Torch Lake Township is a

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a County (United States), county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England town, Ne ...

of Houghton 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, ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the township was 1,893. The township was established in 1886 and is one of the largest townships in Houghton County by area. It is surrounded by the Torch Lake, the Portage Lake, and

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

. As well as a large number of unincorporated communities, the township also includes a portion of the Baraga State Forest which lies along the shores of

Keweenaw Bay Keweenaw Bay is an arm of Lake Superior in North America. It is located adjacent to the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, to the southeast of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Keweenaw Bay is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide at the mouth. The he ...

. The township borders Schoolcraft Township to the north, Osceola Township to the northwest, and Chassell Township to the southwest. The community of Hubbell serves as the major population center of the township, as well as hosting the Township Hall itself. The mostly uninhabited 91-acre Rabbit Island, located offshore in Lake Superior, is a part of the township.

Communities

*Bootjack is an unincorporated community in the township, it borders the settlement called Dreamland and sits on Torch Lake. It is a fishing and recreational community. *Chickenville (sometimes called "Chickensville Location") is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

between Lake Linden and Hubbell on M-26 at . * Dreamland is an unincorporated community on the east side of

Torch Bay Torch Bay is a freshwater bay connecting Torch Lake with Portage Lake in Houghton County on the Keweenaw Peninsula, which juts into Lake Superior from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is lined by the unincorporated settlements of Dreamland ...

at . The elevation is above sea level. The town consists almost entirely of the Dreamland Inn and several docks. The Dreamland Inn was built in 1913 as a resort for those in the area. * Hubbell is a

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

that is partially located within the township. The Township Hall can be found here on Duncan Avenue. Hubbell is along the highway M-26. The other parts of Hubbell are inside Osceola Township. *Jacobsville is an unincorporated community on the south side of the

Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula (, ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the greater landmass of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula, the Keweenaw Peninsula projects about northeasterly into Lake Superior, forming Keweena ...

near the outlet of the

Keweenaw Waterway The Keweenaw Waterway is a partly natural, partly artificial waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan; it separates Copper Island from the mainland. Parts of the waterway are variously known as the Keweenaw Waterway, Portage ...

at . It is the site of

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

quarries that are now shut down but formerly supplied red sandstone for buildings throughout

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. It was founded by and named for John Henry Jacobs (1847–1934), a pioneer of its sandstone industry. The town had a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

from 29 November 1887 to 30 December 1964. *Linwood is an unincorporated community immediately to the northwest of Chickenville. *Little Traverse is an unincorporated community situated within the township. *Mellonsville is an unincorporated community located between Hubbell and Tamarack City along M-26. *Mud Lake is an unincorporated community located within the township. *Point Mills is an unincorporated community within the township. *Rabbit Bay is an unincorporated community lying on the bay of that name, on Keweenaw Bay on Lake Superior on the east side of the township. *Rice Lake is an unincorporated community lying on the lake of that name. *Senter is an unincorporated community about east of Dollar Bay and about east of

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New H ...

at . Located in the

Copper Country The Copper Country is an area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States, including Keweenaw County, Michigan, Houghton, Baraga and Ontonagon counties as well as part of Marquette County. The area is so named as copper mining wa ...

of the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula of ...

, it is a small settlement with seven inhabited homes. Senter was named for successful 1800s era merchant John Senter. In its heyday it was the company town in which the employees of the Atlas Powder Company lived. The explosives plant produced dynamite for some of the area copper mines from the 1910s into the early 1960s. *White City is a small area near Jacobsville. It is located at the entry from Lake Superior to the Portage canal. It was first known as "The Entry" then was renamed "White City" in 1907. The area was home to a resort, roller coaster, merry-go-round, and a recreational area in the early 1900s. It stayed open for about 20 years and is now a park with a pier and light house. There aren't really any remains of the old recreational area. All that is left is the pier where the steamships would dock and the coast guard buildings that were later built.

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 township has a total area of 93.0 square miles (240.9 km), of which 80.1 square miles (207.6 km) is land and 12.9 square miles (33.3 km) (13.83%) is water.

Attractions

* The White City Park, located in the community of the same name, is a rural recreational area that is quite popular to individuals in northern Houghton County. It is located along the

Portage Waterway The Keweenaw Waterway is a partly natural, partly artificial waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan; it separates Copper Island from the mainland. Parts of the waterway are variously known as the Keweenaw Waterway, Portage C ...

. Within the park is a beach, swings, picnic shelters, a boat launch, barbecue grills, portable toilets, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is maintained by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

. * Rabbit Island, an isolated island in

, is within the township even though it is located three miles east of the

. The island has never been developed and is maintained through conservation efforts. The island is the host of the Rabbit Island Residency, which permits certain artists to reside on the island during the summertime. * The historic

Jacobsville Finnish Lutheran Church The Jacobsville Finnish Lutheran Church is a church located near Jacobsville, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1977 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. History In the late 19th century, ...

is both a Michigan State Historic Site and on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. It was built in 1886, and its plain yet alluring design is an indication of the scale of the population that once inhabited the Jacobsville area. * The Lake Linden—Hubbell Forest is owned by the adjacent Lake Linden—Hubbell School District. It is a 400-acre forested lot located adjoining Bootjack Road about five miles south of Lake Linden. The area includes opportunities for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

, as well as a grid of

geocache Geocaching (, ) is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called ''geocaches'' or ''caches'', at sp ...

sites, a fire pit expanse,

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...

range, and a log cabin. * The Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light is located within the White City Park. Completed in the year 1919, the lighthouse is listed on the

. * The "Ernie" Poisson Memorial Park is a community park in Hubbell measuring about 7.3 acres in area. The park has a boat launch, docks, a beach area, picnic tables, a pavilion for more compact gatherings, portable toilets, and swings are present at the recreation area.

Climate

Jacobsville is a community in the Torch Lake Township. Jacobsville has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfb'') with warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Demographics

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 1,860 people, 740 households, and 523 families residing in the township. 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 23.2 per square mile (9.0/km). There were 1,505 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.3/km). The racial makeup of the township was 98.98%

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 ...

, 0.43%

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 ...

, 0.11%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 0.05% Asian, 0.05% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 0.38% 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 0.32% of the population. 28.3% were of Finnish, 17.0%

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

, 12.6%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 7.7%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 6.9%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and 6.9%

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 740 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the township was $35,893, and the median income for a family was $43,077. Males had a median income of $31,307 versus $25,208 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 township was $19,158. About 6.9% of families and 9.8% 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 15.3% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Townships in Houghton County, Michigan Houghton micropolitan area, Michigan Townships in Michigan 1886 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1886