Rock River Township, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rock River Township, Michigan
|
|
|---|---|
Location within Alger County (red) and the administered village of Chatham (pink)
|
|
 Rock River Township, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Rock River Township, Michigan
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| County |  Alger |
| Area | |
| • Total | 81.0 sq mi (209.8 km2) |
| • Land | 80.7 sq mi (209.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 988 ft (301 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,231 |
| • Density | 15.0/sq mi (5.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-69160 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626993 |
Rock River Township is a special kind of local government area called a civil township. It's located in Alger County, which is in the U.S. state of Michigan. In 2020, about 1,231 people lived here.
Exploring Rock River Township's Geography
Rock River Township covers a total area of about 209.8 square kilometers (or 81.0 square miles). Most of this area, about 209.1 square kilometers (80.7 square miles), is land. Only a small part, about 0.7 square kilometers (0.3 square miles), is water.
Communities in Rock River Township
Rock River Township is home to several smaller communities, each with its own history.
Chatham Village
Chatham is a village located where two main roads, M-67 and M-94, meet. It's an important spot in the township.
Eben Junction: A Historic Spot
Eben Junction is a small, unincorporated community. This means it's not officially a city or village, but it's a recognized place where people live. It was once a busy train station where two railroads, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad and the Munising Railway, crossed paths.
A post office opened here on August 1, 1908. Emil Hoppe was the first postmaster for this Finnish settlement. Today, the Superior Central Schools are located in Eben Junction.
Rumely: A Community with a Past
Rumely is another unincorporated community. It was named after Mr. Rumely, who moved here from Ohio around 1873. Like Eben Junction, Rumely was also a train station on the Munising Railway around 1890.
Rumely had a post office that opened in 1906. It closed and reopened a few times, finally closing in 1959. Now, it's a Community Post Office (CPO) of Eben Junction, offering P.O. box services. The old Rumely Store, where the post office used to be, closed in 2011 or 2012 but reopened in 2015 without mail service.
Other Small Places
- Slapneck is a small place within the township.
- Sundell is an unincorporated community. It used to have a post office named after its first postmaster, Selma Harsila, whose maiden name was Sundell (a Swedish name). The post office operated from 1922 to 1967.
- Dorsey was a train station near Sundell in 1908.
- Winters was a former post office in the township. It was named after John D. Winters, who was also its first postmaster. The post office was open from 1889 to 1923, and then briefly from 1924 to 1928.
Understanding Rock River Township's Population
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 1,354 | — | |
| 1970 | 1,202 | −11.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,408 | 17.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,279 | −9.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,213 | −5.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,212 | −0.1% | |
| Source: Census Bureau. Census 1960- 2000, 2010. | |||
Let's look at how the population of Rock River Township has changed and what it's like.
Population Changes Over Time
In 2000, there were 1,213 people living in the township. By the 2020 census, the population had grown slightly to 1,231 people.
Who Lives in Rock River Township?
In 2000, most of the people living in Rock River Township were White (96.13%). There were also Native American (1.98%), Asian (0.08%), and people from two or more races (1.81%).
Many residents have European roots. About 42.2% of the people had Finnish ancestry. Other common backgrounds included German (8.1%), French (6.5%), and Polish (6.3%). About 5.6% identified as American.
Households and Families
In 2000, there were 505 households in the township. A household is a group of people living together in one home. Out of these, 28.3% had children under 18 living with them. Most households (60.2%) were married couples living together.
The average household had 2.39 people, and the average family had 2.82 people.
Age and Income
The population in 2000 was spread out by age:
- 22.3% were under 18 years old.
- 7.9% were between 18 and 24.
- 25.0% were between 25 and 44.
- 30.0% were between 45 and 64.
- 14.8% were 65 years or older.
The average age in the township was 42 years.
In 2000, the median income for a household was $32,619. This means half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. For families, the median income was $36,750. By 2021, the estimated median household income had increased to $54,677.
