Chesaning, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Looking west along Broad Street | |
 Location withinSaginaw County | |
  Chesaning Location within the state of Michigan | |
| Coordinates:43°11′05″N84°07′12″W / 43.18472°N 84.12000°W /43.18472; -84.12000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Saginaw |
| Township | Chesaning |
| Government | |
| • Type | Village council |
| • Village President | Matthew Hoover |
| • President Pro-Tem | Keith Wenzel |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.17 sq mi (8.21 km2) |
| • Land | 3.08 sq mi (7.98 km2) |
| • Water | 0.089 sq mi (0.23 km2) |
| Elevation | 640 ft (200 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,430 |
| • Density | 789.0/sq mi (304.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 48616 |
| Area code | 989 |
| FIPS code | 26-15140[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397613[2] |
| Website | Official website |
Chesaning (/ˈtʃɛsənɪŋ/CHESS-ə-ning) is a village inSaginaw County in theU.S. state ofMichigan. The population was 2,394 at the2010 census. The village is located withinChesaning Township.
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The first mention of Chesaning in the written pages of history is the Saginaw Treaty, signed in 1819.[4] This treaty was between members of the Saginaw Tribe,Chippewa Indians, and the government of the United States. They established a number of reservations, including 10,000 acres (40 km2) along the banks of theShiawassee River known as "Big Rock Reserve." Chesaning is a Chippewa word meaning "big rock place". The treaty continued in effect until 1837 when a second treaty led to the reserve being surveyed and offered for sale in 1841. The first land was sold at $5 per acre to brothers Wellington and George W. Chapman, and Rufus Mason. After making their land purchase, they traveled back toMassachusetts and moved their families to their new wilderness home by late summer of 1842.
During the months they had been away from their land, several settlers had moved into the area, building a dam and asawmill. A few years later, agrinding mill was added. The new settlers named their community "Northampton" in honor of thehome they had left in Massachusetts. In 1853, the legislature changed the name to Chesaning, the traditional name for the village and township. The first township elections, held in 1847, are considered to be the official birthday of the community. The village, first surveyed in 1851, was organized in 1869. The early business community was located on the east side of the river. The forest setting provided an abundance of lumber, which was used to construct many stores. However, the use of coal heating systems often caused major fires, which destroyed entire blocks of stores. The fires and the arrival of the railroad on the west side community influenced the business area to move on the west side of the river.
The Owosso and Saginaw Navigation Company, organized in 1857 to move merchandise by barge up and down the river, began construction of acanal andlock on the east side of the dam for hauling goods on the river. The river continued to be important for commercial use until the railroad arrived in Owosso. The railroad through Chesaning, built in 1867, was first surveyed to be built approximately three miles west of Chesaning, going directly fromOakley toSt. Charles. Luckily, Wellington Chapman donated $18,000, a considerable sum at the time, to the railroad to secure a rail line through Chesaning. The rail was very important to the economy of the village.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.14 square miles (8.13 km2), of which 3.05 square miles (7.90 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) is water.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 721 | — | |
| 1880 | 889 | 23.3% | |
| 1890 | 1,056 | 18.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,244 | 17.8% | |
| 1910 | 1,363 | 9.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,387 | 1.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,594 | 14.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,807 | 13.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,264 | 25.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,770 | 22.3% | |
| 1970 | 2,876 | 3.8% | |
| 1980 | 2,656 | −7.6% | |
| 1990 | 2,567 | −3.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,548 | −0.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,394 | −6.0% | |
| 2020 | 2,430 | 1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] | |||
As of thecensus[7] of 2010, there were 2,394 people, 1,015 households, and 628 families living in the village. Thepopulation density was 784.9 inhabitants per square mile (303.1/km2). There were 1,129 housing units at an average density of 370.2 per square mile (142.9/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 95.9%White, 0.6%African American, 0.6%Native American, 0.3%Asian, 1.5% fromother races, and 1.1% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 1,015 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% weremarried couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.1% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the village was 39.7 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 2,548 people, 1,060 households, and 693 families living in the village. The population density was 818.2 inhabitants per square mile (315.9/km2). There were 1,126 housing units at an average density of 361.6 per square mile (139.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.80%White, 0.35%African American, 0.24%Native American, 0.08%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.75% fromother races, and 0.75% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.57% of the population.
There were 1,060 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% weremarried couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $34,952, and the median income for a family was $51,029. Males had a median income of $38,424 versus $24,635 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $19,408. About 7.0% of families and 9.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education in Chesaning had its beginnings during the summer of 1843 when a small board shanty was built on the east side of the river. Eliza Ann Smith was the first teacher. She had 11 pupils, which included her five younger brothers. The first school year was brought to an end when a heavy rainstorm flooded the building and sent the teacher and pupils fleeing to higher ground. The school moved several times over the years, until 1869, when a brick school was built for $14,000. The building was enlarged a few years later. Then a second brick school was constructed on the site of the first brick school and opened in 1918. A gymnasium was added to the school in 1938 and a few years later, a band room. The present high school opened in 1959 and had a capacity of 1,000 students. The building was later enlarged to accommodate 1,200 students. Today,Chesaning Union Schools consists of a high school, a middle school and one elementary school. The district includes a large rural area.
Zion Lutheran School is a grade school (Pre-K-8) of theWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Chesaning.[8]
Chesaning's local newspaper is theTri-County Citizen. Founded in 1983, it is a weekly free paper delivered to over 19,000 area homes. Many residents also subscribe toThe Saginaw News,The Bay City Times, theFlint Journal, or theArgus-Press out of neighboringOwosso.
Chesaning is an important location for broadcasters inMid-Michigan, with the community being home to three nearly 1,000 footcommunications towers.Flint'sWJRT-TV andWSMH as well asSaginaw'sWAQP have their antennas and transmitters south of Chesaning. The location gives broadcasters the ability to transmit strong signals to Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, and Lansing.
Radio stations from Saginaw, Flint and Lansing can be received in Chesaning. Exceptionally strong local signals includeWSGW,WTLZ,WKCQ andWILZ in Saginaw;WHNN andWIOG in Bay City; andWOAP andWRSR in Owosso.
Chesaning was known for an annual event called the Showboat. This festival was canceled in July 2013, citing lack of funds. The Showboat Committee later filed forChapter 7 bankruptcy protection.[citation needed]
Municipalities and communities ofSaginaw County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Charter townships | ||
| Civil townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities |
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| Defunct | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
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