CALUMET TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN

'Calumet Township' is a charter township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,997 at the 2000 census.

Contents
History
Communities
Parks and recreation
Parks
Recreation areas
Public works and utilities
Public works
Utilities
Sanitation
Public safety
Police
Fire and rescue
Medical
Geography
Demographics
External links

History


Michigan’s Copper industry began thousands of years ago when ancient miners attacked exposed veins of pure copper with huge hammer-stones. The tools and techniques of mining advanced considerably in the centuries that followed.
Calumet, originally known as Red Jacket, was an interesting conglomeration of people, buildings, and businesses back in the booming copper mining days. From 1890 to 1910, 60,000 to 70,000 people of every nationality called Calumet home. Calumet Township housed 60 saloons, 33 churches, 30 schools and five theatres. There were Chinese Laundries, Greek Candy Stores, Syrian Fruit Stores, and many other businesses unique to the area. Along with this, there were favorite locations and hangouts for each separate nationality to get together.
Before WWI, Germany bought all the Copper from the "Copper Country." The Copper was put through an Electrolytic Plant which filtered out the silver, and the silver more than paid for shipping the Copper across the ocean. In 1913 there was a mass exodus caused by a miners’ strike. Because of this 10,00 people left the area.
In 1921, the government stopped buying copper. The Detroit area automobile plants were hiring so 6,000 more people headed south to find work. Calumet slowed down to a crawl very quickly.
The great Depression of May 2, 1932 saw everything shut down. 3,000 more left Calumet and the area came to a screeching halt.
As time went on the population decreased again in 1968 to 12,000 and at the 1991 census, Calumet Township was home to 7000

Communities



★ The village of Calumet is within the township.

★ The village of Laurium is within the township.

★ The village of Copper City is within the township.

★ The unincorporated community of Blue Jacket is within the township.

★ The unincorporated community of Yellow Jacket is within the township.

★ The unincorporated community of Newton is within the township.

★ The unincorporated community of Florida (also called Florida location) is within the township.

Parks and recreation


Calumet Township boasts numerous recreation areas. Parks, playgrounds, fishing areas, and beaches are scattered all over the township.
Parks


★ Agassiz Park (Calumet Village)

★ Italian Hall Memorial (Calumet Village)

★ Calumet Theater Park (Calumet Village)

★ George Gipp Memorial (Laurium Village)

★ Daniel Park (Laurium Village)

★ Copper City Playground (Copper City Village)

★ War Memorial (Kearsarge)

★ Heights Park & Playground (Centennial Heights)

★ Calumet Lake Park (Just outside of Calumet Village)

★ Calumet Waterworks Park & Beach (On Lake Superior)
Recreation areas


★ Agassiz Park (Calumet Village. Basketball Court, Horseshoe Pits)

★ Agassiz Field (Calumet Village. Football Field)

★ Centennial Field (Just outside of Calumet Village. Soccer Field)

★ George Gipp Recreation Area (Laurium Village. Ice Arena, Baseball Field, Basketball Courts)

★ Kearsarge Park (Kearsarge. Basketball Court)

★ Wolverine Field (Kearsarge. Baseball Field)

★ The Calumet Colosseum (Calumet Village. Ice Arena)

★ Traprock Valley Field (Traprock Valley. Baseball Field)

★ Swedetown Recreation Area (Swedetown. Ski Trails, Sledding Hill, Fishing Docks)

Public works and utilities


Public works

Calumet Township Public Works Department maintains all parks and recreation areas within the unincorporated parts of the township.
Calumet and Laurium Villages both offer street departments. The village street departments maintain roads, sidewalks, and parks in there respective limits.
The Michigan Department of Transportation maintains state and federal highways which run through the township. The Houghton County Road Commission maintains all secondary roads within the unincorporated parts of the township.
Utilities

Water service is provided by Michigan American Water Company. Sewage service is provided by the North Houghton County Sewer Authority. Power is provided in the populated area by Upper Peninsula Power Company. In the rural areas, power is provided by Rural Electrical Association. Cable service is provided by Charter Communications. Phone service is mainly provided by AT&T.
Sanitation

Laurium Village offers there residents village provided garbage pickup. Calumet Village contracts through Waste Management. The rest of the unincorporated township and the Village of Copper City contracts through Bukema Trucking & Sanitation.

Public safety


Police

Calumet Township is home to the Calumet Township Police Department. The Michigan State Police Calumet Post and the Houghton County Sheriffs Office also helps patrol the unincorporated parts of the township. Both Calumet Village and Laurium Village operate separate police departments.
Fire and rescue

The Calumet Township Fire & Rescue Department provides direct fire protection and suppression to the unincorporated areas of the township. Calumet Village, Laurium Village, and Copper City Village provide separate fire departments for there respective villages. Calumet Township Fire & Rescue provides vehicle extrication and high angle rescue to all of Calumet Township, Osceola Township, and all of Keweenaw County.
Medical

Mercy Ambulance Service is a privately owned ambulance company with a station located in Laurium.
Also in Laurium is the areas health care system. Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center offers direct care of in-patient and out-patients. Also a 24 hour emergency room and intensive care unit is also on premises.

Geography


According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 86.3 km² (33.3 mi²). 86.1 km² (33.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.21%) is water.

Demographics


As of the census2 of 2000, there were 6,997 people, 2,892 households, and 1,697 families residing in the township. The population density was 81.2/km² (210.4/mi²). There were 3,573 housing units at an average density of 41.5/km² (107.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.37% White, 0.11% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population. 40.7% were of Finnish, 10.1% German, 8.1% Italian, 6.8% French and 6.2% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 2,892 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $24,928, and the median income for a family was $34,236. Males had a median income of $26,985 versus $21,420 for females. The per capita income for the township was $14,711. About 11.9% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

External links



Calumet Township Home Page

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