Forest Township, Genesee County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Forest Township, Michigan
Civil township
Location within Genesee County (red) and the administered villages of Otisville and portion of Otter Lake (pink)
Forest Township, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Forest Township, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Genesee
Area
• Total	36.1 sq mi (93.6 km2)
• Land	35.8 sq mi (92.7 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)  0.94%
Elevation	1,211 ft (369 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,447
• Density	123.19/sq mi (47.511/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48458 (Mount Morris) 48463 (Otisville) 48464 (Otter Lake) 48746 (Millington)
Area code(s)	810
FIPS code	26-29440
GNIS feature ID	1626294

Forest Township is a special kind of local government area called a civil township. It's located in Genesee County in the state of Michigan, United States. In 2020, about 4,447 people lived here. This makes Forest Township the least populated township in Genesee County.

Communities in Forest Township

Forest Township is home to a few smaller communities. These are places where people live and work.

Otisville: A Village within the Township

• Otisville is a small village. It is completely located inside Forest Township.

Otter Lake: A Village Across Counties

• Otter Lake is another small village. Part of it is in the northeast corner of Forest Township.
• The other part of Otter Lake is in Lapeer County. It extends into Marathon Township there.

Exploring Forest Township's Past

Forest Township has a rich history, from its first settlers to how it got its name.

Who Were the First Settlers?

• The first person to buy land in what would become Forest Township was James Seymour. He bought property on March 1, 1836.
• The very first settlers were Henry Heister, his wife, and their three children. They arrived in the spring of 1837.
• The Heister family came from Livingston County. They built their home on Butternut Creek.
• Henry Heister's son, George, was the first baby born in the Township.
• After a few years, the Heister family moved to Genesee Township.

How Forest Township Was Formed

• The people living in the area wanted to form their own township. They asked the state for permission.
• They first thought of naming it "Paris," but that name was already taken.
• A lawmaker then suggested the name "Forest," which was chosen.
• Forest Township was officially formed on March 31, 1843.
• Before this, it was part of Richfield Township in Lapeer County.
• The area became part of Genesee County in 1843.
• The first meeting for voters happened on the first Monday of April 1843. Thirteen voters chose Nathaniel Smith as their supervisor.

Post Offices and Early Settlements

• A U.S. Post Office named Forest opened in 1855. It was located at John Crawford's home. He was the first postmaster.
• In 1859, the Post Office moved to Otisville. Robert Shaw became the new postmaster.
• The Post Office's name changed to Otisville in 1861.
• Another Post Office, called Clew, opened on June 2, 1882. It was in the northwest part of the Township.
• Clew Post Office closed a couple of years later, on November 28, 1884.

Huntingtown and the First School

• Huntingtown was an early community in the township. It was not officially recognized as a village.
• It existed around 1873. You could find it on State Road (M-15), near Butternut Creek.
• In 1885, the first schoolhouse was built. It was called the Smith school house.
• This school was located at the northeast corner of section 33.

Geography of Forest Township

Forest Township covers a total area of about 36.1 square miles (93.6 square kilometers).

• Most of this area, about 35.8 square miles (92.7 square kilometers), is land.
• A small part, about 0.3 square miles (0.9 square kilometers), is water. This means about 0.94% of the township is water.

Who Lives in Forest Township?

Understanding the people who live in Forest Township helps us learn more about the community.

Population and Households

• In the year 2000, there were 4,738 people living in Forest Township.
• There were 1,706 households, which are groups of people living together in one home.
• Out of these, 1,371 were families.
• The average household had about 2.77 people.
• The average family had about 3.07 people.

Age Groups in the Township

• The population in the township is spread across different age groups.
• About 25.4% of the people were under 18 years old.
• About 8.4% were between 18 and 24 years old.
• The largest group, 29.7%, was between 25 and 44 years old.
• About 27.5% were between 45 and 64 years old.
• About 9.0% of the people were 65 years old or older.
• The average age of people in the township was 38 years.