Editing Balsam Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota

{{short description|Township in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Balsam Township
|settlement_type          = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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||pushpin_map             = Minnesota
|pushpin_label            = Balsam Township
|pushpin_label_position   =<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Minnesota
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<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Aitkin County, Minnesota|Aitkin]]

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<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 95.2
|area_land_km2            = 93.3
|area_water_km2           = 1.9
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|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =

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|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=October 20, 2022}}</ref>
|population_total         = 29
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =

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|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 384
|elevation_ft             = 1260
|coordinates              = {{coord|46|47|5|N|93|8|57|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 55787
|area_code                = [[Area code 218|218]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-03412<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              = 0663499<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
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'''Balsam Township''' is a township in [[Aitkin County, Minnesota|Aitkin County]], [[Minnesota]], United States. The population was 29 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>  The population in 2021 is estimated to be 29.<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>

==History==
Balsam Township was named for two species of trees prevalent in the area, the [[balsam fir]] and [[balsam poplar]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ho23eS5qjNgC&pg=PA14 | title=Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia | publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press | author=Upham, Warren | year=2001 | pages=14| isbn=9780873513968 }}</ref>  The Savanna Portage, a key passage from precontact Native American times into the early Euro-American settlement period, is preserved within [[Savanna Portage State Park]] and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Minnesota National Register Properties Database |url=http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/nrhp/ |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2009 |accessdate=2017-01-29}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|95.2|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|93.3|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.9|km2|disp=flip}}, or 1.97%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2700103412| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212144352/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2700103412| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Balsam township, Aitkin County, Minnesota| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=June 12, 2013}}</ref>

===Lakes===
* Little Prairie Lake
* Little Savanna Lake
* Loon Lake (east quarter)
* Savanna Lake
* Shumway Lake
* Stony Lake
* Wolf Lake (vast majority)

===Adjacent townships===
* [[Halden Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota|Halden Township, St. Louis County]] (northeast)
* [[Prairie Lake Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota|Prairie Lake Township, St. Louis County]] (east)
* [[Beseman Township, Carlton County, Minnesota|Beseman Township, Carlton County]] (southeast)
* [[Haugen Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Haugen Township]] (south)
* [[Shamrock Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Shamrock Township]] (southwest)
* [[Turner Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Turner Township]] (west)
* [[Cornish Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Cornish Township]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 34 people, 16 households, and 11 families residing in the township. The [[population density]] was 0.9 people per square mile (0.4/km{{sup|2}}). There were 43 housing units at an average density of 1.2/sq&nbsp;mi (0.5/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.94% of the population.

There were 16 households, out of which 12.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.36.

In the township the population was spread out, with 14.7% under the age of 18, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 41.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $18,250, and the median income for a family was $17,500. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $18,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $8,973. There were 12.5% of families and 13.6% of the population living below the [[poverty line]], including no under eighteens and 33.3% of those over 64.

==References==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020547/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ United States National Atlas]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310144543/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/edgar.html United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121210171316/http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/ United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)]
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{{Aitkin County, Minnesota}}

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[[Category:Townships in Aitkin County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Townships in Minnesota]]