Manistee, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Mouth of theManistee River atLake Michigan. Downtown Manistee andManistee Lake are in the background. | |
| Nickname: "Salt City (of theInland Seas)" | |
 Location of Manistee, Michigan | |
  Manistee, Michigan Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:44°14′37″N86°19′17″W / 44.24361°N 86.32139°W /44.24361; -86.32139 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| County | Manistee |
| Settled | April 16, 1841 |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.53 sq mi (11.73 km2) |
| • Land | 3.28 sq mi (8.49 km2) |
| • Water | 1.25 sq mi (3.24 km2) |
| Elevation | 663 ft (202 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,259 |
| • Density | 1,908.9/sq mi (737.04/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 49660 |
| Area code | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-50720[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1620680[4] |
| Website | manisteemi |
Manistee (/mænɪsti/man-iss-TEE) is a city in theU.S. state ofMichigan. Located in southwesternManistee County, it is part of the northwesternLower Peninsula. Manistee is thecounty seat of Manistee County, and its population was 6,259 at the2020 census.[5] This makes Manistee the fifth-largest city inNorthern Michigan.
Manistee is located on anisthmus betweenManistee Lake andLake Michigan, with theManistee River bisecting the city as it flows west to the latter. Manistee is located alongUS 31, one of the majortrunkline highways of the state.
The name "Manistee" is from anOjibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county.[6] The derivation is not certain,[7] but it may be fromministigweyaa, "river with islands at its mouth".[8][9] Other sources claim that it was an Ojibwe term meaning "spirit of the woods".[10]
In 1751, aJesuit mission was established in Manistee.[11] Missionaries visited Manistee in the early 19th century, and a Jesuit mission house is known to have been located on the northwest shore of Manistee Lake in 1826. In 1832, a group of traders fromMassachusetts built a log house up the Manistee River. However, they were soon driven off by theOdawa nation. The first white settlement and sawmill was built there in 1841.[11]
In 1830 the village of Manistee was one of about 15 Odawa (Ottawa) villages along the shore of Lake Michigan. Much of the Manistee River Valley, including Manistee itself, was designated as an Odawa Reservation from 1836 to 1848.[12]
The first permanent Euro-American settlement was made on April 16, 1841, whenJohn Stronach and his son,Adam Stronach, arrived at the mouth of the Manistee River in aschooner loaded with fifteen men and equipment, and established asawmill.[13]
In 1846, the town was named "Manistee"; it was made part ofOttawa County, whose county offices were 100 miles (160 km) away atGrand Haven. After a series of new counties were organized, by 1855 Manistee was part of a largeManistee County that also included modern-dayWexford andMissaukee counties.[14]Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell, Manistee's first lawyer, moved there in 1860 and remained there until his death in 1917. Ramsdell owned the firsthardware store in the city, and was responsible for the construction of a bridge across the Manistee River.[15]
On October 8, 1871, the town was practically destroyed by fire; on the same day that thePeshtigo Fire, theGreat Chicago Fire, and fires inPort Huron andHolland occurred, theGreat Michigan Fire burned Manistee.[16] Manistee was incorporated as a city in 1882.[17]
In 2000, Manistee made national headlines after a local jury convicted a woman for expressing to her mother near aHispanic family in a restaurant her wish that immigrants would learn English; the judge described it as "insulting conduct" consisting of "fighting words", an offense that was punishable under a local ordinance. Allegations appeared of improper procedure and irregularities in the court records. Two years later (November 1, 2002) and after the defendant spent four nights in jail, the conviction was overturned by the state Court of Appeals.[18][19][20][21]
Manistee is in southwestern Manistee County innorthern Michigan, bordered to the west byLake Michigan and to the east byManistee Lake. TheManistee River connects the two lakes, cutting through the middle of the city. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Manistee has a total area of 4.53 square miles (11.73 km2), of which 3.28 square miles (8.50 km2) are land and 1.25 square miles (3.24 km2), or 27.6%, are water.[1] Neighboring and nearby communities includeParkdale to the northeast,Eastlake to the east, andFiler City,Oak Hill, andStronach to the southeast. The townships that border Manistee areFiler to the south,Stronach to the southeast, andManistee to the east and northeast.
