Independence Township, Michigan
| Independence Charter Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Charter township | |
| Location within Oakland County Location within Oakland County |
|
 Independence Charter Township, Michigan
|
|
| Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Oakland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 36.3 sq mi (94.0 km2) |
| • Land | 35.2 sq mi (91.2 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,112 ft (339 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 34,681 |
| • Density | 960/sq mi (370/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 48346, 48348 |
| Area code(s) | 248 |
| FIPS code | 26-40400[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626511[2] |
| Website | twp.independence.mi.us |
Independence Charter Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 34,681 at the 2010 census.[3] The township was named by one of its earliest settlers, Joseph Van Sycle, who came to the area in 1834 from Independence Township, New Jersey.[4][5]
Contents
Communities
- Clarkston, incorporated in 1992, is a small city completely surrounded by Independence Township.
- Walters is an unincorporated community within the township at Eston and Clarkson Roads (Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Elevation: 1053/321).[6] The community and the adjoining lake are both named for G.W. and Casper Walter, who were landowners in the late 19th century.[7]
History
John W. Beardslee, a Sussex County, New Jersey native, was the first person to settle Independence Township in 1826. Subsequently, settlers from New Jersey and New York began to settle the township[8] until by 1834 all sections of land in the southern half of the township was settled. (The northern half was largely unsettled.) The southern half of the township was marked by flat plains that made it suitable for farming, most notably the Sashabaw Plains in the southeast corner of the township. The rest of the township comprised flat plains, rolling hills and lakes, connected by branches of the Clinton River. By 1840 Independence Township's population was 830, but a decade later new construction had boosted the township's population to 1,200. By 1877 Independence Township's swampland was converted to agricultural use. In the late 1800s, E.V. Bailey, a prominent resident, donated to Clarkston a section of land at what is now Whipple Lake Road and Pine Knob Road. Clarkston, which is located in the heart of Independence Township, used the land to erect the area's first schoolhouse.
While the 19th century saw a primarily agricultural economy, the 20th century saw the completion of a railroad depot and the arrival of the automobile, as a number of visitors from Detroit began to visit the township. Independence Township continued to grow at the same time as cottages were built, farms were subdivided and new houses built, all the way up to the 1930s when the Great Depression temporarily ended future land developments.[9] After World War II, the township's population not only rebounded, it has boomed as new shopping centers, new subdivisions, new schools, new churches, several parks and the DTE Energy Music Theatre have been built over the years, helped by access via I-75, M-15 and US 24. Independence Township's economy is today service-based.
The DTE Energy Music Theatre shares a complex with Pine Knob Golf and Ski Courses. The township is also home to various parks, the largest of which is Independence Oaks County Park.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.3 square miles (94 km2), of which 35.2 square miles (91 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), or 3.03%, is water.
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Groveland Township | Brandon Township | Oxford Township | |
| Springfield Township |  |
Orion Township | ||
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| White Lake Township | Waterford Township | Auburn Hills |
Government
The primary school district in the township is Clarkston Community Schools.
Pat Kittle is Independence Township Supervisor.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 32,581 people, 11,765 households, and 9,094 families residing in the township. The population density was 925.6 per square mile (357.4/km²). There were 12,375 housing units at an average density of 351.6 per square mile (135.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.84% White, 0.84% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 11,765 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $74,993, and the median income for a family was $84,227. Males had a median income of $62,620 versus $36,520 for females. The per capita income for the township was $33,067. About 1.6% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
This list includes people from the area (Clarkston and Independence Township).
- Valerie Bertinelli, actress[10]
- Tim Birtsas, real estate developer, former professional baseball player[11]
- Dan Dickerson, radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers[12][13]
- Dane Fife, former basketball player and current assistant coach at Michigan State University[14]
- Henry Ford, industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company. Maintained a summer home and weekend cottage on Main Street.[citation needed] Ford also owned a mill which operated on the water from what is now called "Mill Pond" in Clarkston. This building still exists in part but has been modernized into a small mall which includes art galleries and office space. He also purchased the old school building on N Main St to serve as an apprentice school.[15]
- Brandon Gentile, professional hockey player
- John Hardon, Jesuit priest, theologian
- Steve Howe, deceased Major League Baseball pitcher
- Geoff Johns, comic book writer
- Scott Kamieniecki, former professional baseball player [16]
- Tim McCormick, former professional basketball player and current sports broadcaster
- Bob Miller, former professional football player, business owner
- Marisha Pessl, author
- Ryan Riess, professional poker player, 2013 World Series of Poker champion
- Tim Robinson, comedian, current cast member on Saturday Night Live
- Kid Rock, musician[17]
- Ron Serafini, realtor, former professional hockey player
- David Simko, former NASCAR Cup Series driver [18]
- Samuel William Smith, former politician
- Daniel Travis, actor[19]
References
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| Topics | ||
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| Detroit | ||
| Municipalities over 80,000 |
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| Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000 |
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| Cultural enclaves |
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| Satellite cities | ||
| Counties in MSA | ||
| Counties in CSA | ||
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Independence Township, Michigan
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://interactive.ancestry.com/1246/RHUSA2007B_MI0220-00493/862215? Independence Township, Michigan, Land Patent of Joseph Van Syckle of (Independence Township,) Warren County, New Jersey (www.ancestry.com subscription access retrieved 17 July 2015)
- ↑ http://interactive.ancestry.com/8057/4410710_00300/2240542? 1840 U.S. Federal Census Schedule of the whole number of persons in the division, Michigan, Oakland County, Independence Township (www.ancestry.com subscription access retrieved 17 July 2015)
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Walters, Michigan GNIS in Google Maps
- ↑ Independence Township Map from 1896 at historicmapworks.com
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ History of Independence Township from township website
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.oldemillinnofclarkston.com/About-Us.html
- ↑ http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=det
- ↑ http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/01/11/life/suburban_life_clarkston/doc4b4af849340d2958384567.txt
- ↑ http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/07/29/sports/college/doc4e334bf2dfc66826331403.txt
- ↑ http://www.clarkstonhistory.info/history/chd/index.htm
- ↑ http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090129/OPINION03/901290410
- ↑ http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/08/02/news/cops_and_courts/doc51fc53f1cc416724803083.txt
- ↑ http://www.clarkstonnews.com/Articles-i-2005-08-17-135461.112112_ARCA_driver_eyes_NASCAR.html
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047403/
