Kalkaska County, Michigan

Kalkaska County
County
Hotel Sieting in Kalkaska.
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°41′N 85°05′W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1840 (established) 1871 (organized)
Seat	Kalkaska
Largest village	Kalkaska
Area
• Total	571 sq mi (1,480 km2)
• Land	560 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.9%
Population  (2010)
• Total	17,153
• Density	31/sq mi (12/km2)
Congressional district	1st

Kalkaska County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 17,153. The county seat is Kalkaska.

Kalkaska County is included in the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area. Although it is located on Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Kalkaska County is considered part of Northern Michigan.

Etymology of the name

The county's name is a pseudo-Native American word coined by Henry Schoolcraft, a Michigan geographer and ethnologist. The name is thought to be a Chippewa word meaning flat or burned-over country. An alternative theory is that this is a neologism or neonym created by Henry Schoolcraft, originally spelled Calcasca. Some theorists suggest this is word play. Schoolcraft's family name had been Calcraft, and the Ks may have been added to make the name appear more like a Native American word.

History

A detail from A New Map of Michigan with its Canals, Roads & Distances (1842) by Henry Schenck Tanner, showing Kalkaska County as "Wabbassee" (a misspelling of Wabassee, the county's name from 1840 to 1843.) Several nearby counties are also shown with names that would later be changed.

See also: History of Northern Michigan

The county was formed in 1840 and called Wabassee County until 1843. The first settler in Kalkaska County was William Copeland, from England, who purchased land in the northwest corner of the county in 1855. Logging was the first important industry. The discovery of substantial deposits of oil and natural gas resulted in the construction of a processing plant by Shell Oil Company in 1973 and a major economic boom in the community.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,480 km²), of which 560 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (1.9%) is water.

Kalkaska Sand, the state soil of Michigan, was named after the county because of the large amounts deposited in the area from glaciers in the Ice Age.

Kalkaska County has over 80 lakes and 275 miles (443 km) of streams and rivers. Much of the county is marshland. County elevation ranges from 595 feet (181 m) to about 1,246 feet (380 m). This makes it one of the more uneven counties in the Lower Peninsula.

The Pere Marquette State Forest covers much of the county. Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the Grayling outwash plain, a broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges; jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.

Lakes

• Torch Lake
• Starvation Lake
• Lake Skegemog
• Bear Lake
• Manistee Lake
• Grass Lake
• Rainbow Lake
• Blue Lake
• Cub Lake
• Twin Lake
• Little Twin Lake
• Pickerel Lake
• Squaw Lake
• Indian Lake
• Perch Lake
• Crawford Lake
• Lost Lake
• Johnson Rd Lake
• Log Lake
• Selkirk Lake
• Kettle Lake
• Lake Placid
• Sand Lake
• Twenty Eight Lakes
• East Lake
• Long Lake
• Lake Five
• Wheeler Lake

Rivers

• Boardman River
• Manistee River
• Rapid River
• Torch River

Major highways

• US 131 – runs NE through the western part of the county. Enters at 4 miles (6.4 km) north of SW corner; exits into Antrim County near midpoint of north county line.
• M-66 – runs north-south through west-central part of county. Passes Kalkaska.
• M-72 – runs east and ESE through middle portion of county. Passes Kalkaska.

Adjacent counties

• Antrim County - north
• Otsego County - northeast
• Crawford County - east
• Roscommon County - southeast
• Missaukee County - south
• Wexford County - southwest
• Grand Traverse County - west

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	424		—
1880	2,937		592.7%
1890	5,160		75.7%
1900	7,133		38.2%
1910	8,097		13.5%
1920	5,577		−31.1%
1930	3,799		−31.9%
1940	5,159		35.8%
1950	4,597		−10.9%
1960	4,382		−4.7%
1970	5,272		20.3%
1980	10,952		107.7%
1990	13,497		23.2%
2000	16,571		22.8%
2010	17,153		3.5%
2016 (est.)	17,263		0.6%
US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

As of the 2010 United States Census there were 16,571 people, 6,428 households, and 4,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 10,822 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.44% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% were of German, 12.4% English, 10.4% Irish, 10.0% American, 6.3% Polish and 5.1% French ancestry according to Census 2000. 98.8% spoke English as their first language.

