Lawton, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lawton, Michigan
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Village
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Location of Lawton, Michigan
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Michigan | |
| County | Van Buren | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.33 sq mi (6.02 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.29 sq mi (5.93 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2) | |
| Elevation | 791 ft (241 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,850 | |
| • Density | 807.86/sq mi (311.87/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
49065
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| Area code(s) | 269 | |
| FIPS code | 26-46500 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0630224 | |
Lawton is a village in southeastern Van Buren County, Michigan, United States. In 2020, about 1,850 people lived there. It's known for its history with the railroad and its important role in Michigan's grape industry.
Contents
History of Lawton
The village of Lawton started in 1848. This was when the Michigan Central Railroad reached the area. The village is named after Nathan Lawton. He was from New York and bought land here when Michigan became a state.
When the railroad arrived, Mr. Lawton gave land for a train station. It was first called Paw Paw Station. In 1851, when a post office was created, the town was named Lawton. Nathan Lawton never lived in the village himself. However, two of his sons, George and Charles, moved there and made it their home.
Around 1860, some local men, including the Lawton brothers, started trying to grow grapes. In 1868, A.B. Jones took the first grapes to market in Lansing, Michigan. After that, the grape industry grew very quickly. Today, it is one of the biggest industries in Southwest Michigan. There are several wineries in the area. A Welch Grape Juice Factory has been in Lawton since 1919.
Geography of Lawton
Lawton is a small village. It covers about 2.36 square miles (6.02 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 2.32 square miles (5.93 square kilometers). A small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.09 square kilometers), is water.
Lawton's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 426 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,081 | 153.8% | |
| 1880 | 747 | −30.9% | |
| 1890 | 788 | 5.5% | |
| 1900 | 942 | 19.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,042 | 10.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,073 | 3.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,154 | 7.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,134 | −1.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,206 | 6.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,402 | 16.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,358 | −3.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,558 | 14.7% | |
| 1990 | 1,685 | 8.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,859 | 10.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,900 | 2.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,850 | −2.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 1,900 people living in Lawton. They lived in 730 households. A household is a group of people living together. There were 457 families among these households.
Most of the people in Lawton were White (91.0%). Other groups included African American (0.7%), Native American (0.9%), and Asian (0.1%). About 5.6% were from other races, and 1.7% were from two or more races. About 9.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In Lawton, 35.2% of households had children under 18. About 40.8% were married couples. Some households had a female head with no husband (16.4%). Others had a male head with no wife (5.3%). About 37.4% of households were not families.
Many people lived alone. About 32.5% of all households were individuals. And 18.6% of households had someone aged 65 or older living by themselves. The average household had 2.45 people. The average family had 3.07 people.
The average age in Lawton was 38.9 years old. About 25.4% of residents were under 18. About 19.2% were 65 or older. The village had more females (54.9%) than males (45.1%).
Famous People from Lawton
- Henry Ford (1825–1894)
- He was a Michigan state senator.
- He also served as Lawton's village president.
- Note: He is not the famous car maker, Henry Ford.
- Charlie Maxwell (1927–2024)
- Charles Richard Maxwell was a professional baseball player.
- He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball for 14 seasons.
- His teams included the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox.
- He graduated from Lawton High School in 1944.
- He had nicknames like "The South Paw from Paw Paw" and "Sunday Charlie." These names came from his hometown and his tendency to hit home runs on Sundays.
- W. Rae Young (1915–2008)
- He was one of the engineers at Bell Labs.
- He helped invent the idea of the cell phone.
- In 1947, he suggested the idea of using "cells" or small areas with towers. This would allow mobile phones to work across a city.
- Another engineer, Douglas H. Ring, expanded on Young's idea.
- Young worked for Bell Labs for 47 years. He retired in 1979.
- He was born in Lawton, Michigan.
- His father, William Rae Young Sr., was a doctor.
- W. Rae Young played several musical instruments. He played piano, clarinet, cello, and bass in orchestras for over 40 years.
See also
In Spanish: Lawton (Míchigan) para niños
