Kimball Township, Michigan

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Kimball Township, Michigan
settlement_type = Township
nickname =
motto =

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pushpin_label_position =left
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of Michigan
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Michigan
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = St. Clair

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
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established_title = Organized
established_date = 1855

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 97.2
area_land_km2 = 96.5
area_water_km2 = 0.7
area_total_sq_mi = 37.5
area_land_sq_mi = 37.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.3

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 8628
population_density_km2 = 89.4
population_density_sq_mi = 231.6

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 194
elevation_ft = 636
latd = 42 |latm = 56 |lats = 55 |latNS = N
longd = 82 |longm = 34 |longs = 14 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 48074 (Smiths Creek)
area_code =
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 26-43160GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1626559 [gnis|1626559]
website =
footnotes =

Kimball Township is a civil township of St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 8,628.

Communities

* Kimball is a small unincorporated community near the center of the township at coord|42|56|53|N|82|33|45|W|. [gnis|1624643|Kimball, Michigan] Land purchases were made as early as 1825 but settlement did not begin until about 1840 when Barzillai Wheeler and John S. Kimball arrived. When the township was organized in 1855, it was named for Kimball. It was a station on the Port Huron and Northwestern Railway in 1882 and was given a post office as "Kimbal" in December 1882. The spelling was corrected to Kimball in January 1889 and the office closed in June 1908.cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | authorlink=Walter Romig | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | origyear= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | id = ISBN 0-8143-1838-X]
* Smiths Creek is a small unincorporated community the southwestern corner of Kimball Township and the northern portion of Saint Clair Township on the Smiths Creek tributary of the Pine River at coord|42|54|50|N|82|36|14|W|. [gnis|1624935|Smiths Creek, Michigan] Both the community and the stream were named for Elisha Smith, an early landowner. A post office was established in October 1861. It was given a station on the Grand Trunk Railroad line in 1865. Smiths Creek was the county seat of St. Clair County from 1869 until April 1871, when it was removed to Port Huron.cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | authorlink=Walter Romig | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | origyear= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | id = ISBN 0-8143-1838-X] The St. Clair County Sanitary Landfill is located in Smiths Creek. Smiths Creek is said to be where Thomas Edison was kicked off the train, because of his experiments. The train depot is now at Greenfield Village, a part of The Henry Ford Museum. The Smiths Creek ZIP code, 48074, serves all of Kimball Township. [ [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=86000US48074&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=AdvSearch&_lang=en Digit ZCTA, 480 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder] , U.S. Census Bureau, 200 census]
* Sparlingville is on the west side of the township at coord|42|57|52|N|82|31|23|W|. [gnis|1624946|Sparlingville, Michigan] It was founded by George Sparling, a builder and land developer about 1923.cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | authorlink=Walter Romig | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | origyear= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | id = ISBN 0-8143-1838-X] Sparlingville was at one time an incorporated area.Fact|date=May 2008 The Kimball Township hall is located near Sparlingville, the fire hall, library, and Sparlingville Elementary are located in the community. Sparlingville is made up of mostly low-income housing and is surrounded by farmland.
* Wadhams is in the northeast corner of the township at coord|42|59|14|N|82|32|19|W|. [gnis|1624997|Wadhams, Michigan] In 1825, a Scotsman Robert Smart, with the backing of Detroit interests, built a mill on the Black River. He named the place "Clyde Mills", after the River Clyde in Scotland, where Smart had lived as a boy. In 1827, Smart sold the mill to Ralph Wadhams. A post office with the name Clyde Mills operated from March 1835 until December 1872. Clyde Township was organized in March 1836 and took its name from the settlement. When first organized, Clyde Township encompassed the area of what are now 20 townships. When Kimball Township was set off in 1855, the settlement by which Clyde Township derived its name became part of a different township; a fact with reportedly greatly disappointed Ralph Wadhams. A post office was operated with the name "Wadhams" from June 1886 through October 1887, and again from February 1890 until October 1905. [cite book |last=Fuller |first=George N. |title=Local history and personal sketches of St. Clair and Shiawassee counties. |origyear=1926? |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/ARH7752.0001.001 |accessdate=2007-05-01 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=p. 45 |chapter=History of St. Clair County |chapterurl=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=ARH7752.0001.001;didno=ARH7752.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000041] cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | authorlink=Walter Romig | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | origyear= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | id = ISBN 0-8143-1838-X] Wadhams has experienced many new developments due to its close proximity to Interstate 69 and Old M-21 (the former route of M-21 (Lapeer Road). A food center, multiple gas stations, and fast food restaurants make up Wadhams.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.5 square miles (97.2 km²), of which, 37.2 square miles (96.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (0.69%) is water. Smiths Creek is also home to several inbred individuals who like to hollar at the moon in front of the pink elephant.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 8,628 people, 3,120 households, and 2,383 families residing in the township. The population density was 231.6 per square mile (89.4/km²). There were 3,302 housing units at an average density of 88.6/sq mi (34.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.80% White, 0.89% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.

There were 3,120 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $47,627, and the median income for a family was $52,558. Males had a median income of $41,707 versus $24,738 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,253. About 5.8% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

References