Editing Athens Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
 | official_name            = Athens Township, Michigan
 | settlement_type          = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
 | nickname                 = 
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<!-- Maps -->|
 | pushpin_map              = Michigan
 | pushpin_label            = Athens Township
 | pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
 | pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Michigan
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<!-- Location -->
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = United States
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Michigan]]
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[Calhoun County, Michigan|Calhoun]]

<!-- Government -->
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<!-- Area -->
 | unit_pref                = Imperial
 | area_footnotes           = 
 | area_magnitude           = 
 | area_total_km2           = 93.6
 | area_land_km2            = 93.1
 | area_water_km2           = 0.5
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<!-- Population -->
 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
 | population_footnotes     = 
 | population_total         = 2444
 | population_density_km2   = 27.4
 | population_density_sq_mi = 
<!-- General information -->
 | timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
 | utc_offset               = -5
 | timezone_DST             = EDT
 | utc_offset_DST           = -4
 | elevation_footnotes      = 
 | elevation_m              = 266
 | elevation_ft             = 873
 | coordinates              = {{coord|42|6|27|N|85|14|1|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
 | postal_code              = 49011
 | area_code                = [[Area code 269|269]]
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = 26-03900<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
 | blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 | blank1_info              = 1625856<ref>{{gnis|1625856}}</ref>
 | website                  = 
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}}

'''Athens Township''' is a [[civil township]] of southwest [[Calhoun County, Michigan|Calhoun County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]], about {{convert|15|mi}} south of [[Battle Creek, Michigan|Battle Creek]]. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the township population was 2,444.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602503900| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212153116/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602503900| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Athens township, Calhoun County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=August 27, 2014}}</ref> The [[Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi]] is based in Athens Township.

==History==
Euro-American settlers first came to what would become Athens Township in 1831. Unlike in many other parts of Michigan the [[Potawatomi]] people were never fully driven out, although their reservation was dissolved in 1833. The first Athens Township Meeting was held in 1835. As of 1913 there were about 60 Potawatomi residents of Athens Township, out of about 1,500 residents total.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=IRviAAAAMAAJ&q=Verona&pg=PA313 Washington Gardner. ''History of Calhoun County'', p. 166]</ref> Based on the 1910 US census for Athens township and village there were 1,537 residents, of whom five were listed as mulattoes (four of them children of a mulatto mother and white father) and 69 were listed as [[Native Americans in the United States|Indians]]. Of the 69 Indians, 40 were living in the Indian Village Reservation that at that time existed in Athens Township. At least two of the Indians were [[Odawa|Ottawa]] and not Potawatomi.<ref>[http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/census/results/image?hitcount=40&urn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3Bcensus%3B-1%3B-1%3B-1%3B-1&searchtype=3&offset=38&rollid=&pageid=&locthreadid=2126416 1910 US Census, Athens Township, Michigan; from Heritage Quest]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Communities==
*[[Athens, Michigan|Athens]] is a [[Village (United States)|village]] located at {{coord|42|05|12|N|85|14|08|W|}} within the southern portion of the township.
*'''Cecelia''' was a part of the township that had its own post office from 1860 until 1875.<ref>Walter Romig, ''Michigan Place Names'', p. 104</ref>
*'''Huron Potawatomi Indian Reservation''' is an [[Indian reservation]] located within the southwest portion of the township. The Huron Potawatomi Indian Reservation is the land base of the [[List of federally recognized tribes|federally recognized]] [[Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|93.6|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|93.1|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.5|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 0.53%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> [[Nottawa Creek]]<ref>{{gnis|1624794|Nottawa Creek}}</ref> and Pine Creek are the largest streams in the township, both flowing generally from northeast to southwest towards the [[St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)|St. Joseph River]]. Pine Creek<ref>{{gnis|634910|Pine Creek}}</ref> joins Nottowa Creek approximately one mile west of the village of Athens.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1960 = 1975
| 1970 = 2136
| 1980 = 2294
| 1990 = 2515
| 2000 = 2571
| 2010 = 2554
| 2020 = 2444
| footnote = Source: Census Bureau. Census [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MCD1960-1990C_33608_7.pdf 1960-1990] 2000, 2010.
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,571 people, 956 households, and 738 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|71.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of {{convert|27.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the township was 96.93% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.19% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.21% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.08% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.12% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.31% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.17% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.56% of the population.

There were 956 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $43,929, and the median income for a family was $49,607. Males had a median income of $37,039 versus $26,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $18,864. About 3.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Calhoun County, Michigan}}

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[[Category:Townships in Calhoun County, Michigan]]
[[Category:1835 establishments in Michigan Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1835]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi]]