Editing Free Soil Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Free Soil 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   = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_label            = Free Soil Township
|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|image_map                = Free Soil Township, MI location.png
|mapsize                  = 250
|map_caption              = Location within [[Mason County, Michigan|Mason County]] (red) and the administered village of [[Free Soil, Michigan|Free Soil]] (pink)

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

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Supervisor
|leader_name              = Gregg Surma
|leader_title1            = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
|leader_name1             = Lynda Papes
|established_title        = Organized
|established_date         = 1848

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022">{{cite web |title=2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Michigan |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2022_Gazetteer/2022_gaz_cousubs_26.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=September 7, 2023}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 
|area_land_km2            = 
|area_water_km2           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 39.06
|area_land_sq_mi          = 38.64
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.42

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=0600000US2610530620&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Free Soil township, Michigan: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=September 7, 2023}}</ref>
|population_total         = 842
|population_density_km2   = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 21.8

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 210
|elevation_ft             = 689
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|07|11|N|86|13|15|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 49411 ([[Free Soil, Michigan|Free Soil]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 231|231]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 26-105-30620<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1626315<ref>{{gnis|1626315}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|freesoiltownship.org}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Free Soil Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Mason County, Michigan|Mason County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. The population was 842 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/> The village  of [[Free Soil, Michigan|Free Soil]] is located within the township.

Free Soil Township was named in 1848 after the [[Free Soil Party]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pIxkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5UsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6887%2C7813007 | title=Free Soil gets history write-up | work=Ludington Daily News | date=June 25, 1981 | access-date=December 2, 2015 | pages=4}}</ref>

==Geography==
The township is in northern Mason County and is bordered to the north by [[Manistee County, Michigan|Manistee County]]. The village of Free Soil is in the south-central part of the township, and [[U.S. Route 31]] runs north-south along the township's western border. According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|39.06|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|38.64|sqmi|km2|2}} are land and {{convert|0.42|sqmi|km2|2}}, or 1.08%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022"/> The [[Big Sable River]] flows east to west across the center of the township, passing north of the village of Free Soil.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 809 people, 335 households, and 233 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|20.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 552 housing units at an average density of {{convert|14.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 96.91% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.74% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.49% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.25% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.49% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.11% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 335 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $34,375, and the median income for a family was $40,795. Males had a median income of $37,000 versus $20,417 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $15,318.  About 4.8% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official|freesoiltownship.org}}

{{Mason County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Mason County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1848]]
[[Category:1848 establishments in Michigan]]