Antrim County, Michigan
Antrim County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 45°01′N 85°11′W / 45.01°N 85.18°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Michigan |
Founded | 1840 (authorized) 1863 (organized)[1] |
Named for | County Antrim |
Seat | Bellaire |
Largest village | Elk Rapids |
Area | |
• Total | 602 sq mi (1,560 km2) |
• Land | 476 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
• Water | 126 sq mi (330 km2) 21% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 23,431 |
• Density | 50/sq mi (20/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | www.antrimcounty.org/ |
Antrim County (/ˈæntrəm/ AN-trəm) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 23,431.[2] The county seat is Bellaire.[3] The name is taken from County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Antrim County is home to Torch Lake, Michigan's deepest and second-largest inland lake. Torch Lake, famous for its clear and blue waters,[4][5][6] is part of the Chain of Lakes Watershed, most of which lies within Antrim County. The county is bordered to the west by Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan.
History
Meegisee County (/miːɡəsi/ MEE-gə-see) was separated from Michilimackinac County as an unorganized county in 1840.[7] It took its name from a Chippewa chief who signed the 1821 Treaty of Chicago and the 1826 Treaty of Mississinewas. Meegisee also derives from the Ojibwe migizi, meaning bald eagle.[8] The county was renamed Antrim County in 1843,[7] one of the Irish names given to five renamed Michigan counties at that time, supposedly in deference to the increasing number of settlers of Irish heritage in Michigan at that time. In the text of the 1843 legislative act, the name was misspelled as "Antim".[1] In 1851, for governmental purposes, Antrim County was attached to Grand Traverse County.[9]
Separate county government was organized in 1863.[1][10] The county seat was originally located in Elk Rapids, but was moved to Bellaire in 1904 after 25 years of litigation.[11] In 1950 its population was 10,721.[12]
YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha, the oldest American summer camp that sits on its original site, was opened on the shore of Torch Lake in Central Lake Township in 1904.
Antrim County was in national headlines during the 2020 presidential election, as election night results showed the reliably Republican county voting heavily Democratic, which was later proven to be human error. This incident has been cited by multiple conspiracy theorists.[13]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 602 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 476 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 126 square miles (330 km2) (21%) is water.[14]
Antrim County is flanked to the west by Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. Most of the bodies of water within the Chain of Lakes, including Torch Lake, are within Antrim County.
Lakes
- Lake Arthur
- Bass Lake
- Bates Lake
- Beals Lake
- Lake Bellaire
- Benway Lake
- Birch Lake
- Boat Lake
- Browning Lake
- Carpenter Lake
- Clam Lake
- Eaton Lake
- Elk Lake
- Ellsworth Lake
- Finn Lake
- Grass Lake
- Green Lake
- Hanley Lake
- Harwood Lake
- Hawk Lake
- Henry Lake
- Intermediate Lake
- Lake of the Woods
- Lime Lake
- Little Torch Lake
- Lyman Lake
- Maplehurst Lake
- Moblo Lake
- Mud Lake
- Scotts Lake
- Six Mile Lake
- Lake Skegemog
- Skinner Lake
- Smith Lake
- St. Clair Lake
- Thayer Lake
- Toad Lake
- Torch Lake
- Wetzel Lake
- Wilson Lake
Rivers
Adjacent counties
By land
- Charlevoix County (north)
- Otsego County (east)
- Crawford County (southeast)
- Kalkaska County (south)
- Grand Traverse County (southwest)
By water
- Leelanau County (west)
Transportation
State-maintained highways
- US 31 is a north–south highway that runs along the shore of Grand Traverse Bay in western Antrim County, passing through the communities of Elk Rapids, Torch Lake, Eastport, and Atwood. South of Antrim County, US 31 enters Traverse City, and continues further south along the Lake Michigan, passing cities such as Manistee, Ludington, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Holland, and Benton Harbor. North of Antrim County, US 31 passes through Charlevoix and Petoskey before terminating at Interstate 75 south of Mackinaw City.
- US 131 in Antrim County follows a largely southwest–northeast route in the pastoral east of the county, passing through the communities of Mancelona and Alba. Following a north–south route further inland than US 31, the highway passes through cities to the south such as Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Cadillac. North of Antrim County, the highway terminates at US 31 in Petoskey.
