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*Wau-Me-Gah Lake (5 acres)
*Wau-Me-Gah Lake (5 acres)
*Whipple Lake (75 acres)
*Whipple Lake (75 acres)

==Road racing==

[[Waterford Hills Road Racing Track]] is a professional road racing track located at 4770 Waterford Road in Independence Township.

The track is a 1.5 mile road racing track (not an oval) with right and left turns, hills and straight-a-ways. The fastest cars hit over 120mph on the back straight. The track has spectator seating along the track.<ref>http://www.waterfordhills.com/about.shtml</ref>

Races are run in accordance with the [[Sports Car Club of America]]) competition rules.


==Location==
==Location==

Revision as of 18:50, 21 March 2016

Independence Township, Michigan
Charter township
Location within Oakland County
Location within Oakland County
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyOakland
Area
 • Total36.3 sq mi (94.0 km2)
 • Land35.2 sq mi (91.2 km2)
 • Water1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2)
Elevation
1,112 ft (339 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total34,681
 • Density960/sq mi (370/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
48346 and 48348
Area code(s)313 (1947-93), 810 (1993-97), 248 (1997-present)
FIPS code26-40400[1]
GNIS feature ID1626511[2]
Websitetwp.independence.mi.us

Independence Township is a charter township of Oakland County, Michigan.

Clarkston, incorporated in 1992, is the largest city in the township, which is home to the Independence Township offices, Pine Knob Ski Resort, and DTE Energy Music Theater.[3]

Independence Township was named by one of its earliest settlers, Joseph Van Sycle, who came to the area in 1834 from Independence Township, New Jersey.[4][5]

History

The first settlers arrived in Independence Township in the mid 1820s and early 1830s, primarily from New Jersey and New York. The first settler to purchase and settle land in the township was John W. Beardslee, from Sussex County, New Jersey.[6]

While initially the township was primarily agricultural, the many lakes in the area were beginning to draw vacationers out of Detroit and other cities. In 1851, the railroad came through Clarkston, which prompted hotels to be built in the township to accommodate the resort vacationers coming to the area.

The invention of the automobile had a tremendous effect on Independence Township. Roads that were once Native American trails were paved and widened for this new mode of transportation. The old Saginaw Trail, now known as Dixie Highway, was paved as early as 1920, and Main Street (M-15) in Clarkston was paved around 1922.

The expanding national highway system brought I-75 through Independence Township 1962, spurring both business and residential development. Many farms gave way to subdivisions and strip malls as Independence Township continued evolving into part of Metropolitan Detroit.[7]

Parks

Independence Township is home to several parks.

  • The largest of Independence Township's parks is Independence Oaks, located at 9501 Sashabaw Road in Independence Township. This 1,276-acre park features more than 12 miles of marked nature and ski trails, including the paved River Loop Trail, All-Visitors Trail and Hawk's View Trail, a 2.5 mile paved hike, bike and blade pathways, picnicking, hiking, fishing, swimming, nature study and youth group camping.[8][9]
  • Clintonwood Park, located at 6000 Clarkston Road in Clarkston, is 120 acres of open space. The park features a fitness trail, basketball courts, tennis courts, playground and spraypark, and baseball/softball fields.
  • Deer Lake Beach is located at 350 White Lake Road in Clarkston. The beach is on the 137-acre Deer Lake and offers two separate swimming areas that are both supervised by lifeguards during hours of operation.[10]
  • Sashabaw Plains Park, located at 5620 Maybee Road in Independence Township, is a 15-acre park featuring a playground, baseball fields, horseshoes, basketball courts, volleyball and picnic areas.
  • Depot Park, located on 375 Depot Road in downtown Clarkston, offers free concerts in the park every Friday. The park also has walking paths along the Clinton River and a play-ground.
  • Bay Court Park, located at 6970 Andersonville Road, has a Playscape and Disc golf and is situated on the banks of the 177-acre Greens Lake in Independence Township.[11]

Education

Independence Township is primarily serviced by the Clarkston Community Schools.[12]

In 2016, Clarkston High School had an enrollment of 1,930 students in grade nine through twelve.[13] The school is located at 6093 Flemings Lake Road in Clarkston.

