Richland Township, Missaukee County, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richland Township, Michigan
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Richland Town Hall
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Location within Missaukee County
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 Richland Township, Missaukee County, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Richland Township, Missaukee County, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Missaukee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 35.58 sq mi (92.2 km2) |
| • Land | 35.51 sq mi (92.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,306 ft (398 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,489 |
| • Density | 41.9/sq mi (16.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | |
| Area code(s) | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-113-68280 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626971 |
Richland Township is a civil township located in Missaukee County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. A civil township is a local government area, like a small town or rural district. According to the 2020 census, about 1,489 people live in Richland Township.
Contents
Communities in Richland Township
Richland Township is home to a few smaller communities. These places are not officially separate cities or towns, but they are recognized areas within the township.
Lucas: A Historic Community
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Lucas is an unincorporated community within the township. This means it's a recognized place but doesn't have its own separate local government. It was started in 1878 by William Taylor. Later, in 1882, many Dutch settlers, including Harm Lucas and his five sons, moved there.
A post office was opened in Lucas on February 23, 1883, and it was named "Lucas" after Harm Lucas. Abraham Lucas was the first postmaster. The post office closed for a short time in 1885 but reopened in 1886. It eventually closed permanently in 1957.
Garfield: A Former Post Office Site
Garfield was another rural post office located in Richland Township. It opened on July 12, 1880, with a farmer named William N. Taylor as its first postmaster. However, this post office only operated for a short time, closing on June 15, 1882.
McBain: A Nearby City
The city of McBain is right next to Richland Township on its eastern side. Part of McBain's area actually includes land that was once part of Richland Township. The McBain post office, with its ZIP code 49657, serves most of the Richland Township area.
Geography of Richland Township
Richland Township is located in the southwestern part of Missaukee County. It shares its western border with Wexford County and its southern border with Osceola County.
The township covers a total area of about 35.58 square miles (92.15 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 35.51 square miles (91.97 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 0.07 square miles (0.18 square kilometers), is water. This means water makes up about 0.20% of the township's total area.
The Clam River flows through the northeastern corner of the township. This river flows east and is a branch of the larger Muskegon River.
Major Highways
Two main highways are important for Richland Township:
- M-55 touches the northwestern corner of the township.
- M-66 forms the eastern border of the township, especially north of McBain.
Population History
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 76 | — | |
| 1890 | 534 | 602.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,166 | 118.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,187 | 1.8% | |
| 1920 | 971 | −18.2% | |
| 1930 | 878 | −9.6% | |
| 1940 | 903 | 2.8% | |
| 1950 | 862 | −4.5% | |
| 1960 | 844 | −2.1% | |
| 1970 | 865 | 2.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,008 | 16.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,236 | 22.6% | |
| 2000 | 1,445 | 16.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,491 | 3.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,489 | −0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Richland Township has changed over the years. In 1880, only 76 people lived there. The population grew a lot by 1900, reaching 1,166 people. After that, the population went down for a while before starting to grow again. By 2020, the population was 1,489 people.
In 2000, the average age of people in the township was 33 years old. About 32.9% of the population was under 18 years old. About 9.6% of the population was 65 years or older.
