Grattan Township, Michigan

Grattan Township, Michigan
Civil township
Location within Kent County
Grattan Township Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Grattan Township Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 43°04′59″N 85°22′35″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Kent
Established	1846
Government
• Supervisor	Franklin Force
• Clerk	Michelle Alberts
Area
• Total	36.95 sq mi (95.70 km^2)
• Land	33.86 sq mi (87.70 km^2)
• Water	3.09 sq mi (8.00 km^2)
Elevation	863 ft (263 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,809
• Density	100/sq mi (40/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48809 (Belding) 49301 (Ada) 49331 (Lowell) 49341 (Rockford)
Area code	616
FIPS code	26-34560[1]
GNIS feature ID	1626389[2]
Website	Official website

Grattan Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 3,809.[3]

It is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is located about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of the city of Grand Rapids.

Communities

• Grattan (or Grattan Center) is an unincorporated community located in the center of the township at 43°05′03″N 85°22′52″W.[4] Grattan was first settled as an Irish Catholic settlement in 1844. The community had its own post office from January 18, 1849 until February 14, 1906.[5]
• Parnell is an unincorporated community in the southwest corner of the township at 43°02′36″N 85°24′40″W.[6] The community was settled with the construction of St Patrick's Catholic Church in 1848. A post office operated briefly in Parnell from January 4, 1889 until September 30, 1903.[7]

History

Grattan Township was established in 1846, and named in honor of the Irish orator and politician Henry Grattan.[8]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.95 square miles (95.70 km^2), of which 33.86 square miles (87.70 km^2) is land and 3.09 square miles (8.00 km^2) (8.36%) is water.[9]

There are at least 25 lakes in the township, varying in size from 30 acres (12 ha) to 300 acres (120 ha) each. Many of these find a natural outlet through Seely Creek, the only stream of note in the township, and which empties into the Flat River near Smyrna in Ionia County.

Major highways

• M-44 (Belding Avenue) runs east–west through the center of the township.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,551 people, 1,235 households, and 990 families residing in the township. The population density was 101.5 inhabitants per square mile (39.2/km^2). There were 1,428 housing units at an average density of 40.8 per square mile (15.8/km^2). The racial makeup of the township was 96.90% White, 0.70% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.

There were 1,235 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.2% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.14.

The age distribution of the township includes 27.9% of the population under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $56,467, and the median income for a family was $62,148. Males had a median income of $44,813 versus $27,014 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,213. About 1.2% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Grattan Township is served by three separate school districts. The majority of the township is served by Belding Area School District to the east in Ionia County. A small western portion of the township is served by Rockford Public Schools, and the southern portion of the township is served by Lowell Area Schools.[10]

References

1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grattan Township, Michigan
3. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
4. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grattan
5. Romig 1986, p. 236.
6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Parnell, Michigan
7. Romig 1986, p. 430.
8. History and Directory of Kent County, Michigan, Containing a History of Each Township and the City of Grand Rapids Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Compiled and Published by Dillenback and Leavitt, County History, Directory and Map Publishers, Grand Rapids: Daily Eagle Steam Printing House, 1870.
9. "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 28 Michigan. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
10. Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Kent County School Districts" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2022.

Sources

• Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Great Lakes Books Series. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. pp. 236, 430. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.

External links

• Grattan Township official website Archived 2012-06-18 at the Wayback Machine