Clarkston High School offers twenty-six varsity sports, and competes in the Oakland Activities Association.[14] It is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.[15]

Renaissance High School is located at 6558 Waldon Road in Clarkston. Renaissance High School is for students in grades 9 - 12 who need an alternative to the traditional high school setting in order to be successful. Renaissance students must meet Clarkston High School graduation requirements and receive a Clarkston High School diploma. Renaissance students are encouraged to participate in athletics, clubs and extracurricular activities offered at Clarkston High School. Renaissance students can also take courses at the Oakland Schools Campus, whose Northwest campus is also located in the township at 8211 Big Lake Road in Clarkston.[16][17]

Opened in 2008, Everest Collegiate High School is a private Roman Catholic high school also located in the township at 5935 Clarkston Road in Independence Township. The school competes athletically in the Catholic High School League[18] and is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.[19]

Clarkston Junior High School is located at 6595 Waldon Road in Clarkston. The school teaches eight and ninth grades.

Sashabaw Middle School is located at 5565 Pine Knob Lane in Independence Township. The school teaches sixth and seventh grades.

There are seven public elementary schools in Independence Township:

  • Andersonville Elementary School
  • Bailey Lake Elementary School
  • Clarkston Elementary School
  • Independence Elementary School
  • North Sashabaw Elementary School
  • Pine Knob Elementary School
  • Springfield Plains Elementary School

Everest Academy, a private Catholic elementary school, is also located in Independence Township.

Golf

Independence Township is home to three public golf courses; Fountains Golf Golf Club, an 18-hole course located at 6060 Maybee Road in Independence Township, Pine Knob Golf Club, a 27-hole course, located at 5580 Waldon Road in Independence Township,[20] and Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club, a 27- hole championship course rated 42nd best golf course in the United States by Golf Magazine.[21] It is located at 9085 Big Lake Road in Independence Township.[22]

Oakhurst Golf and Country Club is a private club, located at 7000 Oakhurst Lane in Independence Township.[23] Oakhurst was the home of the 99th Michigan Amateur[24]

Skiing and music

Pine Knob is a ski resort located in Independence Township. It features 15 trails and 10 lifts. It is known for its slope called "The Wall".

Pine Knob is also home to the DTE Energy Music Theatre, an outdoor Amphitheater concert venue that has featured hundreds of celebrities and is always one of the highest grossing outdoor amphitheaters in the United States.[25] It is located in Independence Township minutes away from downtown Clarkston.[26]

The concert venue, which opened in 1972, was originally called Pine Knob Music Theater until DTE Energy purchased its naming rights in 2001.[27][28]

Hills and lakes

Independence Township is located along the Hillsdale-Lapeer Moraine Range. The highest hill along that range in Independence Township is Pine Knob, at 1,221 feet. It is also the highest point in Southeastern Michigan. Only a few miles away is Waterford Hill, the second highest hill in Independence Township with an elevation of 1,150 feet.[29]

The Clinton River winds its way through Independence Township creating twenty-six lakes of all sizes along the way, including:[30][31]

  • Bailey Lake (26 acres)
  • Cranberry Lake (35 acres)
  • Crooked Lake (68 acres)
  • Dark Lake
  • Deer Lake (137 acres)
  • Dollar Lake
  • Flemings Lake (7 acres)
  • Foster Lake (13 acres)
  • Greens Lake (117 acres)
  • Gulick Lake (16 acres)
  • Huckleberry Lake
  • Knox Lake
  • Lester Lake (12 acres)
  • Little Walters Lake (17 acres)
  • Lotus Lake (part) (179 acres)
  • Middle Lake (23 acres)
  • Parke Lake (23 acres)
  • Round Lake (37 acres)
  • Sans Souci Lake
  • Spring Lake (19 acres)
  • Townsend Lake (26 acres)
  • Upper Bushman Lake (9 acres)
  • Van Norman Lake (66 acres)
  • Walters Lake (77 acres)
  • Wau-Me-Gah Lake (5 acres)
  • Whipple Lake (75 acres)

Road racing

Waterford Hills Road Racing Track is a professional road racing track located at 4770 Waterford Road in Independence Township.

The track is a 1.5 mile road racing track (not an oval) with right and left turns, hills and straight-a-ways. The fastest cars hit over 120mph on the back straight. The track has spectator seating along the track.[32]

Races are run in accordance with the Sports Car Club of America) competition rules.

Location

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.3 square miles (94 km2), of which 35.2 square miles (91 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), or 3.03%, is water.

