Manistee County, Michigan

County in Michigan, United States

U.S. county in Michigan

Manistee County

U.S. county

Manistee County Courthouse Fountain

Location within the U.S. state of Michigan

Michigan's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Michigan
Founded| 1840, organized in 1855[1]
Seat| Manistee
Largest city| Manistee
Area

• Total| 1,281 sq mi (3,320 km2)
• Land| 542 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Water| 738 sq mi (1,910 km2)  58%%
Population

(2020)

• Total| 25,032
• Density| 46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 1st
Website| www.manisteecountymi.gov

Manistee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 25,032.[2] The county seat is Manistee.[3] The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county.[1] The derivation is not certain,[4] but it may be from ministigweyaa, "river with islands at its mouth".[1][5][6] See also, List of Michigan county name etymologies and Kaministiquia River.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Historical markers
* 2 Government
* 2.1 Elected officials
* 3 Fire departments and emergency medical services
* 3.1 County ambulance service
* 3.2 Fire departments
* 4 Geography
* 4.1 Adjacent counties
* 4.2 National protected area
* 5 Transportation
* 5.1 Airport
* 5.2 Major highways
* 5.3 Bicycle routes
* 6 Demographics
* 7 Communities
* 7.1 City
* 7.2 Villages
* 7.3 Census-designated places
* 7.4 Other unincorporated communities
* 7.5 Townships
* 8 Education
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 Further reading

## History

[edit | edit source]

See also: History of Northern Michigan

The county was set off in 1840 and organized in 1855.[1]

### Historical markers

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There are thirteen recognized Michigan historical markers in the county:[7]

* Harriet Quimby / Childhood Home
* John J. Makinen Bottle House
* First Congregational Church, Manistee
* Great Fire of 1871
* Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
* Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Rectory
* Kaleva, Michigan
* Manistee City Library
* Manistee Fire Hall
* Our Saviour's Lutheran Church
* Ramsdell Theatre
* Trinity Lutheran Church [Arcadia]
* William Douglas House

## Government

[edit | edit source]

United States presidential election results for Manistee County, Michigan[8] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 8,321  | 56.69% | 6,107  | 41.60%  | 251  | 1.71%
2016 | 6,915  | 54.62% | 4,979  | 39.33%  | 766  | 6.05%
2012 | 5,737  | 46.26%  | 6,473  | 52.19% | 192  | 1.55%
2008 | 5,510  | 42.36%  | 7,235  | 55.62% | 264  | 2.03%
2004 | 6,295  | 49.41% | 6,272  | 49.23%  | 173  | 1.36%
2000 | 5,401  | 47.26%  | 5,639  | 49.34% | 388  | 3.40%
1996 | 3,807  | 36.12%  | 5,383  | 51.08% | 1,349  | 12.80%
1992 | 3,491  | 29.96%  | 5,193  | 44.57% | 2,967  | 25.47%
1988 | 5,368  | 52.58% | 4,765  | 46.67%  | 77  | 0.75%
1984 | 6,328  | 61.45% | 3,917  | 38.04%  | 53  | 0.51%
1980 | 5,662  | 52.91% | 4,164  | 38.91%  | 876  | 8.19%
1976 | 5,532  | 54.59% | 4,479  | 44.20%  | 123  | 1.21%
1972 | 5,070  | 57.20% | 3,625  | 40.90%  | 168  | 1.90%
1968 | 4,007  | 48.24% | 3,671  | 44.20%  | 628  | 7.56%
1964 | 2,918  | 34.56%  | 5,520  | 65.37% | 6  | 0.07%
1960 | 4,867  | 54.08% | 4,122  | 45.81%  | 10  | 0.11%
1956 | 5,313  | 63.74% | 3,014  | 36.16%  | 9  | 0.11%
1952 | 5,235  | 62.50% | 3,114  | 37.18%  | 27  | 0.32%
1948 | 3,913  | 52.89% | 3,339  | 45.13%  | 147  | 1.99%
1944 | 4,095  | 54.38% | 3,398  | 45.13%  | 37  | 0.49%
1940 | 4,630  | 52.07% | 4,242  | 47.71%  | 20  | 0.22%
1936 | 3,509  | 42.02%  | 4,542  | 54.40% | 299  | 3.58%
1932 | 3,256  | 40.12%  | 4,475  | 55.14% | 384  | 4.73%
1928 | 4,129  | 60.73% | 2,624  | 38.59%  | 46  | 0.68%
1924 | 3,701  | 58.09% | 1,314  | 20.62%  | 1,356  | 21.28%
1920 | 2,179  | 47.68%  | 2,184  | 47.79% | 207  | 4.53%
1916 | 2,360  | 50.17% | 2,177  | 46.28%  | 167  | 3.55%
1912 | 1,240  | 26.27%  | 1,790  | 37.92% | 1,691  | 35.82%
1908 | 2,706  | 56.79% | 1,799  | 37.75%  | 260  | 5.46%
1904 | 3,155  | 67.43% | 1,235  | 26.39%  | 289  | 6.18%
1900 | 3,152  | 56.33% | 2,336  | 41.74%  | 108  | 1.93%
1896 | 2,697  | 50.65% | 2,487  | 46.70%  | 141  | 2.65%
1892 | 1,481  | 35.42%  | 2,310  | 55.25% | 390  | 9.33%
1888 | 1,668  | 39.23%  | 2,328  | 54.75% | 256  | 6.02%
1884 | 1,305  | 38.46%  | 1,926  | 56.76% | 162  | 4.77%

