Springfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Springfield Township is a charter township
of Oakland County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 13,940. The township was named for the numerous springs in the area.
on March 2, 1836. Civil government was first organized April 3, 1837. Springfield, one of the very first settlements in the area, began with a hotel along the Detroit and Saginaw Turnpike, now known as Dixie Highway
. Andersonville, located at the intersection of Andersonville Road and Big Lake Road, was settled shortly thereafter in 1833, followed three years later by the hamlet of Davisburg.
The Detroit and Milwaukee Railway (now part of the Canadian National Railway
) was built in 1856, and two stations were in the township, in Andersonville and Davisburg. The railroad provided a major impetus to growth. Agriculture was the mainstay of the local economy and trains allowed the farmers to ship produce and live stock to market and to receive supplies and equipment. By 1860 Springfield Township's population was 1,425.
In 1924, Dixie Highway was paved from Pontiac
to Flint
. With the decline of agriculture as a major economic activity in the township, residents began commuting to Pontiac and Flint for employment in the developing automotive factories, marking the beginning of the township's decline. By 1930, Springfield Township's population had fallen to 923. The township's decline would unexpectedly be reversed in the 1960s with the construction of Interstate 75
. The accessibility provided by two interchanges accelerated residential growth in the late 1960s and 1970s. Population improved, going from 1,825 in 1950 to 2,664 in 1960, 4,388 in 1970, 6,502 in 1976, and 8,295 in 1980.
Springfield Township has had a long-standing commitment to zoning
and planning
dating back to the early 1950s. The Township Board adopted an interim zoning ordinance in early 1952, which contained five zoning districts. In 1965 an ordinance which contained 13 different zoning districts was adopted. Planning and zoning functions were coordinated with the adoption of the township's first Master Plan in 1972 and subsequently the adoption of an entirely new zoning ordinance the following year. The 1973 ordinance serves as a basis for the current zoning ordinance.
Out of concern for the residential growth during the 1970s and its effects on the entire township, the Planning Commission embarked on a comprehensive review of the Master Plan and the Zoning Map in the early 1980s. As a result, the revised Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance incorporated natural resource protection information and standards. This slowed the growth of Springfield Township during the decade, growing to 9,927 in 1990. Additional comprehensive reviews and updates were done in the early 1990s and again in 2002. The primary basis for the township’s planning, zoning and land use decisions for at least the last 20 years has been the protection and preservation of their abundant and very special natural resources.
Today, Springfield Township is home to many parks, including Springfield Oaks County Park, site of the annual Oakland County Fair, and Indian Springs Metropark. The township is also home to several churches, a few schools including Springfield Christian Academy (the township's only high school) and a handful of shopping areas. The township's population, which increased by a third in the 1990s, continued to grow through the first decade of the 21st century.
Springfield Township is a member of the Clarkston
Area Chamber of Commerce.
, the township has a total area of 36.8 square miles (95.3 km²), of which 35.6 square miles (92.2 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), or 3.16%, is water.
The Huron River
rises in the Huron Swamp
within the township.
of 2000, there were 13,338 people, 4,619 households, and 3,658 families residing in the township. The population density
was 374.8 per square mile (144.7/km²). There were 4,794 housing units at an average density of 134.7 per square mile (52.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.69% White, 1.09% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.
There were 4,619 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $71,977, and the median income for a family was $76,816. Males had a median income of $57,500 versus $34,615 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $28,247. About 3.8% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 and over.
Charter township
A charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. Townships in Michigan are organized governments. A charter township is a township that has been granted a charter, which allows it certain rights and responsibilities of home rule that are generally intermediary in...
of Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
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"....
. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 13,940. The township was named for the numerous springs in the area.
Communities
- Andersonville, first known as the "Husted Settlement" after the Hustead family who moved there in 1833, is an unincorporated community located at 42°43′48"N 83°29′33"W around the junction of Andersonville and Big Lake roads. It became known as the "Anderson Settlement" after the Anderson family purchased 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) and settled there in 1836. A post office named "Andersonville" was established in 1895, which operated until 1912. It was a station on the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway.
- Davisburg is an unincorporated community located at 42°45′08"N 83°32′29"W, around the junction of Davisburg and Andersonville roads. The Davisburg ZIP codeZIP CodeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 48350 serves most of Springfield Township. The location was named for Cornelius Davis who moved there in 1836, and with his sons platPlatA plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted a village in 1857. A post office was established in 1855. It was a station on the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway. - Springfield is an unincorporated community located at 42°44′58"N 83°28′25"W around the junction of Bridge Lake Road and Dixie HighwayDixie HighwayThe Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. It was part of the National Auto Trail system, and grew out of an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final result is better understood as a small network of...
