Cheshire Township, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cheshire Township, Michigan
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Township
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 Cheshire Township, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Allegan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 35.9 sq mi (93.0 km2) |
| • Land | 34.8 sq mi (90.2 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) |
| Elevation | 689 ft (210 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,211 |
| • Density | 61.57/sq mi (23.774/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 26-15200 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626070 |
Cheshire Township is a special kind of local government area called a civil township. It is located in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In 2020, about 2,211 people lived there.
Contents
What Are the Communities in Cheshire?
Cheshire Township is home to a few smaller communities. These are often called "unincorporated communities." This means they are not officially separate towns or cities. Instead, they are part of the larger township.
Cheshire Center: A Historic Spot
Cheshire Center (sometimes just called Cheshire) is one of these communities. You can find it at 42°27′06″N 85°56′04″W / 42.45167°N 85.93444°W. The very first permanent white settler here was Simeon Pike. He came all the way from Monroe County, New York in 1839.
The township itself was officially set up in 1851. A village with a sawmill grew up in the area. This village was named after the township. A post office opened in Cheshire on March 8, 1856. Jonathon Howard was the first postmaster. The post office name changed to "Lake" for a few years. Then it went back to "Cheshire." It closed and reopened a few times, finally closing in 1905.
Chicora: Named After a Ship
Chicora is another unincorporated community. It is located at 42°28′36″N 85°58′25″W / 42.47667°N 85.97361°W. A post office opened here on January 10, 1896. Herman D. Clark was the first postmaster. This post office stayed open until May 31, 1904.
Chicora was named after a steamship called the S.S. Chicora. This ship sadly sank in Lake Michigan on January 21, 1895.
How Big is Cheshire Township?
Cheshire Township covers a total area of about 93.0 square kilometers (which is about 35.9 square miles). Most of this area is land, about 90.2 square kilometers (34.8 square miles). The rest, about 2.8 square kilometers (1.1 square miles), is water. This means about 3.05% of the township is covered by water.
How Many People Live Here?
The number of people living in Cheshire Township has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at the population from different census counts:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 1,034 | — | |
| 1970 | 1,322 | 27.9% | |
| 1980 | 1,797 | 35.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,967 | 9.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,335 | 18.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,199 | −5.8% | |
| 2020 | 2,211 | 0.5% | |
| Source: Census Bureau. Census 1960- 2000, 2010. | |||
In 2000, there were 2,335 people living in the township. These people lived in 857 different households. About 646 of these were families. The average household had about 2.72 people. The average family had about 3.09 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 28.9% of the people were under 18 years old. About 10.1% were 65 years old or older. The average age of people in the township was 36 years.
