Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maple Valley Township, Michigan
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Township
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 Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Montcalm |
| Area | |
| • Total | 36.1 sq mi (93 km2) |
| • Land | 35.3 sq mi (91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.8 sq mi (2 km2) |
| Elevation | 915 ft (279 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,908 |
| • Density | 54.0/sq mi (20.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | |
| FIPS code | 26-117-51340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626680 |
Maple Valley Township is a community located in Montcalm County, in the state of Michigan, United States. In 2020, about 1,908 people lived here. It's a place where people live and work, just like a small town or village, but it's organized as a "township" within the county.
Contents
Exploring Maple Valley Township
Maple Valley Township is in the western part of Montcalm County. It shares its southern border with Kent County. The center of the township is about 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Howard City. It's also about 17 miles (27 km) west of Stanton, which is the main city of Montcalm County.
Land and Water Features
The township covers a total area of about 36.1 square miles (93.5 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 35.3 square miles (91.4 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.8 square miles (2.1 square kilometers), is water.
There are at least 12 named lakes in Maple Valley Township. The two biggest lakes are Cowden Lake in the northeast and Muskellunge Lake in the southeast. Muskellunge Lake is right next to the community of Trufant.
Water from the northern part of the township flows into Tamarack Creek. This creek then joins the Little Muskegon River. The rest of the township's water flows into the Flat River. The Flat River eventually joins the larger Grand River.
Local Communities
Maple Valley Township is home to a few smaller communities. These places have their own unique history and character.
- Colwell was once a small community with a train station. It even had its own post office for a few years, from 1879 to 1882.
- Coral is a community in the northwest part of the township. It started as a place where people cut down trees for wood, called a lumber camp. This camp was set up by Rev. Charles Parker in 1861. A sawmill built by Morris and Henry Stump helped the community grow. For a while, people even called it "Stumptown." Parker officially named it "Coral" in 1862, supposedly because it was easy to spell.
Coral was also a stop on the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad. The first postmaster, John Holcomb, started the post office on March 22, 1869. Today, the Coral post office uses ZIP code 49322. It serves most of northern Maple Valley Township and parts of nearby townships.
- Trufant is another community located in the southeast part of the township. It's also considered a census-designated place, which means it's a specific area recognized for population counting. The Trufant post office has ZIP code 49347. It serves the southern part of Maple Valley Township and some areas in neighboring townships.
People and Population
The number of people living in Maple Valley Township has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at how the population has grown and shrunk:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 462 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,293 | 396.3% | |
| 1890 | 1,808 | −21.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,842 | 1.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,698 | −7.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,472 | −13.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,322 | −10.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,225 | −7.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,213 | −1.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,396 | 15.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,476 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,815 | 23.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,824 | 0.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,083 | 14.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,944 | −6.7% | |
| 2020 | 1,908 | −1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 2,083 people living in the township. There were 755 households, which are groups of people living together. Most of the people living in the township were White. A small number of people were from other racial backgrounds.
About 34.8% of the households had children under 18 living with them. Most households, 61.7%, were married couples living together. The average household had about 2.75 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 29% of the people were under 18 years old. About 12.6% were 65 years or older. The average age in the township was 35 years old.
The median income for a household in the township was $36,583 in 2000. This means half the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. For families, the median income was $40,433. A small percentage of families and people lived below the poverty line.