. Daniel LeRoy made the first land purchase in the township, in June 1830. Ashael Fuller settled on LeRoy's land and later purchased much of it. Fuller opened a hotel on the Detroit-Saginaw stagecoachStagecoachA stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
line. A post office opened in 1832 and operated until 1888. Several lots were platted in 1840.
History
Springfield Township was established by the Michigan LegislatureMichigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
on March 2, 1836. Civil government was first organized April 3, 1837. Springfield, one of the very first settlements in the area, began with a hotel along the Detroit and Saginaw Turnpike, now known as Dixie Highway
Dixie Highway
The Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. It was part of the National Auto Trail system, and grew out of an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final result is better understood as a small network of...
. Andersonville, located at the intersection of Andersonville Road and Big Lake Road, was settled shortly thereafter in 1833, followed three years later by the hamlet of Davisburg.
The Detroit and Milwaukee Railway (now part of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
) was built in 1856, and two stations were in the township, in Andersonville and Davisburg. The railroad provided a major impetus to growth. Agriculture was the mainstay of the local economy and trains allowed the farmers to ship produce and live stock to market and to receive supplies and equipment. By 1860 Springfield Township's population was 1,425.
In 1924, Dixie Highway was paved from Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
to Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
. With the decline of agriculture as a major economic activity in the township, residents began commuting to Pontiac and Flint for employment in the developing automotive factories, marking the beginning of the township's decline. By 1930, Springfield Township's population had fallen to 923. The township's decline would unexpectedly be reversed in the 1960s with the construction of Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
. The accessibility provided by two interchanges accelerated residential growth in the late 1960s and 1970s. Population improved, going from 1,825 in 1950 to 2,664 in 1960, 4,388 in 1970, 6,502 in 1976, and 8,295 in 1980.
Springfield Township has had a long-standing commitment to zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
and planning
Land use planning
Land-use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the development of land within their...
dating back to the early 1950s. The Township Board adopted an interim zoning ordinance in early 1952, which contained five zoning districts. In 1965 an ordinance which contained 13 different zoning districts was adopted. Planning and zoning functions were coordinated with the adoption of the township's first Master Plan in 1972 and subsequently the adoption of an entirely new zoning ordinance the following year. The 1973 ordinance serves as a basis for the current zoning ordinance.
Out of concern for the residential growth during the 1970s and its effects on the entire township, the Planning Commission embarked on a comprehensive review of the Master Plan and the Zoning Map in the early 1980s. As a result, the revised Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance incorporated natural resource protection information and standards. This slowed the growth of Springfield Township during the decade, growing to 9,927 in 1990. Additional comprehensive reviews and updates were done in the early 1990s and again in 2002. The primary basis for the township’s planning, zoning and land use decisions for at least the last 20 years has been the protection and preservation of their abundant and very special natural resources.
Today, Springfield Township is home to many parks, including Springfield Oaks County Park, site of the annual Oakland County Fair, and Indian Springs Metropark. The township is also home to several churches, a few schools including Springfield Christian Academy (the township's only high school) and a handful of shopping areas. The township's population, which increased by a third in the 1990s, continued to grow through the first decade of the 21st century.
Springfield Township is a member of the Clarkston
Clarkston, Michigan
Clarkston, known officially by the name City of the Village of Clarkston, is a small city located within Independence Charter Township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 882 at the 2010 census.-Overview:...
Area Chamber of Commerce.
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 36.8 square miles (95.3 km²), of which 35.6 square miles (92.2 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), or 3.16%, is water.
The Huron River
Huron River (Michigan)
The Huron River is a river in southeastern Michigan, rising out of the Huron Swamp in Indian Springs Metropark in northern Oakland County and flowing into Lake Erie on the boundary between Wayne County and Monroe County...
rises in the Huron Swamp
Huron Swamp
The Huron Swamp is a heavily forested wetland located in Springfield Township, in Michigan's Oakland County. It is nine miles northwest of the city of Pontiac. It is part of the local Indian Springs Metropark, which is then a component of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks system...
within the township.
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 13,338 people, 4,619 households, and 3,658 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 374.8 per square mile (144.7/km²). There were 4,794 housing units at an average density of 134.7 per square mile (52.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.69% White, 1.09% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% 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 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.
There were 4,619 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% 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, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $71,977, and the median income for a family was $76,816. Males had a median income of $57,500 versus $34,615 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 $28,247. About 3.8% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 and over.