Alongside Polk County, North Carolina, Manistee County was the only county in the United States in which James M. Cox and Charles Evans Hughes both won, as the chart above shows.

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions -- police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. -- are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

### Elected officials

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* Prosecuting Attorney: Jason Haag
* Sheriff: Brian Gutowski
* County Clerk: Jill Nowak
* County Treasurer: Rachel Nelson
* Register of Deeds: Penny Pepera
* Drain Commissioner: Ken Hilliard
* County Surveyor: Patrick Bentley

(information as of February 2012)

## Fire departments and emergency medical services

[edit | edit source]

### County ambulance service

[edit | edit source]

As of early 2021 North Flight EMS has since transferred the primary ambulance service to Mobile Medical Response.[citation needed]

### Fire departments

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* Arcadia Township Fire Department
* Bear Lake Township Fire Department
* City of Manistee Fire Department
* Cleon Township Fire Department
* Dickson Township Fire Department
* East Lake Township Fire Department
* Filer Township Fire Department
* Manistee Township Fire Department
* Maple Grove Township Fire Department
* Norman Township Fire Department
* Onekama Township Fire Department
* Stronach Township Fire Department

## Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,281 square miles (3,320 km2), of which 542 square miles (1,400 km2) is land and 738 square miles (1,910 km2) (58%) is water.[9] Manistee County is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.

### Adjacent counties

[edit | edit source]

* Benzie County \- north
* Grand Traverse County \- northeast
* Wexford County \- east
* Lake County \- southeast
* Mason County \- south
* Manitowoc County, Wisconsin \- southwest
* Kewaunee County, Wisconsin \- west

### National protected area

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* Manistee National Forest (part)
* Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness

## Transportation

[edit | edit source]

### Airport

[edit | edit source]

Manistee County-Blacker Airport is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Manistee.

### Major highways

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* US 31 runs through Manistee and Bear Lake
* M-22 begins five miles (8.0 km) north of Manistee and goes through Onekama and Arcadia
* M-55 begins two miles (3.2 km) north of Manistee and runs across the Lower Peninsula to Tawas City
* M-115 comes from Wexford County
* M-110 unsigned highway that connects US 31 in Manistee to Orchard Beach State Park

### Bicycle routes

[edit | edit source]

* USBR 35 comes from Mason County and goes through Manistee, Onekama, and Arcadia to proceed north to Benzie County with M-22

## Demographics

[edit | edit source]

Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1860| 975| | —
1870| 6,074| | 523.0%
1880| 12,532| | 106.3%
1890| 24,230| | 93.3%
1900| 27,856| | 15.0%
1910| 26,688| | −4.2%
1920| 20,899| | −21.7%
1930| 17,409| | −16.7%
1940| 18,450| | 6.0%
1950| 18,524| | 0.4%
1960| 19,042| | 2.8%
1970| 20,094| | 5.5%
1980| 23,019| | 14.6%
1990| 21,265| | −7.6%
2000| 24,527| | 15.3%
2010| 24,733| | 0.8%
2020| 25,032| | 1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010-2018[2]

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 24,527 people, 9,860 households, and 6,714 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile (17/km2). There were 14,272 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.16% White, 1.63% Black or African American, 1.30% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 2.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.5% were of German, 16.9% Polish, 8.8% English, 8.8% American and 7.1% Irish ancestry. 96.2% spoke English and 2.3% Spanish as their first language.

There were 9,860 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.60% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 103.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,208, and the median income for a family was $41,664. Males had a median income of $33,211 versus $20,851 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,204. About 6.90% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.50% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

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### City

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* Manistee (county seat)

### Villages

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* Bear Lake
* Copemish
* Eastlake
* Kaleva
* Onekama

### Census-designated places

[edit | edit source]

* Arcadia
* Brethren
* Filer City
* Oak Hill
* Parkdale
* Stronach
* Wellston

### Other unincorporated communities

[edit | edit source]

* Marilla
* Norwalk
* Pierport

### Townships

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* Arcadia Township
* Bear Lake Township
* Brown Township
* Cleon Township
* Dickson Township
* Filer Charter Township
* Manistee Township
* Maple Grove Township
* Marilla Township
* Norman Township
* Onekama Township
* Pleasanton Township
* Springdale Township
* Stronach Township

## Education

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School districts include:[15]

* Bear Lake School District
* Benzie County Central School
* Kaleva Norman Dickson School District
* Manistee Area Schools
* Mason County Eastern District
* Mesick Consolidated Schools
* Onekama Consolidated Schools

## See also

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* List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Manistee County, Michigan
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Manistee County, Michigan

## References

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1. ^ a b c d "Bibliography on Manistee County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: Oklahoma University Press, pg. 265
5. ^ County place names Archived March 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ "Manistee County, Michigan". 50-State Learning Resource Guide. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
7. ^ "Michigan Historical Markers". Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
8. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
10. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
12. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
15. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Manistee County, MI" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 22, 2022.

## Further reading

[edit | edit source]

* "Bibliography on Manistee County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
* Manistee County - Official Website

Places adjacent to Manistee County, Michigan

|  | Benzie County | Grand Traverse County

|
|

|  |
Kewaunee County, Wisconsin |

Manistee County, Michigan

| Wexford County
|  |
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin | Mason County | Lake County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Manistee County, Michigan, United States

County seat: Manistee

City|

* Manistee

Map of Michigan highlighting Manistee County.svg

Villages|

* Bear Lake
* Copemish
* Eastlake
* Kaleva
* Onekama

Charter
township|

* Filer

General law
townships|

* Arcadia
* Bear Lake
* Brown
* Cleon
* Dickson
* Manistee
* Maple Grove
* Marilla
* Norman
* Onekama
* Pleasanton
* Springdale
* Stronach

CDPs|

* Arcadia
* Brethren
* Filer City
* Oak Hill
* Parkdale
* Stronach
* Wellston

Other
unincorporated
communities|

* Portage Point
* Red Park
* Wick-A-Te-Wah
* Williamsport

Indian reservation|

* Manistee Indian Reservation‡

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Northern Michigan

Central cities|

* Alpena
* Cadillac
* Charlevoix
* Gaylord
* Petoskey
* Traverse City

Counties|

* Alcona
* Alpena
* Antrim
* Arenac
* Benzie
* Charlevoix
* Cheboygan
* Clare
* Crawford
* Emmet
* Gladwin
* Grand Traverse
* Iosco
* Kalkaska
* Lake
* Leelanau
* Manistee
* Missaukee
* Montmorency
* Ogemaw
* Osceola
* Oscoda
* Otsego
* Presque Isle
* Roscommon
* Wexford

Geography|

* Au Sable River
* Cheboygan River
* Elk River watershed
* Grand Traverse Bay
* Houghton Lake
* Inland Waterway
* Leelanau Peninsula
* Lake Charlevoix
* Lake Huron
* Lake Michigan
* Little Traverse Bay
* Manistee River
* Straits of Mackinac
* Thunder Bay
* Walloon Lake

Transportation|

* Charlevoix Municipal Airport
* Cherry Capital Airport
* Great Lakes Central Railroad
* Lake State Railway
* Mackinac Bridge
* Pellston Regional Airport
* SS Badger

Economy|

* East Jordan Iron Works
* Georgia-Pacific
* Holcim
* Lafarge Cement
* Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company
* Michigan wine
* USG Corporation
* Weyerhaeuser

* Michigan
* Central Michigan
* Southeast Michigan
* Upper Peninsula
* West Michigan

* v
* t
* e

State of Michigan

Lansing (capital)

Topics|

* Congressional delegation
* Cuisine
* Fauna
* Geography
* Government
* Highways
* History
* Index
* Islands
* Law
* Lighthouses
* Municipalities
* Museums
* National Historic Landmarks
* National Register of Historic Places listings
* People
* State Historic Sites
* State parks
* Symbols
* Tallest buildings
* Timeline
* Tourist attractions

Society|

* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Elections
* Politics

Regions|

| Upper Peninsula|

* Copper Country
* Gogebic Range
* Keweenaw Peninsula

|

Lower Peninsula|

* Central Michigan
* Metro Detroit
* Michiana
* Northern Michigan
* Southeast Michigan
* The Thumb
* West Michigan

Largest
municipalities|

* Ann Arbor
* Battle Creek
* Bay City
* Bloomfield Township
* Canton
* Chesterfield Township
* Clinton Township
* Commerce Township
* Dearborn
* Dearborn Heights
* Detroit
* East Lansing
* Farmington Hills
* Flint
* Georgetown Township
* Grand Blanc Township
* Grand Rapids
* Holland Charter Township
* Independence Township
* Kalamazoo
* Kentwood
* Lansing
* Lincoln Park
* Livonia
* Macomb Township
* Meridian Charter Township
* Midland
* Muskegon
* Novi
* Orion Township
* Pontiac
* Portage
* Redford
* Rochester Hills
* Roseville
* Royal Oak
* Saginaw
* Saginaw Township
* St. Clair Shores
* Shelby Charter Township
* Southfield
* Sterling Heights
* Taylor
* Troy
* Warren
* Waterford Township
* West Bloomfield
* Westland
* Wyoming
* Ypsilanti Charter Township

Counties|

* Alcona
* Alger
* Allegan
* Alpena
* Antrim
* Arenac
* Baraga
* Barry
* Bay
* Benzie
* Berrien
* Branch
* Calhoun
* Cass
* Charlevoix
* Cheboygan
* Chippewa
* Clare
* Clinton
* Crawford
* Delta
* Dickinson
* Eaton
* Emmet
* Genesee
* Gladwin
* Gogebic
* Grand Traverse
* Gratiot
* Hillsdale
* Houghton
* Huron
* Ingham
* Ionia
* Iosco
* Iron
* Isabella
* Jackson
* Kalamazoo
* Kalkaska
* Kent
* Keweenaw
* Lake
* Lapeer
* Leelanau
* Lenawee
* Livingston
* Luce
* Mackinac
* Macomb
* Manistee
* Marquette
* Mason
* Mecosta
* Menominee
* Midland
* Missaukee
* Monroe
* Montcalm
* Montmorency
* Muskegon
* Newaygo
* Oakland
* Oceana
* Ogemaw
* Ontonagon
* Osceola
* Oscoda
* Otsego
* Ottawa
* Presque Isle
* Roscommon
* Saginaw
* Sanilac
* Schoolcraft
* Shiawassee
* St. Clair
* St. Joseph
* Tuscola
* Van Buren
* Washtenaw
* Wayne
* Wexford

Coordinates: 44°18′N 86°19′W﻿ / ﻿44.30°N 86.31°W﻿ / 44.30; -86.31
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