Holmes Township, Mackinac County, Michigan

For other places in Michigan of the same name, see Holmes Township, Michigan.

Holmes Township, Michigan
Former civil township
Holmes Township Show map of Michigan Holmes Township Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 45°51′23″N 84°37′15″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Mackinac
Established	1827
Disestablished	1900
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))

Holmes Township was a civil township in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Organized on April 12, 1827, Holmes included parts of Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas within the original county of Michilimackinac.[1] The county and township both became smaller over time, until 1895 when Holmes consisted of only Mackinac Island and Round Island.[2] Holmes was incorporated into the City of Mackinac Island effective March 20, 1900.[3]

1827 bounds

Holmes Township was created with the following legal description:

Commencing at the intersection of the Cheboigun river, with the parallel of north latitude 44 degrees 30 minutes, and running west along said parallel, until it strikes Lake Michigan, thence due north until it intersects the parallel of north latitude 46 degrees, thence east along said parallel until it would intersect a line due north from the place of beginning.[4]

Interpreting this description today is problematic because there is no intersection between the headwaters of the Cheboygan River and the line of 44.5 degrees north latitude. Better maps of northern Michigan rivers were available by 1836,[5] but this discrepancy leaves the original eastern bound of Holmes indeterminate.

Approximate bounds of Holmes Twp. in 1827.

1835 map showing Holmes as "Michillimackinac"

1842 name change

Holmes Township was renamed to Mackinac Township on February 16, 1842.[6]

The name change was reversed back to Holmes Township on March 9, 1843.[7] This was enacted the same day as the division of the Upper Peninsula. The county of Michilimackinac was notably confined to the Upper Peninsula at that time.

1873 map

By 1873, Holmes Township was reduced to the portion of Mackinac County east of St. Ignace.[8]

Approximate bounds of Holmes Twp. in 1873.

1894 bounds

By 1894, Holmes Township was about the size of a survey township in the Upper Peninsula, with Bois Blanc Island, Mackinac Island, Round Island, and St. Martins Island.[9][10]

Approximate bounds of Holmes Twp. in 1894.

References

1. The Western Historical Company (1883). History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Chicago. p. 346.
2. Alward, Dennis; Pierce, Charles (1928). Index to the Local and Special Acts of the State of Michigan. Detroit. pp. 369–370.
3. Robert Smith Printing Co. (1899). Local Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Regular Session of 1899. Lansing. p. 377.
4. Sheldon and Wells (1827). Laws of the Territory of Michigan. Detroit. p. 357.
5. Burr, David (1836). "Map of the northern parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois with Michigan" (Map). MSU Libraries.
6. Bagg and Harmon (1842). Local Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Annual Session of 1842. Detroit. p. 83.
7. Ellis & Briggs (1843). Local Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Annual Session of 1843. Detroit. p. 198.
8. H. F. Walling (1873). Atlas of the State of Michigan. Detroit. pp. 122–123.
9. Alward, Dennis; Pierce, Charles (1928). Index to the Local and Special Acts of the State of Michigan. Detroit. pp. 369–370.
10. Robert Smith & Co. (1895). Local Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Regular Session of 1895. Detroit. pp. 16, 17, 88.