St. Helen, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St. Helen, Michigan
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Looking north along North St. Helen Road
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Location within Roscommon County
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 St. Helen, Michigan
Location in Michigan
St. Helen, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Roscommon |
| Township | Richfield |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.62 sq mi (17.15 km2) |
| • Land | 5.73 sq mi (14.84 km2) |
| • Water | 0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,191 ft (363 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,735 |
| • Density | 477.31/sq mi (184.29/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
48656
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| Area code(s) | 989 |
| FIPS code | 26-70800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0636665 |
St. Helen is a community in Roscommon County, Michigan, USA. It is not an official city but a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it is a special area the government counts for population. In 2020, about 2,735 people lived in St. Helen. The community is part of Richfield Township.
History of St. Helen
In the 1870s, a very rich lumber businessman named Henry Stephens started a huge lumber company in St. Helen. This company was one of the biggest and best in Michigan at the time. Over 14 years, they produced more than 1 billion board feet of lumber. This is enough wood to build many, many houses! Most of the logs were moved by river, but trains also helped move the lumber.
A group called the St. Helen Development Company was formed. Their job was to sell land and help the area grow. In seven years, they sold about 80,000 acres of land. They also helped build over 30 miles of roads and more than 80 miles of fences.
St. Helen got its name from the nearby lake. People believe that French explorers, called voyageurs, named the lake after Saint Helena of Constantinople. She was the mother of a famous Roman emperor named Emperor Constantine.
A railroad line was built through St. Helen. It was first called the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad. Today, it is known as the Lake State Railway Company. The main road, M-76, also goes through St. Helen. Some parts of this road are still called "Old 76."
Geography of the Area
St. Helen covers a total area of about 6.62 square miles (17.15 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 5.73 square miles (14.84 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.89 square miles (2.31 square kilometers), is water. This means that about 13.44% of St. Helen is covered by water, including the lake it is named after.
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 2,390 | — | |
| 2000 | 2,993 | 25.2% | |
| 2010 | 2,668 | −10.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,735 | 2.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 2,993 people living in St. Helen. There were 1,380 households, which are groups of people living together. About 20.7% of these households had children under 18 years old. The average age of people in the community was 48 years old. About 25.3% of the people were 65 years or older.
Notable People
- Charlton Heston, a famous actor, spent some of his childhood in St. Helen. The Charlton Heston Academy in St. Helen is named after him.
Images for kids
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A robot, representing a kid-friendly resource.
