Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan
| Township of Gaines | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
  Township of Gaines Location within the state of Michigan | |
| Coordinates: 42°54′58″N 83°52′48″W / 42.91611°N 83.88000°WCoordinates: 42°54′58″N 83°52′48″W / 42.91611°N 83.88000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Genesee |
| settled | 1836 |
| Government Organized | 1842[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Supervisor-board |
| • Supervisor | Chuck Melki |
| • Clerk | Michael Dowler |
| • Treasurer | Diane M. Hyrman |
| • Trustee | Lee Purdy, Chuck Timmons[2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 35.3 sq mi (91.4 km2) |
| • Land | 35.2 sq mi (91.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) 0.20% |
| Elevation | 810 ft (247 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,820 |
| • Density | 184.4/sq mi (71.2/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 48473, 48436 |
| Area code(s) | 989, 810 |
| FIPS code | 26-31220[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626328[4] |
Gaines Township is a civil township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,820 at the 2010 census.
Communities
- The Village of Gaines is located within the township.
- Duffield is an unincorporated community in the township that is located at the intersection of Duffield and Reid Roads, south of the railroad tracks at 42°55′41″N 83°54′36″W / 42.92806°N 83.91000°W.[5][6]
History
The first settler, Hartford Cargill, moved into the township section 36. Other early settlers settled in an area called Fletcher's Corners. Philander McLain's family settled in what is now the City of Swartz Creek. The Village of Gaines did not see a settler until 1856. The first passenger train passed through the future village site on July 4, 1856. A post office was established that same year.[1]
Ephraim Fletcher came to Gaines from New York in 1836 and settled on Van Vleet Road (section 16).[7]
Mundy Township was organized in 1837 and included Gaines Township, which was organized in 1842.[8]
A school was started around 1845 by the Van Vleet and Cargill areas.[1]
| Years | Supervisor | Town Clerk | Treasurer | Justices of the Peace | Constables | Overseers of Highways | Highway Commissioners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1842 | William Young | Martin Dart | Ephraim Fletcher | James P. Allen, Philander McLain, Walter B. Beers, Frederick Wilcox | Elisha Martin, Layman Davis | William Young, Jonathan Yerkes, Marvin Williams, William Gazlay, John Rood, Walter Beers, Lyman Perkins, Lyman Cargill, Fred Wilcox, Elijah Lyman | James P. Allen, Lyman Perkins, William Gazley |
Modern era
In 2000, the Township started its own one officer police department with the assistance of the Michigan State Police Department.[2]
In 2013, the police chief turned in a resignation letter March 1. On March 6, the Board of Trustees voted 3 to 2 to disband its police department with the State Police providing police protection by default.[2]
Government
Gaines Township in Genesee County has a Supervisor-Board form of government. In this form of government, three members of the Board of Trustees are executives: Supervisor (being the township's chief executive), Clerk and Treasurer. There are two additional trustees elected to the board.
| District | Number | Officeholder |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Representative | 5 | Dan Kildee |
| State Senate | 27 | Jim Ananich |
| State Representative | 49th | Phil Phelps |
| County Commissioner | 8th | Ted Henry |
| School District | Swartz Creek | Multiple: see article |
| Durand | ||
| Linden | ||
| Community College | C.S. Mott | |
| Polling Locations | all precincts | Township Hall |
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.3 square miles (91 km2), of which 35.2 square miles (91 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.20%) is water.
 |
Venice Township | Clayton Township Swartz Creek |
Flint Township | |
| Vernon Township |  |
Mundy Township | ||
| ||||
 | ||||
| Burns Township | Argentine Township | Fenton Township |
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 2,271 | — | |
| 1970 | 3,379 | 48.8% | |
| 1980 | 5,209 | 54.2% | |
| 1990 | 5,391 | 3.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,491 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 6,820 | 5.1% | |
| Source: Census Bureau. Census 1960- 2000, 2010. | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,491 people, 2,269 households, and 1,892 families residing in the township. The population density was 184.4 per square mile (71.2/km²). There were 2,334 housing units at an average density of 66.3 per square mile (25.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.92% White, 0.34% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.
There were 2,269 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.2% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 13.6% 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 2.85 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $66,289, and the median income for a family was $69,649. Males had a median income of $53,547 versus $35,386 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,816. About 3.1% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Wood, Edwin O. (1916). History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions. Michigan Historical Commission.
- 1 2 3 Schuch, Sarah (March 8, 2013). "Gaines Township board votes to disband police department". The Flint Journal. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan
- ↑ Genesee County Map. J. Shively. State of Michigan Department of Information Technology Technology Center for Genographic Information. September 2007.
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Duffield, Michigan
- ↑ Ellis, Franklin (1879). History of Genesee county, Michigan. With illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Philadelphia, PA.: Everts & Abbott. p. 335.
- ↑ Wood, Edwin O. (1916). History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions. Michigan Historical Commission.
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