Columbia Township, Van Buren County, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Columbia Township, Michigan
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Township
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 Columbia Township, Van Buren County, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Columbia Township, Van Buren County, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Van Buren |
| Area | |
| • Total | 35.5 sq mi (91.8 km2) |
| • Land | 34.1 sq mi (88.3 km2) |
| • Water | 1.3 sq mi (3.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,546 |
| • Density | 71.72/sq mi (27.734/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 26-17440 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626121 |
Columbia Township is a local government area called a civil township in Van Buren County, Michigan. It is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. In 2020, about 2,546 people lived there.
Columbia Township is mostly a countryside area with many farms. It also has several lakes. Many people live near these lakes, including retirees from Chicago. Some families from the Chicago area own summer cottages there.
Contents
Places in Columbia Township
There are a few small communities within the township. None of them are very large.
Breedsville
- Breedsville is the only official village. It is located in the southwest part of the township.
Columbia
- Columbia was a community planned in 1870. It is not an official village today.
Grand Junction
- Grand Junction is another community that is not an official village. It has more businesses than Breedsville.
- It is located in the northwest part of the township.
- The name "Grand Junction" comes from its location where two railroad lines met. Today, only one railroad line is still active.
- David Young first settled this area in 1869. The community was officially planned on December 8, 1871.
Berlamont
- Berlamont is a small community found at a crossroads. It sits on the eastern border of the township, next to Bloomingdale Township.
- It used to be called "Bear Lake Mills."
- Berlamont was a stop on a railroad line that no longer exists. This line ran between Bloomingdale and Grand Junction.
- The community grew around a sawmill built in 1857 by H. Anderson and Amos S. Brown.
Kal-Haven Trail
- The Kal-Haven Trail State Park runs through Columbia Township. It goes from east to west.
- The trail passes through both Berlamont and Grand Junction.
- The middle point of the Kal-Haven trail is located in Bloomingdale Township.
Geography of the Township
Columbia Township covers a total area of about 35.5 square miles (91.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 34.1 square miles (88.3 square kilometers). The rest, about 1.4 square miles (3.5 square kilometers), is water.
People in Columbia Township
In 2000, there were 2,714 people living in the township. There were 981 households, which means groups of people living together. About 722 of these were families.
- Many households (31.5%) had children under 18 living with them.
- Most households (58.7%) were married couples living together.
- About 27.9% of the people were under 18 years old.
- About 12.3% of the people were 65 years old or older.
- The average age of people in the township was 37 years.
Famous People
- Daniel Sidney Warner
