Swartz Creek, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Demographics
At the 2000 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...
, there were 5,102 people, 2,233 households and 1,460 families residing in the city. 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 1,269.6 per square mile (490.0/km²). There were 2,355 housing units at an average density of 586.0 per square mile (226.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.83% White, 1.22% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% 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 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.
There were 2,233 households of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.82.
Age distribution was 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $42,112, and the median family income was $52,147. Males had a median income of $46,442 versus $29,010 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 city was $22,046. About 4.4% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Indian and Territorial
Wayne CountyWayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
was formed within the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
covering the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
. The Saginaw Valley Treaty was signed with the Chippewa Indians in 1819. In 1836, the Pewanigo tribe of the Saginaw Indians signed a treaty with the US government that gave all remaining land in Genesee County for 13 sections of land west of the Mississippi River with the land to be sold for the Indians' benefits.
- For additional information, see Genesee CountyGenesee County, Michigan-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan 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"....
and MichiganMichiganMichigan 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"....
.
Miller's Settlement
Miller's Settlement refers to an area that straddled Clayton and Gaines geographical township area along what is now Morrish Road. In 1836 with Adam Miller leading the way, the first settlers arrived in the Miller Settlement. Adam Miller claimed 160 acres in section 35 of the future Clayton Township and returned 2 months later with family from New York. The Indian trail along the Swartz Creek West branch was always referred to as "Going up the Swartz". The Miller cut a road from Flint to Miller's Settlement along that route. Flint Township was organized in 1836 and included the township areas of BurtonBurton, Michigan
Burton is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 30,308 at the 2000 census, making Burton the second largest city in Genesee County.- Neighorhoods :...
, Clayton, Flushing
Flushing Township, Michigan
Flushing Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,230 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, Mt. Morris
Mount Morris Township, Michigan
Mount Morris Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 23,725 as of the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, Genesee
Genesee Township, Michigan
Genesee Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 24,125 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, Thetford
Thetford Township, Michigan
Thetford Township is a general law township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,277 at the 2000 census.-Communities:* Thetford Center is an unincorporated community in the township at Center Road and Vienna Road....
, Vienna
Vienna Township, Genesee County, Michigan
Vienna Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,108 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* The city of Clio is within the township, but is administratively autonomous...
and Montrose
Montrose Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Montrose is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,336 at the 2000 census...
. Mundy Township was organized in 1837 included Gaines Township. Philander McLain built on previously claimed land as the first settler in the geographically Gaines Township in 1838. Gaines Township was organized in 1842. The post office and route for Miller Settlement was founded in 1842 as the Swartz Creek Post Office, which was the first reference to the area as Swartz Creek. Clayton Township government was started in 1846.
Grand Trunk Railroad completed its rail line south of Miller Settlement in 1876 with a station identified as Hamilton. With another Hamilton depot in Michigan and confusion with the location being alternatively called Miller Settlement or Swartz Creek (via the post office), it was renamed after a year to Swartz Creek depot. The following year (1877) the Swartz Creek Elevator was built. The Village of Swartz Creek subdivision was platted in 1877 with Main Street (later Morrish Road and currently Holland Drive) and a few parallel roads West of Main Street.
In 1925, the Swartz Creek Community Fire Association was formed but by 1952 was forced to dissolve and handed over to the two townships, Clayton and Gaines. Clayton and Gaines then reformed it as a shared department of both townships. The Swartz Creek community in 1944 forms a Community Council to deal with area issues as they span the two townships.
Crapo Farm
Swamp land lying in Gaines Township—about 1000 acres—was purchased by Henry Howland Crapo in 1860. The swamp, the source of the west branch of the Swartz Creek and its name, was drained. An effective settlement was established there with the "Crapo Farm" with most structures outside of the current boundaries of the City. Crapo was elected Governor of Michigan in 1865 and held office at the Farm's Mansion, "Grassmoor". Crapo Farm even had its own rail depot. After a couple of Crapos held ownership of the Crapo Farm, it was sold to developers, various Corporations with Winshall as president. The west side was designated and build into a subdivision of about 300 homes called Winchester Village. Other plans for Crapo Farms were a golf course around the Mansion as the clubhouse and a mall at Seymour and Miller Roads; neither of which were built.Otterburn
Otterburn was in Flint Township, had about 150 residents and had its own train depot. The location was known as Otterburn as otter were generally seen on the Swartz Creek, a burn. In 1957, Chevrolet built a parts plant on the North side of Miller Road West of the rail tracks, also referred to as Otterburn.City of Swartz Creek
With the building of the Winchester Village subdivision and the Chevrolet plant in Otterburn, area residents thoughts turned to incorporation as the community straddled two townships. The residents of Winchester Village opposed incorporation as proposed and want to incorporate as Winchester Village. Additional resistance against incorporation came from Flint Township as the Township did not want to lose the taxes from the Chevrolet Parts Plant. The first charter vote on 12/16/1958, the charter fell by a vote of 486 to 522. A second proposed charter draft was approved on September 22, 1959, 548 to 495.Swartz Creek amended its charter to allow Councilors to serve 4 year terms with at-large and precinct class elected at staggered 2 years apart beginning in November 1978.
In the mid-1980s, Swartz Creek was the "report from" for articles covering the Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
clean up of Berlin and Farro toxic waste dump for national audiences. Most notably, this included a National Geographic cover story. The Berlin and Farro waste site was not in Swartz Creek, but about 4 miles (6.4 km) out of town in Gaines Township
Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan
Gaines Township is a civil township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,491 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The Village of Gaines is located within the township....
. Clean up was in two phases with the second ending late 1990s.
In 2008, the first primary for any City Council election was held on August 5, 2008 do to the field of 7 candidates: Richard B. Abrams, (443 votes; 22.64%), Donald Raymond Adams (240 12.26%), Betty Binder (297 15.18%), Jason Christie (334 17.07%), John A. Gilbert (194 9.91%), David Krueger (245 12.52%), and Doug Whetstone (200 10.22%). This eliminated Gilbert from the race.
Notables
- Don BrewerDon BrewerDon Brewer is the drummer and co-lead singer for American rock band Grand Funk Railroad.- Early life :Brewer was born in Flint, Michigan on September 3, 1948 and is a graduate of Swartz Creek High School....
was a member of Grand Funk RailroadGrand Funk RailroadGrand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
. - Sandra Brewer Brenette is the sister of Don Brewer and a Broadway dancer.