Lowell, Michigan

Lowell, Michigan
City
Location of Lowell, Michigan
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Kent
Government
• Mayor	Jim Hodges
• City Manager	Mark Howe
• Public Works Director	Dan Desjarden
• Chief Of Police	Barry Getzen
Area
• Total	3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2)
• Land	2.9 sq mi (7.5 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation	636 ft (194 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	4,013
• Density	1,391.2/sq mi (537.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	49331
Area code	616
FIPS code	26-49540Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0631155

Downtown Lowell Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	Roughly along Main St. bet. Hudson and Washington, Lowell, Michigan
Built	1904
Architect	McDole, Shaw, et al.; Vinton, Colonel H.H., et al
Architectural style	Late Victorian, Art Deco
NRHP reference No.	99001539
Added to NRHP	December 09, 1999

Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,013. The city is in the northern portion of Lowell Township, but is politically independent. It is considered a bedroom community of nearby Grand Rapids.

History

Lowell was founded as a trading post on the south bank of the Grand River in 1831 by Daniel Marsac. In 1847, he purchased land on the north side of the river and platted it as "Dansville". In 1851, a post office was established there named "Lowell" after the township. The community was replatted in 1854 and renamed after the post office. It incorporated as a village in 1861. Lowell is the home of a retired showboat, the Robert E. Lee.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (6.47%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 4,013 people, 1,492 households, and 1,008 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,391.2 per square mile (538.0/km²). There were 1,564 housing units at an average density of 542.2 per square mile (209.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White, 0.57% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.14% of the population.

There were 1,492 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,326, and the median income for a family was $49,145. Males had a median income of $36,525 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,843. About 4.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Lowell is neighbored by Vergennes township, Lowell township, and Ionia county communities.

Schools and Athletics

Lowell has six schools within its public school district: the high school, middle school, 3 elementary schools, and Unity high school. The district excels in Michigan educational assessment program (MEAP), with only 8.3% of Michigan Schools scoring higher, and 95% of students are excelled in reading and math. They have around 4000 students in the district with a growth rate of 75 per year. The district covers 130 square miles (340 km²), The superintendent of the school as of 4 years is Gregory Pratt.

There is also one private school, St. Patrick School, located within the Lowell School District. This school serves children from preschool through 8th grade and is affiliated with St. Patrick Catholic Church in Parnell. The school provides a comprehensive, faith-based curriculum.

Lowell High School's mascot is the Red Arrow. Lowell High School participates in Division 2 for all sports according to the Michigan High School Athletic Association. They participate in almost all sports but are most notably known for their football team who at one point was the #1 ranked team in the nation in USA Today's Massey Ratings.

The football team is known for being a powerhouse and as having the largest program which holds 3 state titles (2002, 2004, 2009), The Equestrian team holds the most state titles including the first for the school, 4 total (2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007), and strong wrestling program also regarded as a powerhouse which holds 3 state championships (2002, 2004, 2009).

Recreation

Lowell Parks	Location
CreeksidePark	Located in the 1600 block of Gee Dr.
Rec Park	Located in the 300 block of S. Broadway St.
Richards Park	Located in the 300 block of N. Hudson St.
Stoney Lakeside Park	Located in the 1200 block of Bowes Rd.
Lowell Dog Park	Located in the 1200 block of Bowes Rd.[1][2]

Lowell is the home of the North Country Trail Association.

Notable residents

• David Christenson, distinguished classical scholar, grew up in Lowell (1960-74)
• Mike Dumas, professional football player (retired)
• Dave Hildenbrand, Michigan politician
• Anthony Kiedis, "Red Hot Chili Peppers" lead singer
• Daniel Vosovic, a fashion designer and a finalist in season 2 of the reality show, Project Runway.

External links

• Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce
• Lowell Area Schools
• Discover Lowell