Editing Empire Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Empire Township, Michigan
| settlement_type    = [[Civil township]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Sleeping Bear dunes from Empire Bluffs.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = [[Lake Michigan]] (left), [[Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore|Sleeping Bear Dunes]], and South Bar Lake (right) from Empire Bluffs
| 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      = Empire Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Empire Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]] (red) and the administered village of [[Empire, Michigan|Empire]] (pink)
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{Flagu|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{Flag|Michigan}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Leelanau County, Michigan.svg}} [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau]]

<!-- 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     = 110.9
| area_land_km2      = 91.3
| area_water_km2     = 19.6
| area_total_sq_mi   = 42.8
| area_land_sq_mi    = 35.3
| area_water_sq_mi   = 7.6

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[United States Census, 2020|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 764
| population_density_km2 = 11.9
| population_density_sq_mi = 30.8

<!-- 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|44|50|02|N|86|00|49|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49630 ([[Empire, Michigan|Empire]])<br/> 49664 ([[Maple City, Michigan|Maple City]])
| area_code          = [[Area code 231|231]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-26000<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        = 1626241<ref>{{gnis|1626241}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.leelanau.cc/}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Empire Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]].  The population was 764 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. On the shores of [[Lake Michigan]], Empire Township contains a substantial amount of land within the [[Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore]].

==History==
Empire Township was established in 1865.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Empire Township - Empire Township |url=https://www.leelanau.gov/empiretwpabout.asp |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=www.leelanau.gov}}</ref>

[[Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore]] was established in 1970, protecting the natural scenery of the area at the [[National Park Service|federal level]].{{sfn|Kalt|2001|p={{page needed|date=September 2014}}}}

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|42.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|35.3|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|7.6|sqmi|km2}} (17.66%) is water.

Empire Township contains shorelines on both [[Lake Michigan]] and [[Glen Lake]].

=== Major highways ===

* {{jct|M|22|state=MI}} is a north–south highway paralleling the coast of Lake Michigan. M-22 exits Empire Township south into [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie County]], and north into [[Glen Arbor Township, Michigan|Glen Arbor Township]], over the narrows of [[Glen Lake]].
* {{jct|M|72|state=MI}} is an east–west highway with its western terminus at M-22 in Empire, less than a mile from [[Lake Michigan]]. East of Empire Township, M-72 crosses the [[Lower Peninsula of Michigan|Lower Peninsula]] by way of [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]], [[Kalkaska, Michigan|Kalkaska]], [[Grayling, Michigan|Grayling]], [[Mio, Michigan|Mio]], and [[Harrisville, Michigan|Harrisville]], whereupon it ends less than a mile from [[Lake Huron]].
* {{jct|M|109|state=MI}} is a scenic route adjacent to M-22 that has its southern terminus in Empire Township. The highway travels north through [[Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore]] to [[Glen Haven, Michigan|Glen Haven]], where it turns east and ends at another junction with M-22 in downtown [[Glen Arbor, Michigan|Glen Arbor]].

== Communities ==

* '''Burdickville''' is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] and [[ghost town]] on the shore of [[Glen Lake]], at {{Coord|44|50|56|N|85|56|53.3|W||name=Burdickville, Michigan}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |website=edits.nationalmap.gov |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/a0826fbe-926b-5d88-90e1-a67a487cdae0/summary |access-date=2023-01-11}}</ref> Burdickville was established in 1864, and abandoned in 1912.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=87}}{{sfn|Zoeren|2008|p={{page needed|date=September 2014}}}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Helm |first=Nan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rYw2HAAACAAJ |title="Village Days & Village Ways" of Burdickville |date=c. 1960 |publisher=Watson Printing Company}}{{self-published inline|date=May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-04-07 |title=Burdickville, Michigan |url=https://leelanau.com/burdickville-michigan/ |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Leelanau.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bNbVAAAAMAAJ&dq=Burdickville&pg=RA3-PA38 |title=The Michigan Technic |date=1909 |publisher=University of Michigan, College of Engineering}}</ref> Burdickville was founded in 1864 by William D. Burdick.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dickinson |first=Julia Terry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=INp5AAAAMAAJ&q=Burdickville |title=The Story of Leelanau |date=1951 |publisher=Solle's Bookshop}}</ref>
* The [[Village (United States)|village]] of [[Empire, Michigan|'''Empire''']] is located in the west of the township, on the shore of [[Lake Michigan]].
* [[Jacktown, Michigan|'''Jacktown''']] is a ghost town in Empire Township, at {{Coord|44|46|43|N|85|59|15|W||name=Jacktown, Michigan}}.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,085 people, 500 households, and 325 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|30.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 940 housing units at an average density of {{convert|26.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the township was 98.53% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.65% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.18% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.55% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.28% of the population.

There were 500 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the township the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 33.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,263, and the median income for a family was $51,806. Males had a median income of $32,308 versus $26,164 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $24,975. About 3.0% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |last=Kalt |first=Brian |title=Sixties Sandstorm: The Fight Over Establishment of a Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 1961–1970 |publisher=Michigan State University Press |year=2001 |isbn=9780870135590 |location=East Lansing}}
*{{cite book |first1=Walter |last1=Romig |title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |series=Great Lakes Books Series |type=Paperback  |orig-year= 1973 |date=October 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn = 978-0-8143-1838-6 |location=Detroit, Michigan }}
*{{Cite book |last=Zoeren |first=Tom Van |title=Dottie Lanham of Burdickville: Images, Recollections, and Observations of a Northern Michigan Woman and Her Community |date=November 2008 |publisher=Independently Published |isbn=978-1-6587-4181-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ztg_zQEACAAJ}}

==Further reading==
*[http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/bibliographies_of_clarke_library_material/michigan_local_history/county_material/leelanau.html Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Leelanau County]

==External links==
*[http://www.leelanau.cc/empiretwp.asp Empire Township Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414091733/http://www.leelanau.cc/empiretwp.asp |date=2005-04-14 }}

{{Leelanau County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Leelanau County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Traverse City metropolitan area]]