Ronald Township, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronald Township, Michigan
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Township
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 Ronald Township, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Ronald Township, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Ionia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 36.5 sq mi (94.5 km2) |
| • Land | 36.3 sq mi (94.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 830 ft (253 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,861 |
| • Density | 50.99/sq mi (19.693/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 26-69440 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627001 |
Ronald Township is a special kind of local government area called a civil township. It is located in Ionia County, in the state of Michigan, USA. In 2020, about 1,861 people lived here.
Contents
The Story of Ronald Township
Ronald Township was created in 1845. It was formed from parts of two other townships, Lyons and Ionia.
A state representative named A. L. Roof gave the township its name. He said he was reading a book at the time and was inspired by a character named Ronald. Some people think this character might have been from Sir Walter Scott's poem, The Lord of the Isles.
Palo: A Small Community
Palo is a small, unincorporated community located in the northern part of Ronald Township. An "unincorporated community" means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town with its own separate government.
Palo started on land owned by two brothers, Matthew and John Van Vleck. John suggested the name "Palo," which is pronounced "Pay-Low" by local people. He chose this name to honor a big victory by General Zachary Taylor at the Battle of Palo Alto. This battle was the first major fight of the Mexican–American War, which happened on May 8, 1846.
A post office opened in Palo on July 14, 1857. Dr. Orla H. Taylor was the first person in charge of it. The community was first officially mapped out on March 12, 1867. The Palo post office closed on February 4, 1995. However, the Palo ZIP code (48870) is still used for P.O. Box mail services through a local store.
Where is Ronald Township?
Ronald Township covers a total area of about 36.5 square miles (94.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 36.3 square miles (94.1 square kilometers). There is also a small amount of water, about 0.2 square miles (0.4 square kilometers).
Who Lives in Ronald Township?
In 2000, there were 1,903 people living in Ronald Township. These people lived in 651 households, and 514 of those were families. The population density was about 52 people per square mile (20 people per square kilometer).
About 38.6% of the households had children under 18 years old living with them. Many households, about 65.9%, were married couples living together.
The people in the township were spread out by age:
- About 29.6% were under 18 years old.
- About 7.7% were between 18 and 24 years old.
- About 29.6% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- About 24.0% were between 45 and 64 years old.
- About 9.0% were 65 years old or older.
The average age of people in Ronald Township was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were about 106.6 males.
