Watersmeet Township is a civil township of Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,456 in 2020.[3]
Watersmeet Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Location within Gogebic County (red) and the administered community of Watersmeet (pink) | |
  Watersmeet Township Location within the state of Michigan | |
| Coordinates: 46°15′32″N 89°15′57″W / 46.25889°N 89.26583°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Gogebic |
| Government | |
| • Supervisor | Mike Rogers |
| • Clerk | Sandy Mansfield |
| Area | |
• Total | 277.8 sq mi (719.5 km2) |
| • Land | 254.8 sq mi (659.8 km2) |
| • Water | 23.1 sq mi (59.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,736 ft (529 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,456 |
| • Density | 5.8/sq mi (2.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49969 (Watersmeet) |
| Area code | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-84380[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627220[2] |
| Website | Official website |
The Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation is located in two small segments within Watersmeet Township.[4]
History
editThe Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation was established by treaty under the United States in 1854. The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, part of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians, have occupied this territory since the 17th century. The band owns and operates a resort on the reservation, which includes a casino and golf course.[5]
The unincorporated community of Watersmeet is within the township on the middle branch of the Ontonagon River near the junction of U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 45 at 46°16′04″N 89°10′40″W / 46.26778°N 89.17778°W. The European-American community of Watersmeet was platted in 1884, designated as a station of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways.[6]
The now-explained Lights of Paulding occur nearby.
Schools
editIn late 2003 and early 2004, the boys' high school basketball team of the K-12 Watersmeet Township School was featured in a series of commercials on ESPN. ESPN chose Watersmeet for the commercials in part because of the school's sport teams' unusual nickname of Nimrods. The tag line of the commercials was "Without sports, who would cheer for the Nimrods?" The ads were so popular that the team, its coach, and octogenarian fan Dale Jenkins, all of whom were featured on the commercials, appeared on The Tonight Show on March 15, 2004.
The township and the Nimrods are the focus of an 8-part documentary, Nimrod Nation, which aired on The Sundance Channel. Filming started in September 2005 and continued until June 2006. Actor Robert Redford, one of the channel's owners and a champion of Native American issues, was reported to have been inspired to make the documentary when he learned that Watersmeet Township School's student body (and varsity basketball team) was approximately 50 percent Native American. [1][dead link] The documentary won a Peabody Award in 2007.[7]
Since that time, the township has consolidated schools. At the time, 9-12 grade enrollment was 78; the school system absorbed 13 of neighboring Marenisco's 60 K-12 students.[8] The Watersmeet township high school enrollment in 2005-2006 enrollment was a total of 96.[9]
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 277.8 square miles (719 km2), of which 254.8 square miles (660 km2) is land and 23.0 square miles (60 km2) (8.30%) is water.
Climate
editThe climate is described as Humid Continental by the Köppen Climate System, abbreviated as Dfb.[10]
| Climate data for Watersmeet, Michigan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6 (21) |
−3 (26) |
2 (36) |
11 (51) |
18 (65) |
23 (74) |
26 (78) |
24 (76) |
19 (66) |
13 (55) |
3 (37) |
−3 (27) |
11 (51) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −17 (1) |
−16 (3) |
−10 (14) |
−3 (27) |
3 (38) |
8 (47) |
12 (53) |
11 (51) |
6 (43) |
1 (34) |
−6 (22) |
−13 (9) |
2 (36) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 41 (1.6) |
28 (1.1) |
43 (1.7) |
58 (2.3) |
89 (3.5) |
100 (4) |
91 (3.6) |
94 (3.7) |
91 (3.6) |
71 (2.8) |
58 (2.3) |
46 (1.8) |
810 (31.9) |
| Source: Weatherbase [11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
editAs of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,472 people, 552 households, and 385 families residing in the township. In 2020, its population was 1,456.[3]
Transportation
editIndian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between St. Ignace and Ironwood, Michigan.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Watersmeet Township, Michigan
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ United States Census Bureau (2000). "Michigan County Subdivision Outline Map" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ "Northern Waters Casino Resort". www.lvdcasino.com. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 136.
- ^ 67th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2008.
- ^ Ironwood Daily Globe[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Mhsaa > 404".
- ^ Climate Summary for Watersmeet, Michigan
- ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on August 23, 2013.
- ^ "ST. IGNACE-SAULT STE. MARIE-IRONWOOD" (PDF). Indian Trails. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2013.