Cambria Township, Michigan

Civil township in Michigan, United States
41°51′56″N 84°39′33″W / 41.86556°N 84.65917°W / 41.86556; -84.65917CountryUnited StatesStateMichiganCountyHillsdaleEstablished1841Government • SupervisorGlenn Frobel • ClerkCarol RosalesArea
 • Total36.14 sq mi (93.60 km2) • Land34.81 sq mi (90.16 km2) • Water1.33 sq mi (3.44 km2)Elevation
1,119 ft (341 m)Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,229 • Density64.0/sq mi (24.7/km2)Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)ZIP code(s)
49242 (Hillsdale)
49266 (Osseo)
49274 (Reading)
Area code517FIPS code26-12700[2]GNIS feature ID1626025[3]

Cambria Township is a civil township of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,229 at the 2020 census.

History

Cambria Township was established in 1841 and named after Cambria, New York, which was the hometown of many of the area's early settlers.[4]

Communities

  • Bankers is an unincorporated community located in the northern portion of the township on the border with Hillsdale Township at 41°53′52″N 84°41′29″W / 41.89778°N 84.69139°W / 41.89778; -84.69139.[5] The community was founded by Horace and George Banker in 1838 and was platted in 1869. In 1871, a railway line of the Detroit, Hillsdale & Indiana Railroad was built through the area, in which Bankers was the southern terminus of a line that ran north to Ypsilanti. Bankers centered around a sawmill and was referred to as Bankers Station, and a post office operated here from January 30, 1872 until January 31, 1909.[6]
  • Cambria is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in the southern portion of the township at 41°49′19″N 84°39′54″W / 41.82194°N 84.66500°W / 41.82194; -84.66500.[7]
  • Steamburg is an unincorporated community located within the township at 41°52′33″N 84°36′45″W / 41.87583°N 84.61250°W / 41.87583; -84.61250.[8] It was named from the steam sawmill built by Chauncey Ferris, and the community had its own post office from December 9, 1896 until May 31, 1902.[9] The community was the location of the historic Bates homestead, which was heavily damaged in the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak and later demolished.[10]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.14 square miles (93.60 km2), of which 34.81 square miles (90.16 km2) is land and 1.33 square miles (3.44 km2) (3.68%) is water.

Major highways

  • M-99 (Hudson Road) runs briefly through the northeast corner of the township.

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,546 people, 986 households, and 725 families residing in the township. The population density was 73.0 inhabitants per square mile (28.2/km2). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 36.2 per square mile (14.0/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.05% White, 0.43% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 986 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,889, and the median income for a family was $46,650. Males had a median income of $38,031 versus $22,543 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,109. About 6.5% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The township is served by three separate public school districts. The majority of the township is served by Hillsdale Community Schools. The southwest portion of the township is served by Reading Community Schools, while a very small southeast portion is served by Camden-Frontier Schools.[11]

Images

  • Northbound Bankers Road
    Northbound Bankers Road
  • Unincorporated community of Bankers
    Unincorporated community of Bankers
  • Bankers Baptist Church
    Bankers Baptist Church
  • Unincorporated community of Cambria
    Unincorporated community of Cambria

References

  1. ^ Michigan Townships Association (2022). "Cambria Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cambria Township, Michigan
  4. ^ Romig 1986, p. 94.
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bankers, Michigan
  6. ^ Romig 1986, p. 42.
  7. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cambria, Michigan
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Steamburg, Michigan
  9. ^ Romig 1986, p. 536.
  10. ^ Hilldale Historical Society (2023). "Hillsdale Historical Society: Hillsdale". Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Hillsdale County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved December 24, 2022.

Sources

  • Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. pp. 42, 94, 536. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.