- M-32 is an east–west highway in northeastern Antrim County. The highway begins at East Jordan, just north of the Antrim County line, and continues east toward Elmira, Gaylord, Atlanta, Hillman, and Alpena. In Antrim County, M-32 shares a brief concurrency with US 131.
- M-66 is a north–south highway that runs through central Antrim County. The highway enters from the south via a concurrency with US 131. At Mancelona, M-66 takes on an independent route, running north to East Jordan before terminating at US 31 at Charlevoix. South of Antrim County, M-66 runs through communities such as Sturgis, Battle Creek, Ionia, Lake City, and Kalkaska.
- M-88 is an s-shaped highway, signed as an east–west route, that runs entirely within Antrim County. The highway serves to connect Antrim County's interior villages, Bellaire and Central Lake, with US 31 at Eastport and US 131/M-66 at Mancelona.
County-designated highways
- C-38 serves as an easterly extension of M-88. The highway begins at US 131/M-66 in Mancelona, and continues east to Otsego County.
- C-42 serves as a cutoff between US 131 at Alba and M-32 west of Gaylord in Otsego County.
- C-48 is an east–west route in northwest Antrim County, connecting US 31 near Atwood to the village of Ellsworth and M-66 at East Jordan.
- C-65 is a north–south route in northern Antrim County, connecting Ellsworth to US 31 in Charlevoix County.
- C-73 is a short route in northeastern Antrim County, serving as a direct route between M-32 and M-75 near Boyne City.
Airports
- Antrim County Airport - county-owned public-use airport, northeast of Bellaire, for general aviation. One paved runway. No airline service.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 179 | — | |
1870 | 1,985 | 1,008.9% | |
1880 | 5,237 | 163.8% | |
1890 | 10,413 | 98.8% | |
1900 | 16,568 | 59.1% | |
1910 | 15,692 | −5.3% | |
1920 | 11,543 | −26.4% | |
1930 | 9,979 | −13.5% | |
1940 | 10,964 | 9.9% | |
1950 | 10,721 | −2.2% | |
1960 | 10,373 | −3.2% | |
1970 | 12,612 | 21.6% | |
1980 | 16,194 | 28.4% | |
1990 | 18,185 | 12.3% | |
2000 | 23,110 | 27.1% | |
2010 | 23,580 | 2.0% | |
2020 | 23,431 | −0.6% | |
US Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2018[2] |
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,580 people, 9,890 households, and 6,925 families in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile (19/km2). There were 17,824 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (45/km2). 96.8% of the population were White, 1.0% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.4% of some other race and 1.4% of two or more races. 1.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 20.2% were of German, 13.4% English, 8.9% Irish, 6.9% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 6.9% Polish and 6.4% American ancestry.
There were 9,222 households, out of which 26% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.78.
The county population contained 21.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 19 to 24, 3.9% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males.
Government
Antrim County has been reliably Republican since its organization. Since 1884 its voters have selected the Republican Party nominee in 94% (33 of 35) of the national elections through 2020.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 9,748 | 61.03% | 5,960 | 37.32% | 264 | 1.65% |
2016 | 8,469 | 61.97% | 4,448 | 32.55% | 750 | 5.49% |
2012 | 7,917 | 60.00% | 5,107 | 38.70% | 171 | 1.30% |
2008 | 7,506 | 54.19% | 6,079 | 43.89% | 267 | 1.93% |
2004 | 8,379 | 61.52% | 5,072 | 37.24% | 168 | 1.23% |
2000 | 6,780 | 58.92% | 4,329 | 37.62% | 398 | 3.46% |
1996 | 4,630 | 45.85% | 4,226 | 41.85% | 1,242 | 12.30% |
1992 | 3,984 | 39.88% | 3,431 | 34.34% | 2,576 | 25.78% |
1988 | 5,231 | 61.95% | 3,159 | 37.41% | 54 | 0.64% |
1984 | 5,726 | 69.18% | 2,507 | 30.29% | 44 | 0.53% |
1980 | 4,706 | 56.26% | 2,909 | 34.78% | 749 | 8.96% |
