Comstock Township, Michigan
| Charter Township of Comstock | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Nickname(s): Comstock | |
| Motto: A Community with Opportunity | |
 Charter Township of Comstock
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| Coordinates: 42°17′49″N 85°29′56″W / 42.29694°N 85.49889°WCoordinates: 42°17′49″N 85°29′56″W / 42.29694°N 85.49889°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Kalamazoo |
| Organized | 1834 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Charter township |
| • Supervisor | Tim Hudson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 34.9 sq mi (90.5 km2) |
| • Land | 33.0 sq mi (85.4 km2) |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 810 ft (247 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 14,854 |
| • Density | 420.2/sq mi (162.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 49041 (Comstock, P.O. Box), 49048 (Kalamazoo), 49053 (Galesburg) |
| Area code(s) | 269 |
| FIPS code | 26-17680[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626126[2] |
| Website | http://www.comstockmi.com/ |
Comstock Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan located east of the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,854.
Contents |
[edit] Communities
- Comstock is an unincorporated community in the western part of the township located along the Kalamazoo River and M-96 at 42°17′12″N 85°30′48″W / 42.28667°N 85.51333°W.[3] The first gristmill opened in 1832 and a post office was established here in February 1832.[4] The Comstock ZIP code, 49041, offers only P.O. box service.
- Comstock Northwest is a census-designated place in the northwest section of the township.
- East Comstock is a named place located just east of the community of Comstock on M-96, near the dam forming Morrow Lake on the Kalamazoo River at 42°17′10″N 85°29′23″W / 42.28611°N 85.48972°W.[5]
- Galesburg is a city located in the eastern portion of the township on M-96 and is the only incorporated area in the township. The Galesburg ZIP code, 49053, serves much of the eastern portion of the township.[6]
- Lawndale is a named place between East Comstock and Galesburg along M-96 at 42°17′11″N 85°27′44″W / 42.28639°N 85.46222°W.[7]
[edit] Schools
The following public school systems serve portions of Comstock Township:
[edit] History
Township 2 South Range 10 West was first surveyed in January 1827 by Robert M. Clark. The first settler, William Tolland, came there in 1829 but apparently never purchased any land, despite living there for several years. In 1830, land entries were recorded for William Harris for the southwest quarter of section 17 and Major G. Van Dwyer for the southwest quarter of section 13 (the eastern portion of the section is now part of Galesburg). In 1831 land entries were recorded for Horace H. Comstock, Caleb Eldred, Thomas W. Merrill, Mumford Eldred, Stephen Eldred, Leland Lane, and others. Settling in the eastern part of the township in or near what is now Galesburg were Nathaniel Matthews, Ralph Tuttle, Sherman Cummings, George Townsend, and Nathan Cothren. H. H. Comstock, Caleb Eldred, and Cryus Lovell settled in the western part of the township near what became Comstock.
Comstock Township was organized by an act of the Territorial Legislature in 1834. Previously, it was a part of Arcadia Township (later renamed Kalamazoo Township, which initially comprised all eight of the northern tier of townships in Kalamazoo County. In June 1832, Richland Township was set off, consisting of Richland, Ross, Charleston, and Comstock townships. On March 7, 1834, Comstock township was set off, comprising Comstock and Charleston townships and also Climax Township, which had been set off from Brady Township. Climax was set off from Comstock on December 30, 1837, and Charleston in 1838.[8][9]
Comstock Township became a Charter township in 1964.[10]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.9 square miles (90 km2), of which, 33.0 square miles (85 km2) of it is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) of it (5.67%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
A densely populated portion of the township adjacent to the city of Kalamazoo is part of the census-designated place (CDP), Comstock Northwest.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 13,851 people, 5,366 households, and 3,809 families residing in the township. The population density was 420.2 per square mile (162.3/km²). There were 5,601 housing units at an average density of 169.9 per square mile (65.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 91.98% White, 4.01% African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
There were 5,366 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $46,140, and the median income for a family was $54,866. Males had a median income of $40,845 versus $29,195 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,857. About 6.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
Comstock Township is served by the following highways:
- Interstate 94
- State Highways M-96, and M-43.
The Kalamazoo Metro Transit public transportation system provides bus service within Comstock Township to a transfer station in downtown Kalamazoo.
The Norfolk Southern and Canadian National railroads provide rail service within the township. Amtrak operates a passenger rail station 4 miles east in nearby downtown Kalamazoo.
The Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport is located 5 miles east in nearby Kalamazoo and provides daily commercial passenger and freight service.
[edit] Bell's Brewery
Comstock Township is home of Bell's Brewery main brewery. Established as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in 1985 by Larry Bell, the brewery expanded from its original Downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan location into a 60,000 square foot facility in Comstock Township. The Comstock brewery has an annual capacity of 170,000 barrels of beer and is distributed throughout the eastern United States. [11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Comstock Township, Michigan
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Comstock, Michigan
- ^ Romig, Walter (1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: East Comstock, Michigan
- ^ 49053 5-Digit ZCTA, 490 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lawndale, Michigan
- ^ A Brief History of the County, by George Torry, from the 1876 meeting of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan
- ^ Chronology of Township, Village and City Formation, Kalamazoo County, MI Genealogy and Local History
- ^ [1], CHRONOLOGY OF TOWNSHIP, VILLAGE AND CITY FORMATION PAGE 2
- ^ Bell's Brewery
[edit] External links
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