Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gaines Township, Michigan
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Location within Genesee County (red) and the administered village of Gaines (pink)
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 Gaines Township, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Gaines Township, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Nation | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Genesee |
| Settled | 1836 |
| Organized | 1842 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 35.3 sq mi (91.4 km2) |
| • Land | 35.2 sq mi (91.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) 0.20% |
| Elevation | 810 ft (247 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,664 |
| • Density | 188.78/sq mi (72.91/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 810 and 989 |
| FIPS code | 26-31220 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626328 |
Gaines Township is a community in Genesee County, Michigan. It is a type of local government area called a civil township. In 2020, about 6,664 people lived here.
Contents
Exploring Gaines Township
Gaines Township is home to a few different areas. These include a small village and an unincorporated community.
Main Communities in Gaines Township
- The Village of Gaines is a small town located right inside the township.
- Duffield is another community here. It is not an official village or city. You can find it where Duffield and Reid Roads meet.
The Story of Gaines Township
Let's look at how Gaines Township began and changed over time.
Early Settlers and Beginnings
The first person to settle in Gaines Township was Hartford Cargill in 1836. Other early families also moved to an area known as Fletcher's Corners. Ephraim Fletcher arrived in 1836 from New York. He settled on Van Vleet Road.
Gaines Township was first part of Mundy Township. But in 1842, it became its own separate township. Around 1845, a school was started near the Van Vleet and Cargill areas.
How Gaines Township Got Its Name
When Gaines Township was officially formed in 1842, the oldest male resident, Joshua Dart, was asked to name it. He chose to name it after General Gaines. This general was someone he knew who fought in the War of 1812.
A post office for Gaines was opened in 1852. It was later renamed Covert in 1863 because there were two Gaines Post Offices. The Covert post office closed in 1865.
The area where the Village of Gaines is now didn't have settlers until 1856. The first passenger train came through this spot on July 4, 1856. A new post office, called Gaines Station, was set up that same year.
The Famous Crapo Farm
The Crapo Farm was built in 1860 by Henry H. Crapo. The land was originally a swamp that was drained. At its largest, the farm was huge, covering 1,100 acres! It even had its own train stop called Crapo. Henry M. Flagler, who later became very famous, worked on the farm when it was new.
When Henry Crapo passed away in 1869, his son William W. Crapo took over the farm. In 1876, a railroad was built through the farm. William made a deal for the railroad to help with drainage. He also got a special private side track for the farm. This track was used for visitors and to transport farm products like cattle. It was the only farm with its own private train stop listed on railroad schedules!
Land from the farm was given to build a new school, Mary Crapo School, which opened in 1928. The private train stop was no longer used in the early 1950s. The Crapo Farm was sold in 1955. Part of the land was given for St. Mary's Cemetery. Later, new neighborhoods called Winchester Village and Winchester Woods were built on parts of the farm. These areas became part of the City of Swartz Creek in 1959.
Gaines Township Today
In 2000, Gaines Township started its own small police department. It had one officer and worked with the Michigan State Police.
However, in 2013, the police chief resigned. On March 6, the local government leaders voted to close the township's police department. Since then, the Michigan State Police have been in charge of providing police services for Gaines Township.
Where is Gaines Township?
Gaines Township covers about 35.3 square miles (91.4 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
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Venice Township | Clayton Township Swartz Creek |
Flint Township | |
| Vernon Township |  |
Mundy Township | ||
 Gaines Township  |
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| Burns Township | Argentine Township | Fenton Township |
People of Gaines Township
The number of people living in Gaines Township has grown over the years.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 2,271 | — | |
| 1970 | 3,379 | 48.8% | |
| 1980 | 5,209 | 54.2% | |
| 1990 | 5,391 | 3.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,491 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 6,820 | 5.1% | |
| Source: Census Bureau. Census 1960- 2000, 2010. | |||
In 2000, there were 6,491 people living in the township. There were 2,269 households. About 37.7% of these households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 2.85 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 26.5% of the people were under 18 years old. Around 7.8% were 65 years or older. The average age of people in the township was 38 years.
