Kalkaska, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kalkaska, Michigan
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Village
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| Village of Kalkaska | |
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Downtown Kalkaska along Cedar Street
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| Nickname(s):
Trout Capital of Michigan
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| Motto(s):
"Space to Grow"
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Location within Kalkaska County
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 Kalkaska, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| County | Kalkaska |
| Township | Kalkaska |
| Platted | 1873 |
| Incorporated | 1887 |
| Founded by | Albert A. Abbott |
| Government | |
| • Type | Village council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2) |
| • Land | 2.64 sq mi (6.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,033 ft (315 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,132 |
| • Density | 808.80/sq mi (312.25/km2) |
| Demonym(s) | Kalkaskian(s) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
49646
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| Area code(s) | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-42260 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0629450 |
Kalkaska (/kælˈkæskə/ kal-KASS-kə) is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. Kalkaska is the county seat and only incorporated community of Kalkaska County, and is considered part of Northern Michigan. Its population was 2,132 at the 2020 census, an increase from 2,020 at the 2010 census.
Kalkaska is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area, and is often considered a bedroom community of nearby Traverse City. The town is also renowned for hosting the National Trout Festival, with the first festivities being held in 1935.
Contents
History
The town was platted in 1873 by A. A. Abbott and R. L. Thompson, who owned a sawmill, and who correctly anticipated the arrival of the railroad.
On July 5, 1908, a fire began in the middle of the business block and burned most of the stores. Local photographer E. L. Beebe made a number of photographs of the fire, and the resulting postcards were widely sold, and can still be found today. Two years later, in 1910 another fire started in downtown Kalkaska. Again, in 1925 downtown Kalkaska was devastated by the largest fire since the Fire of 1908.
In 1916, the noted author Ernest Hemingway visited and fished in Kalkaska, and later immortalized the town in his story "The Battler". A historical marker has been placed at the Rugg Pond Dam, on the Rapid River, where Hemingway reportedly fished one night from the power house.
Discovery of natural gas and oil in the area during the 1970s lead to significant growth for the village; however, the growth has since subsided.
In 1993, the Kalkaska schools made national headlines when a financial crisis resulted in a two-month-long closure. Subsequent funding reform improved the outlook for Kalkaska and similar small rural districts in Michigan.
In 2014 Walmart announced plans to open a store in Kalkaska. Previously the closest store was in Traverse City, 25 miles (40 km) away. There was a debate in Kalkaska on whether the community's small town character can be preserved.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.17 square miles (8.21 km2), of which 3.12 square miles (8.08 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.
The village is situated on an expansive plateau, along with much of Northern Michigan. The Boardman River runs through the village. The primary geography of the north and east of the village proper is flat with gentle hills, with a large amount of farmland. To the south and east, it is noticeably steeper in elevation, with larger amount of water present in the form of streams, to the north a larger amount of water is present in the form of lakes.
The primary constructors of Kalkaska's geographical make-up are ancient glaciers, along with the majority of the entire state of Michigan. Glaciers scoured the surface of Michigan during the Ice Age, creating small hills called drumlins, along with valleys and basins and the water that currently occupies them. This process is called glaciation.
Kalkaska experiences a notable amount of snowfall as it is located in a snowbelt that receives heavy amounts of lake effect snow from Lake Michigan.
Kalkaska is considered part of Northern Michigan.
Climate
This climatic region has large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Kalkaska has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 496 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,161 | 134.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,304 | 12.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,415 | 8.5% | |
| 1920 | 866 | −38.8% | |
| 1930 | 861 | −0.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,132 | 31.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,250 | 10.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,321 | 5.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,475 | 11.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,654 | 12.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,952 | 18.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,226 | 14.0% | |
| 2010 | 2,020 | −9.3% | |
| 2020 | 2,132 | 5.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,020 people, 871 households, and 482 families residing in the village. The population density was 647.4 inhabitants per square mile (250.0/km2). There were 1,015 housing units at an average density of 325.3 per square mile (125.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 95.6% White, 0.6% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 871 households, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.7% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the village was 37.9 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.
Transportation
Airport
Kalkaska is home to Kalkaska City Airport, a small, paved runway.
Major highways
US 131 runs north–south through the village by the name "Cedar Street". Northeast of Kalkaska, US 131 runs through Mancelona, Alba, and Walloon Lake, before ending at US 31 in Petoskey. To the southwest, US 131 passes through Fife Lake before upgrading to a freeway. The highway continues south, passing through Cadillac, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo, before ending just south of the Indiana state line.
M-66 also runs north–south through Kalkaska. The highway continues northeast, also as Cedar Street, into Mancelona, before turning north. The highway then runs through East Jordan before ending at US 31 in Charlevoix. To the south, M-66 runs through towns like Lake City, McBain and Marion. M-66 also eventually ends at the Indiana state line, just south of Sturgis.
M-72 runs east–west through Kalkaska County, entering Kalkaska itself from the west. However through the heart of the village, it primarily runs north–south, also on the Cedar Street concurrency. West of Kalkaska, M-72 runs through the Traverse City urban area, ending at Empire, on Lake Michigan. East of Kalkaska, M-72 runs through Grayling and Mio before eventually ending at a junction with US 23 in Harrisville, on Lake Huron.
Education
Schools in Kalkaska are managed by Kalkaska Public Schools. One high school is in the district, Kalkaska High School.
Kalkaska is centrally located between North Central Michigan College in Petoskey, Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Kirtland College in Grayling/Gaylord, and Baker College in Cadillac.
Travel and recreation
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Tourists are attracted to the area to visit the surrounding lakes (including Torch Lake) and rivers such as the Jordan River, Rapid River, and Manistee River. Kalkaska offers two major festivals, the National Trout Festival held at the end of April to honor the opening of trout season, and the Kalkaska County Agricultural Fair, held the first week of August, to showcase local livestock from 4-H youth clubs, handicrafts from residents, and entertainment. Fall foliage color tours are also popular with visitors.
The first weekend of November brings with it the Iceman Cometh biking challenge. Kalkaska hosts the starting line for a 27.2-mile off-road biking race that runs from the western edge of the village to Traverse City along the VASA Trail. The turnout for the race very easily doubles the population within the village, numbering in the several thousands. For mountain biking enthusiasts, this is a famous race, and completing the race is an achievement in itself.
The village is home to Chalker Park and the Imagination Station. The Mill Pond Park is a small park with a pavilion.
The Kalkaska Area Recreation Transportation (KART) Trail is a nonmotorized pathway that encircles the county's governmental, educational, and recreational campuses. Expansion plans for it include connecting it with the TART Trail.
Industry
..., service, oil and gas, manufacturing, and tourism are important industries in the village and surrounding county.
The Kalkaska area is known as a fishing destination with inland lakes and the Boardman, Rapid, and Manistee Rivers. Kalkaska has held the National Trout Festival in the last week of April each year since 1933. A giant statue of a brook trout is in the town square. The New York Times featured author Jim Harrison wrote about the festival in his 1991 book Just Before Dark: Collected Non-fiction.
Notable people
- Emil Frisk (1874–1922), professional baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Browns from 1899 to 1907
- Renee Raudman, voice and television actress
- Ron Ryckman Sr., member of the Kansas Senate
- Betty Wanless (1928–1995), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
- Ron Winter, former NCAA and NFL official
See also
In Spanish: Kalkaska para niños