U.S. Route 31 passes through the center of Manistee as Cypress Street. The highway leads northeast 60 miles (97 km) toTraverse City and south 25 miles (40 km) to the outskirts ofLudington.M-55 intersects US 31 in Parkdale, just east of Manistee, and leads east 47 miles (76 km) toCadillac.
At the mouth of theManistee River are theManistee Pierhead lights (north and south piers) that were built in 1873, and replaced in 1927.[22]
| Climate data for Manistee, Michigan (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1888–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) | 64 (18) | 82 (28) | 86 (30) | 93 (34) | 99 (37) | 99 (37) | 100 (38) | 97 (36) | 88 (31) | 78 (26) | 64 (18) | 100 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 32.5 (0.3) | 42.1 (5.6) | 54.8 (12.7) | 67.1 (19.5) | 76.1 (24.5) | 79.7 (26.5) | 78.1 (25.6) | 72.0 (22.2) | 59.1 (15.1) | 46.1 (7.8) | 35.1 (1.7) | 56.1 (13.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 25.9 (−3.4) | 33.7 (0.9) | 44.8 (7.1) | 55.9 (13.3) | 65.0 (18.3) | 69.4 (20.8) | 68.4 (20.2) | 62.2 (16.8) | 50.7 (10.4) | 39.5 (4.2) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 47.5 (8.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.6 (−7.4) | 19.2 (−7.1) | 25.3 (−3.7) | 34.7 (1.5) | 44.8 (7.1) | 54.0 (12.2) | 59.1 (15.1) | 58.7 (14.8) | 52.4 (11.3) | 42.2 (5.7) | 33.0 (0.6) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 38.9 (3.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −38 (−39) | −21 (−29) | 6 (−14) | 21 (−6) | 23 (−5) | 33 (1) | 31 (−1) | 23 (−5) | 15 (−9) | −8 (−22) | −14 (−26) | −38 (−39) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.20 (56) | 1.59 (40) | 2.22 (56) | 3.44 (87) | 3.29 (84) | 3.76 (96) | 3.29 (84) | 3.32 (84) | 3.26 (83) | 4.12 (105) | 3.17 (81) | 2.68 (68) | 36.34 (923) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 17.4 | 11.5 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 11.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 16.3 | 149.5 |
| Source:NOAA[23][24] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3,343 | — | |
| 1880 | 6,930 | 107.3% | |
| 1890 | 12,812 | 84.9% | |
| 1900 | 14,260 | 11.3% | |
| 1910 | 12,381 | −13.2% | |
| 1920 | 9,694 | −21.7% | |
| 1930 | 8,078 | −16.7% | |
| 1940 | 8,694 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,642 | −0.6% | |
| 1960 | 8,324 | −3.7% | |
| 1970 | 7,723 | −7.2% | |
| 1980 | 7,665 | −0.8% | |
| 1990 | 6,734 | −12.1% | |
| 2000 | 6,586 | −2.2% | |
| 2010 | 6,226 | −5.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,259 | 0.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25][26] | |||
As of the census[27] of 2010, there were 6,226 people, 2,816 households, and 1,614 families residing in the city. The population as of 2013 is 6117. Thepopulation density was 1,892.4 inhabitants per square mile (730.7/km2). There were 3,599 housing units at an average density of 1,093.9 per square mile (422.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.5%White, 0.5%African American, 3.8%Native American, 0.4%Asian, 0.7% fromother races, and 3.0% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
There were 2,816 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.82.
The median age in the city was 43.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,586 people, 2,912 households, and 1,729 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,023.7 inhabitants per square mile (781.4/km2). There were 3,426 housing units at an average density of 1,052.7 per square mile (406.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.9%White, 0.3%African American, 1.4%Native American, 0.5%Asian, nil%Pacific Islander, 1.0% fromother races, and 1.9% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 2,912 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,351, and the median income for a family was $41,816. Males had a median income of $35,347 versus $20,102 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,810. About 6.9% of families and 11.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
In its heyday, Manistee was home to a booming logging industry.