There were 6,428 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.95.

The county population contained 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,072, and the median income for a family was $39,932. Males had a median income of $31,860 versus $20,455 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,309. About 8.20% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Kalkaska County voters have been reliably Republican from the start. They have selected the Republican Party nominee in 85% of national elections (29 of 34).

Presidential Election Results

Presidential Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2016	69.2% 6,116	25.8% 2,280	5.0% 437
2012	59.1% 4,901	39.4% 3,272	1.5% 126
2008	53.3% 4,527	44.5% 3,780	2.3% 192
2004	60.7% 5,084	38.1% 3,189	1.3% 107
2000	56.1% 3,842	40.5% 2,774	3.4% 233
1996	40.3% 2,455	43.7% 2,666	16.0% 974
1992	33.8% 2,173	35.8% 2,297	30.4% 1,956
1988	61.2% 3,369	38.0% 2,092	0.8% 43
1984	69.2% 3,623	30.4% 1,595	0.4% 21
1980	56.4% 2,802	36.4% 1,807	7.2% 357
1976	53.1% 2,280	45.6% 1,957	1.3% 54
1972	64.4% 1,855	32.1% 924	3.5% 102
1968	53.3% 1,190	33.7% 753	13.0% 290
1964	41.3% 861	58.5% 1,220	0.1% 3
1960	65.8% 1,341	34.0% 693	0.3% 5
1956	69.1% 1,443	30.5% 636	0.4% 9
1952	72.7% 1,326	26.5% 483	0.8% 14
1948	65.5% 837	31.3% 400	3.1% 40
1944	70.3% 992	29.0% 409	0.8% 11
1940	61.3% 1,155	38.1% 718	0.6% 12
1936	45.7% 855	50.9% 952	3.4% 63
1932	47.5% 705	43.7% 649	8.8% 131
1928	84.6% 988	13.7% 160	1.7% 20
1924	70.5% 966	15.0% 205	14.6% 200
1920	73.2% 890	18.4% 224	8.4% 102
1916	57.5% 724	34.1% 430	8.4% 106
1912	32.3% 448	21.1% 293	46.6% 647
1908	69.3% 1,153	21.4% 356	9.3% 154
1904	83.9% 1,354	11.4% 184	4.7% 76
1900	75.5% 1,312	20.8% 361	3.8% 66
1896	66.4% 940	29.8% 422	3.8% 54
1892	59.5% 717	32.3% 389	8.3% 100
1888	62.3% 798	31.3% 400	6.4% 82
1884	60.9% 630	35.7% 369	3.4% 35

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Events

The National Trout Festival is an annual festival since 1936, held in April. It notes the heritage and sportsmanship of Kalkaska.

Communities

Village

• Kalkaska (county seat)

Census-designated places

• Bear Lake
• Manistee Lake
• Rapid City
• South Boardman

Unincorporated communities

• Barker Creek
• Crofton
• Darragh
• Lodi
• Torch River

Townships

• Bear Lake Township
• Blue Lake Township
• Boardman Township
• Clearwater Township
• Coldsprings Township
• Excelsior Township
• Garfield Township
• Kalkaska Township
• Oliver Township
• Orange Township
• Rapid River Township
• Springfield Township

See also

• List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Kalkaska County, Michigan
• Westwood Cemetery (Michigan)

Further reading

• Kalkaska Genealogical Society: Big Trout, Black Gold: History of Kalkaska County MI

External links

• Kalkaska County website
• Kalkaska County Sheriff's Office
• Village of Kalkaska
• Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
• Kalkaska Chamber of Commerce
• Kiwanis Club of Kalkaska
• Michigan Heritage & Research Foundation
• National Trout Festival
• Historical Society of Kalkaska
• Kalkaska Visitors Guide
• Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay