Editing Bethel Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Bethel Township, Michigan
| settlement_type    = [[Civil township]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = 
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map        = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position = top<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Bethel Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Bethel Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Branch County, Michigan|Branch County]]

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Branch County, Michigan|Branch]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Organized
| established_date   = April 3, 1837

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 93.4
| area_land_km2      = 92.8
| area_water_km2     = 0.6
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_water_sq_mi   = <!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1431
| population_density_km2 = auto
| 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        = 293
| elevation_ft       = 961
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|51|18|N|85|06|49|W|region:US-MI_type:adm2nd_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 49028 ([[Bronson, Michigan|Bronson]]),<br />49036 ([[Coldwater, Michigan|Coldwater]])
| area_code          = 
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-08060<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1625931<ref>{{GNIS|1625931}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Bethel Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Branch County, Michigan|Branch County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the township population was 1,431.<ref name="2020 census">{{cite web |title=Bethel township, Branch County, Michigan - Census Bureau Profile |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Bethel_township,_Branch_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2602308060 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref>

== Communities ==
There are no incorporated municipalities within the township.
* '''Bethel''' is an [[Unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated community]] in the southeast corner of the township at {{Coord|41|49|58|N|85|04|25|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Bethel, Michigan}}.<ref>{{gnis|1625051|Bethel, Michigan}}</ref> It was first settled in 1830. A post office opened on April 30, 1857, and operated until November 30, 1905.<ref>{{gnis|1625558|Bethel Post Office (historical)}}</ref><ref name="Romig">{{cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter  | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | orig-year= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | isbn = 0-8143-1838-X}}</ref>
* '''Hatmaker''' is an unincorporated community near the center of the township at {{Coord|41|50|51|N|85|07|17|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Hatmaker, Michigan}}.<ref>{{gnis|1617611|Hatmaker, Michigan}}</ref> The settlement was named for the pioneer Hatmaker family, which included Aaron, the cider-maker, and Peter, the grocer and first postmaster. A post office operated from May 23, 1887, until August 31, 1894, and from January 5, 1899, until June 15, 1900.<ref name="Romig"/><ref>{{gnis|2435397|Hatmaker Post Office (historical)}}</ref>
* '''Snow Prairie''' is a historical locale and former post office near the center of the township. Eleazar Snow from [[New England]] settled here in 1830 near the northwest corner of [[section (United States land surveying)|section]] 16.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Crisfield |title=History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers |orig-year=1879 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/BAD0864.0001.001 |access-date=2008-09-12 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=278–79 |chapter=Bethel Township |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0864.0001.001;didno=BAD0864.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000364 }}</ref> The place became known as Snow Prairie, although Snow sold his holdings to Moses Olmstead in 1831. Because of its location, a post office named Bethel Centre was established on March 1, 1867. It was renamed Snow Prairie on September 19, 1867, and operated until June 15, 1869.<ref name="Romig"/><ref>{{gnis|2435362|Snow Prairie Post Office (historical)}}</ref>
* The city of [[Bronson, Michigan|Bronson]] is adjacent to the west on [[U.S. Route 12 in Michigan|U.S. Highway 12]], which cuts through the northwest corner of the township. The Bronson ZIP code 49028 serves areas in western and southern Bethel Township.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=86000US49028&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=AdvSearch&_lang=en 49028 5-Digit ZCTA, 490 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census</ref>
* The city of [[Coldwater, Michigan|Coldwater]] is to the northeast, and the Coldwater ZIP code 49036 serves areas in northern and eastern Bethel Township.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=86000US49036&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=AdvSearch&_lang=en 49036 5-Digit ZCTA, 490 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census</ref>

== History ==
Eleazar Snow was the first settler in the area in 1830, though he sold out to Moses Olmstead in 1831. The town was first called Elizabeth, probably by Mr. Olmstead after [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]].<ref name="Romig"/> It was organized as a township under that name by the Michigan Legislature of 1836–37, and the first township meeting for the township of Elizabeth was held at the house of Moses Olmstead on April 3, 1837. The Michigan Legislature of 1838-39 changed the name of the township to Bethel, although no reasons for the change were recorded.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Crisfield |title=History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers |orig-year=1879 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/BAD0864.0001.001 |access-date=2008-09-12 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=285–86 |chapter=Bethel Township |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0864.0001.001;didno=BAD0864.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000371 }}</ref>

==Geography==
The township is drained by tributaries of the [[St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)|St. Joseph River]]: the [[Prairie River (Michigan)|Prairie River]] in the south and Swan Creek in the north.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|93.4|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|92.8|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.6|km2|disp=flip}}, or 0.67%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602308060| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212162957/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602308060| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Bethel township, Branch County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=January 14, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align= left
|2000= 1421
|2010= 1434
|2020= 1431
|footnote=<ref name="2020 census"/><ref name="Census 2010"/><ref name="GR2" />
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,421 people, 475 households, and 362 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|39.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 510 housing units at an average density of {{convert|14.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 88.74% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.06% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.49% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.07% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 8.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.55% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 11.26% of the population.

There were 475 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 119.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,400, and the median income for a family was $44,038. Males had a median income of $29,034 versus $23,281 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $16,252.  About 5.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Branch County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Branch County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:1837 establishments in Michigan]]