Editing Blaine Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Blaine Township, Michigan
| settlement_type          = [[Civil township]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Sunset glow over Upper Herring Lake - Flickr - rkramer62.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Sunset over Upper Herring Lake
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map              = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position   = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label            = Blaine Township
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Michigan
| pushpin_mapsize          = 
| image_map                = Blaine Township, MI location.png
| mapsize                  = 250
| map_caption              = Location within [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie County]]

<!-- 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        = [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = 
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 54.5
| area_land_km2            = 50.3
| area_water_km2           = 4.2
| 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         = 484
| population_density_km2   = 10.9
| 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              = 199
| elevation_ft             = 653
| coordinates              = {{coord|44|33|45|N|86|11|37|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code              = 49628
| area_code                = [[Area code 231|231]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 26-08840<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              = 1625944<ref>{{gnis|1625944}}</ref>
| website                  = 
| footnotes                = 
}}
'''Blaine Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the township population was 484. It is located in the southwest portion of the county. There are no significant population centers in the township; the nearest towns are [[Arcadia Township, Manistee County, Michigan|Arcadia]] to the south, [[Benzonia, Michigan|Benzonia]] to the northeast, and [[Elberta, Michigan|Elberta]] to the northwest. [[M-22 (Michigan highway)|M-22]] is the township's main thoroughfare.

==History==
Blaine Township was organized from part of what had been [[Gilmore Township, Benzie County, Michigan|Gilmore Township]] in 1876.<ref>Walter Romig, ''Michigan Place Names'', p. 65</ref>

For a very brief period in the early 1890s, a town called '''Watervale''' {{coord|44|33|13|N|86|12|52|W}} was inhabited in the township along Lower Herring Lake. The town participated in the [[sawmill]] boom that brought a period of prosperity to northern Michigan. Abandoned in 1894, the town was made into a summer [[resort]] in 1917. Today the resort is known as the Inn at Watervale and the [[Watervale Historic District]]. Watervale maintains its nineteenth-century atmosphere and has been placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-18835_18896-67165--M_2003_5,00.html |title=Five Michigan Sites Considered for National Register of Historic Places Listing; Grand Rapids, Benzie County, Leelanau County, Alpena and Houghton County Properties Nominated |accessdate=2006-01-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822233419/http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0%2C1607%2C7-160-18835_18896-67165--M_2003_5%2C00.html |archivedate=2006-08-22 }}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|54.5|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|50.3|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|4.2|km2|disp=flip}}, or 7.70%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Blaine township, Benzie County, Michigan |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2601908840 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212145913/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2601908840 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |accessdate=December 27, 2013 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder}}</ref> It is bordered on the north by [[Gilmore Township, Benzie County, Michigan|Gilmore Township]], on the east by [[Joyfield Township, Michigan|Joyfield Township]], on the south by [[Arcadia Township, Manistee County, Michigan|Arcadia]] and [[Pleasanton Township, Michigan|Pleasanton]] townships in [[Manistee County, Michigan|Manistee County]], and on the west by [[Lake Michigan]]. Besides Lake Michigan, the township's most distinguishing physical features are Lower and Upper Herring Lakes, connected and fed by Herring Creek, and bluffs at Green Point Dunes (north of the lakes) and Arcadia Dunes.

The township's economy is heavily agricultural, with [[apple]]s and [[cherry|cherries]] two prominent crops. Fruit [[orchard]]s dominate much of the landscape.

==Sites of interest==
Blaine Township is home to two churches, Herring Lake Church ([[nondenominational Christianity|nondenominational]]) and Blaine Christian Church ([[Disciples of Christ]]). A [[gravity hill]] located at the site of Blaine Christian Church on Putney Road near its intersection with Joyfield Road is a well-known local landmark.

Since 1991 the [[Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy]] had maintained a nature preserve along Upper Herring Lake (the Upper Herring Nature Preserve). Just north of the township's southern border is Inspiration Point, a high headland overlooking Lake Michigan where a platform has been built atop the bluff.  The point is a popular lookout and is a prominent stop along the scenic route of Highway 22. The Conservancy also maintains popular and scenic preserves at Green Point Dunes and Arcadia Dunes: The C.S. Mott Nature Preserve (partially within the township).

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 491 people, 215 households, and 153 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|25.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 431 housing units at an average density of {{convert|22.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 98.98% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.61% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.85% of the population.

There were 215 households, out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the township the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 19.1% from 25 to 44, 35.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.1 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $42,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $23,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $21,465.  About 2.9% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Blaine Township, Benzie County, Michigan}}
*[http://www.gtrlc.org/ Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy - Traverse City, Michigan, USA]
*[http://www.coheadquarters.com/PennLibr/BenzieCounty/Maps2/Blaine.htm Map of Blaine Township]
*[http://www.eureka4you.com/magnetichillworldwide/Arcadia-MI.htm Gravity Hill in Blaine]

{{Benzie County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Benzie County, Michigan]]
[[Category:1876 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1876]]
[[Category:Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan]]
[[Category:Traverse City metropolitan area]]