1976 | 4,369 | 58.11% | 3,032 | 40.33% | 117 | 1.56% |
1972 | 4,068 | 64.77% | 2,000 | 31.84% | 213 | 3.39% |
1968 | 3,002 | 59.23% | 1,690 | 33.35% | 376 | 7.42% |
1964 | 2,172 | 44.66% | 2,684 | 55.19% | 7 | 0.14% |
1960 | 3,398 | 67.26% | 1,647 | 32.60% | 7 | 0.14% |
1956 | 3,623 | 72.34% | 1,376 | 27.48% | 9 | 0.18% |
1952 | 3,533 | 76.50% | 1,046 | 22.65% | 39 | 0.84% |
1948 | 2,588 | 67.24% | 1,129 | 29.33% | 132 | 3.43% |
1944 | 2,626 | 67.66% | 1,206 | 31.07% | 49 | 1.26% |
1940 | 3,027 | 66.48% | 1,497 | 32.88% | 29 | 0.64% |
1936 | 2,391 | 51.89% | 2,032 | 44.10% | 185 | 4.01% |
1932 | 2,308 | 55.51% | 1,686 | 40.55% | 164 | 3.94% |
1928 | 2,756 | 84.46% | 484 | 14.83% | 23 | 0.70% |
1924 | 2,246 | 76.79% | 371 | 12.68% | 308 | 10.53% |
1920 | 2,260 | 77.53% | 518 | 17.77% | 137 | 4.70% |
1916 | 1,336 | 53.91% | 932 | 37.61% | 210 | 8.47% |
1912 | 603 | 24.22% | 450 | 18.07% | 1,437 | 57.71% |
1908 | 2,020 | 73.21% | 574 | 20.80% | 165 | 5.98% |
1904 | 2,608 | 82.90% | 436 | 13.86% | 102 | 3.24% |
1900 | 2,575 | 74.90% | 729 | 21.20% | 134 | 3.90% |
1896 | 1,886 | 58.05% | 1,228 | 37.80% | 135 | 4.16% |
1892 | 1,140 | 52.17% | 814 | 37.25% | 231 | 10.57% |
1888 | 1,305 | 56.74% | 881 | 38.30% | 114 | 4.96% |
1884 | 1,066 | 58.44% | 721 | 39.53% | 37 | 2.03% |
Antrim County operates the County 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.
Elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney: James Rossiter
- Sheriff: Daniel S. Bean
- County Clerk: Sheryl Guy
- County Treasurer: Sherry A. Comben
- Register of Deeds: Patty Niepoth
- Drain Commissioner: Mark Stone
- County Surveyor: Scott Papineau
(information as of September 2018)[20]
Communities
Villages
- Bellaire (county seat)
- Central Lake
- Elk Rapids
- Ellsworth
- Mancelona
Civil townships
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Indian reservations
- Grand Traverse Indian Reservation, which has territories in five counties, occupies two small sections within Helena Township and one section in Milton Township.
Education
School districts include:[21]
- Alba Public Schools
- Bellaire Public Schools
- Boyne City Public Schools
- Boyne Falls Public School District
- Central Lake Public Schools
- Charlevoix Public Schools
- East Jordan Public Schools
- Elk Rapids Schools
- Ellsworth Community Schools
- Gaylord Community Schools
- Mancelona Public Schools
See also
- List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Antrim County, Michigan
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Antrim County, Michigan
References
- ^ a b c "Bibliography on Antrim County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Nace, Trevor. "Michigan's Torch Lake Looks Exactly Like The Caribbean Sea". Forbes. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Bingham, Emily (July 14, 2017). "Torch Lake is Michigan's own slice of the Caribbean". mlive. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "How Torch Lake Stores the Rainbow". Torch Conservation Center. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Newberry Library. "Michigan: Individual County Chronologies". Atlas of County Historical Boundaries. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "migizi (na) | The Ojibwe People's Dictionary". ojibwe.lib.umn.edu. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "History in Grand Traverse County, Michigan". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "History of Antrim County". Antrim County. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
- ^ Historic marker in front of Bellaire courthouse
- ^ Columbia Lippincott Gazetter, 1952, p. 80
- ^ "How a County Clerk in Michigan Found Herself at the Center of Trump's Attempt to Overturn the Election". Time. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ US Election Atlas
- ^ Antrim County website - Directory
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Antrim County, MI" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list