Solon Township, Leelanau County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Solon Township is a civil township
of Leelanau County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 1,542 at the 2000 census
.
, the township has a total area of 29.7 square miles (76.9 km²), of which, 26.6 square miles (68.9 km²) of it is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²) of it (10.40%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,542 people, 595 households, and 464 families residing in the township. The population density
was 57.9 per square mile (22.4/km²). There were 738 housing units at an average density of 27.7 per square mile (10.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.21% White, 0.13% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 595 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $47,448, and the median income for a family was $53,571. Males had a median income of $37,045 versus $25,481 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $22,987. About 2.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
of Leelanau County
Leelanau County, Michigan
-History:The county's name is said to be a Native American word meaning "delight of life", but it is a neologism made up by Indian agent and ethnographer Henry Schoolcraft, who sometimes gave the name "Leelinau" to Native American women in his tales. He created many faux Indian place names in...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The population was 1,542 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Communities
- Cedar is a small unincorporated community at 44°50′52"N 85°47′45"W at the corners of sections five, six, seven and eight. It was founded in approximately 1885 by lumberman Benjamin Boughey. He named it Cedar City because it was in a cedar forest. The depot on the Manistee and Northeastern Railroad continued to be known as Cedar City, long after the post office named simply Cedar was established on August 15, 1893. The Cedar post office, with ZIP code 49621, serves most of Solon Township as well as a large part of Centerville TownshipCenterville Township, MichiganCenterville Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,095 at the 2000 census.- Communities and landmarks :...
to the north, and smaller portions of Cleveland TownshipCleveland Township, MichiganCleveland Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,040 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
to the northwest, Kasson TownshipKasson Township, MichiganKasson Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,577 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
to the west, and Elmwood TownshipElmwood Township, MichiganElmwood Township is a civil township of Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,213 at the 2000 census.Elijah White was the first permanent white settler in the township in 1855...
to the east. In 1905, the Cedar State Bank was begun, which survived the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1933, but was closed later in the decade. The bank building was later used for the offices of the Leelanau Telephone Company. Each year in July, Cedar is host to the annual Cedar Polka Festival, which began in 1975. - Fouch is a small unincorporated community on the south end of Lake LeelanauLake LeelanauLake Leelanau lies in the Leelanau Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The entire lake -- which includes two bodies of water, usually referred to as North Lake Leelanau and South Lake Leelanau -- covers about and lies within Leelanau County...
at 44°50′02"N 85°43′16"W. It is named after John R. Fouch, who settled there in 1866. In 1893, he built a hotel for fishermen, and when the Manistee and North-Eastern RailroadManistee and North-Eastern RailroadThe Manistee and North-Eastern Railroad was a short, standard-gauge line in the U.S. state of Michigan. Organized in 1887, it served several counties in the northwestern quarter of Michigan's Lower Peninsula in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
was built, the station on his land was named for him. He became the first postmaster on March 3, 1893. The office closed on November 13, 1895 and was restored as a summer post office on May 20, 1905 and operated until 1908. After Fouch's death, Daniel Perrin acquired the land in 1927 and developed a summer colony known as Perrin's Landing. Fouch Hill, now the site of the Timberlee Ski Area, is just south of Fouch. - Solon is a small unincorporated community at 44°48′34"N 85°45′40"W on the Cedar Run Creek between sections 21 and 22 in the central part of the township. It was first settled in the 1860s and named for Solon, OhioSolon, OhioSolon is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and is an affluent suburb of Cleveland in the Northeast Ohio Region, the 14th largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,348...
, where many of the settlers had come from. A post office operated from February 3, 1870 until June 15, 1909. - The city of Traverse CityTraverse City, MichiganTraverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
is to the east and the Traverse City post office with ZIP code 49684 also serves portions of southern and eastern Solon Township.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 29.7 square miles (76.9 km²), of which, 26.6 square miles (68.9 km²) of it is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²) of it (10.40%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,542 people, 595 households, and 464 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 57.9 per square mile (22.4/km²). There were 738 housing units at an average density of 27.7 per square mile (10.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.21% White, 0.13% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 595 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $47,448, and the median income for a family was $53,571. Males had a median income of $37,045 versus $25,481 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $22,987. About 2.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.