Columbus Township, St facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Columbus Township, Michigan
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Township
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 Columbus Township, St
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | St. Clair |
| Area | |
| • Total | 37.2 sq mi (96.4 km2) |
| • Land | 37.1 sq mi (96.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 669 ft (204 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 4,615 |
| • Density | 124.4/sq mi (48.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 26-17520 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626123 |
Columbus Township is a place in St. Clair County, which is part of the state of Michigan in the United States. In the year 2000, about 4,615 people lived here.
Contents
Communities in Columbus Township
Columbus Township is home to a few smaller communities. These are areas where people live, but they aren't officially separate towns or cities.
Belle River
Belle River is a community located in the southeast part of the township. It's found on Gratiot Road, near where it crosses the Belle River. This spot is about 17 miles southwest of Port Huron.
Columbus
The community of Columbus is in the northeast part of the township. You can find it on Rattle Run Road, between Rattle Run and Memphis. It's about 13 miles southwest of Port Huron. The ZIP code for this area is 48063.
Snyderville
Snyderville is another community on Gratiot Road. It's less than two miles northeast of Belle River. This community is about 15 miles southwest of Port Huron.
Geography of Columbus Township
Columbus Township covers an area of about 37.2 square miles. Most of this area, about 37.1 square miles, is land. A small part, about 0.1 square miles, is water. The Belle River flows through the township. It also has two smaller streams that feed into it: Gillett Drain and Dawson Drain.
History of Columbus Township
Columbus Township began to be settled because of the Fort Gratiot Turnpike, which is now known as Gratiot Road. This road was built in 1832. The township was officially created on March 11, 1837. It was named after the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. Theodore Bethey was the first leader, or "supervisor," of the township.
In 1839, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad opened a small train station here. A very famous inventor, Thomas Edison, had his first job as a newsboy on this train line in 1859. He was only 12 years old then, selling newspapers between Port Huron and Detroit. Later, in 1992, an old train station from the year 1900 was moved from Hickey to the nearby town of Richmond.
The number of people living in Columbus Township has grown over the years. In 1845, there were 315 people. By 1880, the population had grown to 1,327. In 2000, it reached 4,615 people.
People of Columbus Township
In 2000, there were 4,615 people living in Columbus Township. These people lived in 1,533 homes, and 1,266 of these were families. About 43% of the homes had children under 18 living there. Most homes, about 71.5%, were married couples living together.
The people in the township were of different ages. About 30.7% were under 18 years old. About 32.1% were between 25 and 44 years old. The average age of people in the township was 34 years old.
Parks in Columbus Township
Columbus Township has two parks where people can enjoy nature and outdoor activities.
Columbus County Park
Columbus County Park is a very large park, covering 385 acres. It is located along the Belle River. This park is a great place for many activities like fishing, hunting, hiking, and sledding. You can also go kayaking or horseback riding there. The park also has a lodge. Money to buy this park came from a grant of $2.23 million from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Roadside Park
The township also has a smaller park. This park is located right next to Gratiot Avenue, also along the Belle River.