In the late 19th century, Manistee was one of the leadingshingle manufacturing cities in the world, with over 30 shingle mills on the Manistee river at one time. During the lumber boom of the 1880s, Manistee was the headquarters of its own railroad, theManistee and North-Eastern, and had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the United States.[28]
Manistee is also associated with thesalt industry. Manistee is now the home of three factories on Lake Manistee;Packaging Corporation of America,Morton Salt, andMartin Marietta. For this reason, Manistee is known as the "Salt City".[29] The town is also a local favorite for tourism and fishing.
Manistee is home to a radio station,WMTE-FM (101.5), and was previously home to the now-defunctWMTE (1340 AM). TheLudington Daily News,Manistee News Advocate andTraverse City Record-Eagle cover the Manistee area and distribute daily newspapers in the city.
Formerly distributing newspapers in Manistee included theBear Lake Beacon, theCopemish Courier, theManistee Advocate, theManistee Daily Advocate (which became theManistee News Advocate), theManistee Daily News, theManistee Democrat, and theOnekama Lake Breeze.
Manistee is home to10 West Studios[30] which produces full-length motion pictures. Notable movies include:What If..., starringKevin Sorbo andJohn Ratzenberger filmed in Manistee,[31]Jerusalem Countdown featuringRandy Travis,Stacy Keach andLee Majors,Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy starringChristopher Lloyd andErnie Hudson, andGod Bless the Broken Road starringJordin Sparks andLindsay Pulsipher
Manistee has museums, an opera house, and recurring events.[33] These include:
Manistee has a historic downtown with many original buildings from the Victorian era. The entire Downtown District is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. There are a good variety of retail stores in Manistee, many of which are locally owned and operated.
TheMichigan Department of CorrectionsOaks Correctional Facility is inManistee Township, near Manistee.[52][53]
The Manistee Saints are a semi-professional baseball team that have called Manistee home since 1934. Their home games are at Rietz Park in Manistee. Formerly, theManistee Colts and theManistee Champs played in theMichigan State League, aminor league baseball league.
There are many golf courses located around the city of Manistee.
There are also two ski resorts near the city of Manistee.
There are manydisc golf courses,mountain biking trails, andhiking trails all overManistee County and in the city of Manistee.
Elementary
Secondary
ElementaryJefferson Elementary School K-6
Secondary
All grades
Manistee Catholic Central School (K-12), Roman Catholic private school, Class D/Division 4 ; Division 8 (Football)
one room/country schools
US 31 /LMCT traverses the heart of Manistee, running southerly towardScottville andMuskegon and northerly towardBear Lake andTraverse City.
M-22 /LMCT begins five miles (8.0 km) northeast of Manistee[59]
M-55 begins one mile (1.6 km) northeast of Manistee and proceeds easterly across theLower Peninsula toTawas City.[60]
M-110 is a former state trunkline that used to run from US 31 on the city line of Manistee andParkdale withinManistee Township toOrchard State Park. It was decommissioned in 2003.In 1751 a Jesuit mission was established here, but the first actual white settlement took place in 1841, when a sawmill was built.
In 1846 it was attached to Ottawa County, and the county offices were at Grand Haven, and there was also the nearest justice of the peace. Matrimony, in those days,was a serious matter, and attended with no little trouble. There was no one nearer than Grand Haven or Milwaukee authorized to speak the magic words so charming to the ear, and a trip of ninety miles by canoe, or on foot, was an excursion of considerable magnitude. In 1851 the county was attached to Oceana, county seat at Middlesex, and in 1853 attached to Grand Traverse, to which it remained attached until the Spring of 1855, when it was organized and raised to the honorable dignity of local sovereignty. Prior to 1855, Manistee, Wexford and Missaukee Counties comprised one township, or rather, they were embraced in the township organization of Manistee town.
Municipalities and communities ofManistee County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