Demographics

The population of Independence Township was 34,681 at the 2010 census.[33]

In Independence Township in 2010, there were:

  • 11,765 households
  • 9,094 families
  • 12,375 housing units
  • 95.84% White
  • 1.22% Asian
  • 0.84% African American
  • 0.24% Native American
  • 2.75 was the average household size
  • 3.14 was the average family size
  • 27.7% under the age of 18
  • 6.9% from 18 to 24
  • 31.7% from 25 to 44
  • 25.7% from 45 to 64
  • 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older
  • $74,992 was the median income

Notable people

This list includes people from the area (Clarkston and Independence Township).

References

  1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Independence Township, Michigan
  3. ^ http://www.villageofclarkston.org/
  4. ^ http://interactive.ancestry.com/1246/RHUSA2007B_MI0220-00493/862215? Independence Township, Michigan, Land Patent of Joseph Van Syckle of (Independence Township,) Warren County, New Jersey (www.ancestry.com subscription access retrieved 17 July 2015)
  5. ^ http://interactive.ancestry.com/8057/4410710_00300/2240542? 1840 U.S. Federal Census Schedule of the whole number of persons in the division, Michigan, Oakland County, Independence Township (www.ancestry.com subscription access retrieved 17 July 2015)
  6. ^ http://www.twp.independence.mi.us/residents/township_history/index.php#gdEEQjzjma3ZJTOz.99
  7. ^ http://www.clarkstonhistorical.org/
  8. ^ http://www.destinationoakland.com/parksandtrails/parks/independenceoaks/pages/default.aspx
  9. ^ http://www.destinationoakland.com/parksandtrails/parks/independenceoaks/pages/default.aspx
  10. ^ http://oaklandcountymoms.com/deer-lake-beach-clarkston-review-pics-25862/
  11. ^ http://www.indetwp.com/departments/parks_rec_and_seniors/parks_and_facilities.php#kwypRSTuA0JfXKEC.99
  12. ^ http://216.11.46.29/education/components/sectionlist/default.php?sectiondetailid=5
  13. ^ https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-high-schools/largest-enrollment/s/michigan/
  14. ^ http://www.oaklandactivitiesassoc.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=275
  15. ^ http://www.mhsaa.com/
  16. ^ http://www.ostconline.com/CAMPUSES/NorthwestCampusClarkston/tabid/2828/Default.aspx
  17. ^ http://216.11.46.29/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=773&
  18. ^ http://www.chsl.com/
  19. ^ http://www.mhsaa.com/
  20. ^ http://pineknobmansion.com/golf/
  21. ^ http://www.shepherdshollow.com/
  22. ^ http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Clarkston+mi
  23. ^ http://www.oakhurstgolf.com/
  24. ^ http://www.mlive.com/sports/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/06/michigan_amateur_gears_for_99t.html
  25. ^ https://www.palacenet.com/about-pse/history-info
  26. ^ http://wikitravel.org/en/Clarkston_(Michigan)
  27. ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pine-knob-to-be-renamed-dte-energy-music-theatre-71105357.html
  28. ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pine-knob-to-be-renamed-dte-energy-music-theatre-71105357.html
  29. ^ http://www.topozone.com/michigan/oakland-mi/locale/clarkston-4/
  30. ^ http://www.expertgps.com/data/mi/lakes.asp
  31. ^ http://www.lakeplace.com/lakefinder/mi/oakland
  32. ^ http://www.waterfordhills.com/about.shtml
  33. ^ "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Independence charter township, Oakland County, Michigan". U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 2. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  34. ^ "Valerie Bertinelli". International Speakers Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  35. ^ http://www.oldemillinnofclarkston.com/About-Us.html
  36. ^ http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=det
  37. ^ http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/01/11/life/suburban_life_clarkston/doc4b4af849340d2958384567.txt
  38. ^ http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/07/29/sports/college/doc4e334bf2dfc66826331403.txt
  39. ^ http://michiganhistory.leadr.msu.edu/henry-ford-in-the-village-of-clarkston/
  40. ^ http://www.clarkstonhistory.info/history/chd/index.htm
  41. ^ http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090129/OPINION03/901290410
  42. ^ http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/08/02/news/cops_and_courts/doc51fc53f1cc416724803083.txt
  43. ^ http://www.clarkstonnews.com/Articles-i-2005-08-17-135461.112112_ARCA_driver_eyes_NASCAR.html
  44. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047403/
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