Paw Paw is a village in and the
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
Van Buren County, Michigan
Van Buren County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 75,587. The county seat is Paw Paw, Michigan, Paw Paw. The county was founded in 18 ...
. The population was 3,362 as of the
2020 census.
Overview
The village is located at the confluence of the east and south branches of the
Paw Paw River
The Paw Paw River is located in the U.S. state of Michigan in the southwest portion of the lower peninsula. It is formed by the confluence of the north and south branches at in Waverly Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, Waverly Township in th ...
in the northeast portion of
Paw Paw Township. Paw Paw was incorporated in 1837 and is located in the southwestern portion of Michigan, on
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...
(I-94) approximately west of
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...
. Paw Paw is named for the
pawpaw trees which once grew along the Paw Paw River.
In 1832, Rodney Hinckley located a farm on the Paw Paw River. In that year, Pierce Barber also built a sawmill on the Paw Paw River at the west end of what became the village. In 1833, Peter Gremps and Lyman J. Daniels put the sawmill into business, and Gremps is considered the founder of the village of Paw Paw.
The town was the home of African American cookbook author
Malinda Russell who published the first known cookbook by a black woman in the United States. She lived in Paw Paw after she fled her Tennessee home, which was raided by traveling gangs of whites in 1864. Her book ''Domestic Cook Book: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen'', as a means to provide income for her and her son and earn money to return to
Greeneville, Tennessee
Greeneville is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of American Revolutionary War, Revol ...
. Russell self-published her book, in 1866, giving a brief history of her life and stating in the preface to it that she hoped to earn passage to return home from its proceeds. Within months of her publication, the town of Paw Paw was destroyed by fire.
On June 13, 1888, fire again erupted, destroying seven buildings (including 11 businesses and 2 lodges) in the village.
Paw Paw is in a rural location whose primary agricultural product is grapes, which are used both in the local
Michigan wine
Michigan wine refers to any wine that is made in the state of Michigan in the United States. As of 2020, there were under wine-grape cultivation and over 200 commercial wineries in Michigan, producing of wine. According to another count there ...
industry and for juice and jellies. The St. Julian Winery and Warner Vineyards started in Paw Paw. Paw Paw has an annual Wine and Harvest Festival, which traditionally occurs the weekend following
Labor Day
Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
. The Festival features a beer tent, bandstand, live music, a popular
grape stomping competition among barefoot locals, carnival foods, and fireworks over scenic Maple Lake. For three days, the village opens up to celebrate its agricultural roots: its fruit-growing, juice, and wine-making industries. Activities in every corner of the village include the traditional grape stomping, wine tasting, 5K run, bicycle classic, and carnival midway, with new fun added each year.
The vignette "Paw Paw for Jesus" was featured on NPR's ''
This American Life
''This American Life'' is a weekly hour-long American radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is ...
''.
Historic sites
Listed in the National Register for Historic places is the Van Buren County Courthouse at 212 E. Paw Paw Street, wherein the first election was held in 1837. Renovations were completed in 1999.
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 village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Major highways
*
*
Red Arrow Highway
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 3,534 people, 1,499 households, and 862 families living in the village. 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 1,674 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 92.3%
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 ...
, 2.3%
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, 0.4%
Asian, 2.2% from
other races, and 2.7% 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 5.9% of the population.
There were 1,499 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.6% 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, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.
The median age in the village was 36.4 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.5% male and 51.5% 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 3,363 people, 1,417 households, and 855 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 1,511 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 92.83%
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 ...
, 2.85%
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 ...
, 0.83%
Native American, 0.27%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 1.19% from
other races, and 1.96% 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 2.97% of the population.
There were 1,417 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% 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, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $50,889. Males had a median income of $36,548 versus $29,559 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 village was $21,859. About 1.9% of families and 5.7% 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 3.1% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Paw Paw Public Schools is the school district serving the community.
In popular culture
Paw Paw, Michigan is the primary setting of the popular children's musical
Dear Edwina.
Notable people
*
Jason Babin, football player for
Western Michigan
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...
, first-round NFL draft pick
*
John Bonamego, football head coach at
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...
; previously assistant coach with NFL's Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions
*
Frank R. Gooding,
Governor of Idaho 1905–09, U.S. Senator 1921–28; raised in Paw Paw
*
Doane Harrison, Oscar-nominated film editor, best known for his long collaboration with director
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...
*
Bill and
Wade Killefer, early 20th-century baseball players
*
Ricky Knotts, racecar driver killed attempting to qualify for
1981 Daytona 500
*
Joseph Labadie
Charles Joseph Antoine Labadie (April 18, 1850 – October 7, 1933) was an American labor organizer, anarchist, Greenbacker, libertarian socialist, social activist, printer, publisher, essayist, and poet.
Biography
Early years
Jo Labadie was bo ...
, labor leader and political activist
*
Ron Labadie, head of scouting for NFL's
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
*
Loretta Long
Loretta Mae Long ( Moore; born October 4, 1938) is an American actress. She played the character of Susan Robinson on ''Sesame Street'' from 1969 to 2016. Long is also a consultant and public speaker on issues of multiculturalism and education ...
, actress and educator, best known as "Susan Robinson" on ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
''
*
Charlie Maxwell ("Old Paw Paw"), a
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
,
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
and
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
baseball player
*
Jerry Mitchell,
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-winning choreographer
*
Don Moorhead, football player for
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, ...
1969–1970,
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
quarterback
*
Malinda Russell, cookbook author
*
Frederick S. Strong, US Army major general
*
A. W. Underwood, a 19th-century Paw Paw native with the purported ability to
set items ablaze.
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
's 1974 song about Underwood, "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch", references the village.
*
Abraham Wechter, master
luthier
A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments.
Etymology
The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...
of Wechter Guitars
*
Shayne Whittington,
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
basketball player for the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
See also
*
Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway
*
List of reduplicated place names
References
Citations
Bibliography
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*
*
*
External links
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{{authority control
*
Villages in Van Buren County, Michigan
Villages in Michigan
County seats in Michigan
Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan area