, especially

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

es.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and resorts also became an important part of the area economy.

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. The city has over 1.5 miles of coastline along the shores of Lake Michigan, and over two miles of frontage along the meandering Kalamazoo River and Lake Kalamazoo Harbor.

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 1,232 people, 645 households, and 279 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 1,075 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% 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 3.7% of the population. There were 645 households, of which 15.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.7% were non-families. 46.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.60. The median age in the city was 54.3 years. 14% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.9% were from 25 to 44; 41.6% were from 45 to 64; and 26% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,214 people, 587 households and 284 families residing in the city of Douglas. The population density was . There were 853 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.87%

, 0.58%

, 0.08% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.74% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.64% of the population. There were 587 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were

living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 43.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.60. In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.1% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $49,750. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $28,906 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 $26,517. About 8.7% of families and 10.3% 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 14.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Douglas is well known for its impressive art galleries and dining options. Water Street Gallery, LaFontsee Galleries, Button Gallery, Mr. Miller's Art Emporium, and LebenArt Gallery are just a few of the well known stops for local and national artworks.

Notable person

* George Washington Maher - early 20th century

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

style architect

References

External links

*https://douglasmi.gov/
Saugatuck/Douglas Convention & Visitors BureauSaugatuck-Douglas History Center
{{Allegan County, Michigan Cities in Allegan County, Michigan Populated places established in 1851 1851 establishments in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan