Antrim County, Michigan

Antrim County, Michigan
Location in the state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 7, 1857
Seat	Bellaire
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	601.90 sq mi (1,559 km²) 476.94 sq mi (1,235 km²) 124.97 sq mi (324 km²), 20.76%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	23,110 49/sq mi (19/km²)
Website	www.antrimcounty.org

Antrim County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,110. The county seat is Bellaire^[1]. The name is taken from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Antrim was originally named Meegisee (meaning "eagle"), which was the name of a Chippewa chief who signed the 1821 Treaty of Chicago and the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas. The name Antrim was one of five Irish or Scots Irish names given to renamed counties in 1843, supposedly in deference to the increasing number of settlers of Irish and Scots Irish heritage in Michigan at that time. In the text of the 1843 legislative act, the name was misspelled as "Antim". YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha, the oldest American summer camp that sits on its original site, occupies about one square mile on the shore of Torch Lake in Central Lake Township. Boys first attended Hayo-Went-Ha (variant of Hiawatha) in 1904.

Geography

• According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 601.90 square miles (1,558.9 km²), of which 476.94 square miles (1,235.3 km²) (or 79.24%) is land and 124.97 square miles (323.7 km²) (or 20.76%) is water.^[2]
• The county is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.

Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the so-called Grayling outwash plain, which consists of broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges; jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.^[3]

Highways

State highways

• US 31
• US 131
• M-32
• M-66
• M-88

County-designated highways

• C-38
• C-42
• C-48
• C-65
• C-73

Adjacent counties

• Charlevoix County - north
• Otsego County - east
• Kalkaska County - south
• Grand Traverse County - southwest
• Leelanau County - west

History

Antrim County was formed in 1863. In 1950 its population was 10,721.^[4] The county seat was originally located in Elk Rapids, but was moved to Bellaire in 1904 after 25 years of litigation.^[5]

Demographics

As of the 2000 census,^[6] there were 23,110 people, 9,222 households, and 6,713 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 15,090 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.01% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 1.07% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.7% were of German, 14.5% English, 10.7% Irish, 10.3% American, 6.9% Polish and 5.5% Dutch ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.0% spoke English and 1.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 9,222 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 26.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,107, and the median income for a family was $43,488. Males had a median income of $32,248 versus $21,699 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,485. About 6.20% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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.

Antrim County elected officials

• Prosecuting Attorney: Charles H. Koop
• Sheriff: Daniel S. Bean
• County Clerk: Laura Sexton
• County Treasurer: Sherry A. Comben
• Register of Deeds: Patty Niepoth
• Drain Commissioner: Mark Stone
• County Surveyor: Scott Papineau

(information as of August 2009)

Cities, villages and townships

Cities none

Villages Bellaire Central Lake Elk Rapids Ellsworth Mancelona

Unincorporated Alba Alden Antrim Atwood

Clam River Eastport Kewadin Torch Lake

Townships

Banks Township Central Lake Township Chestonia Township Custer Township

Echo Township Elk Rapids Township Forest Home Township Helena Township

Jordan Township Kearney Township Mancelona Township Milton Township

Star Township Torch Lake Township Warner Township

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Antrim County, Michigan

Notes

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
3. ^ Michigan regional geology.
4. ^ Columbia Lippincott Gazetter, 1952, p. 80
5. ^ Historic marker in front of Bellaire courthouse
6. ^ Statistical profile of Antrim County, Michigan, United States Census Bureau, Census 2000

External links

• Antrim County Website
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Antrim County
• Antrim County Online News Website and Event List

Coordinates: 45°01′N 85°11′W / 45.01°N 85.18°W / 45.01; -85.18