New Buffalo Township, Michigan
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New Buffalo Township is a township located in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township had a total population of 2,468. The city of New Buffalo is within the township. The township is a part of what is sometimes referred to as Harbor Country.
When Berrien County was first established in 1831, New Buffalo was a part of Berrien Township. New Buffalo Township was established by an act of the state legislature on March 12, 1836. Five days later the village of New Buffalo was incorporated. The township originally included what are now Three Oaks Township and Chikaming Township. Three Oaks and Chikaming were set apart in 1856.
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History
At the time of the arrival of the first Europeans to the area, French explorer Father Jacques Marquette in 1675, he reported seeing the Miami people in his travels down the nearby St. Joseph River. Four years later, the exploration party of René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle reported that the Miami were being displaced by the Potawatomi.
In 1834, one of the first permanent white settlers to the area, Captain Wessell Whittaker, ran his schooner Post Boy aground near what is now the village of Grand Beach. The captain and crew found shelter a bit south of there at the present day Michigan City, Indiana. While traveling north to St. Joseph to report the ship's loss to its underwriters, Whittacker was so struck by the beauty of the area and the natural harbor that he filed claim to a large tract of land around the mouth of the Galien River. Whittacker named it after his hometown of Buffalo, New York.
After laying out plans for the city and gaining partners to develop the area, the value of land rapidly increased in a period of land speculation. This lasted until the Panic of 1837, which brought an abrupt end to most speculative land development in the area for several years. Followed soon after by a severe winter in 1841, the area struggled economically. The western terminus of the Michigan Central Railroad in New Buffalo was completed in 1849. The harbor was improved and the economy flourished briefly until the railroad connection to Chicago was completed in 1853, after which the use of the harbor for shipping declined.
Around the turn of the century, the area began to be recognized for its vacation and resort potential, resulting in summer cottages, camps and hotels. 1921 saw the opening of the Golfmore Hotel, rated as one of the finest resorts on the Great Lakes. Unfortunately, the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1936. Like much of the country, the area struggled through the Great Depression, followed by booming growth after world War II.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 52.5 km² (20.3 mi²). 52.4 km² (20.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.05% is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 2,468 people, 1,093 households, and 718 families residing in the township. The population density is 47.1/km² (121.9/mi²). There are 2,139 housing units at an average density of 40.8/km² (105.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the township is 93.88% White, 3.65% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,093 households out of which 20.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% are married couples living together, 6.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% are non-families. 29.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.74.
In the township the population is spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47 years. For every 100 females there are 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township is $46,991, and the median income for a family is $58,333. Males have a median income of $46,411 versus $27,639 for females. The per capita income for the township is $33,587. 6.3% of the population and 3.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.5% of those under the age of 18 and 5.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- A History of New Buffalo Township (http://www.newbuffalotownship.org/)
- New Buffalo (http://www.harborcountry.org/newbuffalo/index.php)