Editing Meridian Charter Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Meridian Township, Michigan
| official_name                   = Charter Township of Meridian
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
| image_skyline                   = Meridian Charter Township Michigan Entrance Sign.jpg
| imagesize                       = 275
| image_caption                   = Meridian Charter Township signage along [[M-43 (Michigan highway)|M-43]]
| settlement_type                 = [[Charter township]]
| pushpin_map                     = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position          = left<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label                   = Meridian Township
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize                 =
| image_map                       = Meridian Charter Township, MI location.png
| mapsize                         = 250
| map_caption                     = Location within [[Ingham County, Michigan|Ingham County]] and portions of the administered CDPs of [[Haslett, Michigan|Haslett]] (1) and [[Okemos, Michigan|Okemos]] (2)
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_name1               = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Ingham County, Michigan|Ingham]]
| established_title               = Settled
| established_date                = 1836
| established_title2              = Organized
| established_date2               = 1842
| leader_title                    = Supervisor
| leader_name                     = Patricia Herring Jackson
| leader_title1                   = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1                    = Deborah Guthrie
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_km2                  = 
| area_total_sq_mi                = 31.57
| area_land_km2                   = 
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 30.49
| area_water_km2                  = 
| area_water_sq_mi                = 1.08
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_note                 = 
| population_total                = 43916
| population_est                  = 
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| population_density_km2          = 
| population_density_sq_mi        = 1301.7
| timezone                        = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset                      = -5
| timezone_DST                    = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = -4
| coordinates                     = {{coord|42|43|37|N|84|24|54|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m                     = 259
| elevation_ft                    = 850
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code                     = 48805, 48864 ([[Okemos, Michigan|Okemos]])<br>48823 ([[East Lansing, Michigan|East Lansing]])<br>48840 ([[Haslett, Michigan|Haslett]])
| area_code                       = [[Area code 517|517]]
| website                         = {{URL|http://www.meridian.mi.us/|Official website}}
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 26-53140<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                     = 1626727<ref>{{gnis|1626727}}</ref>
| footnotes                       = 
}}

'''Meridian Charter Township''' is a [[charter township]] of [[Ingham County, Michigan|Ingham County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]].  As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the township had a population of 43,916.<ref name="Quickfacts"/>

The township is named after the [[Michigan meridian]], which comprises the eastern border of the township.  The township contains the unincorporated communities of [[Haslett, Michigan|Haslett]] and [[Okemos, Michigan|Okemos]].  Bordering [[East Lansing, Michigan|East Lansing]] to the west, Meridian Charter Township is the third-largest municipality within the [[Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area]].

==History==
Meridian Township was first settled by pioneers in 1836.  In November 1836, Obed Marshall purchased {{convert|180|acre|ha|sigfig=2}} of land near present-day [[Haslett, Michigan|Haslett]].<ref name="HistoryHaslett">{{cite book | last = Raphael | first = Evelyn Huber | title = A History of the Haslett-Lake Lansing Area, Meridian Township, Ingham County, Michigan | publisher = INCO Graphics, Mason, Michigan | year = 1975 | pages = 8–9 }}</ref> The earliest settlers located at Pine Lake (now [[Lake Lansing]]) and made use of the numerous stands of pines to build their cabin.  The lake was later the site of a Spiritualist Meeting Camp led by John Haslett.  During the late 19th century, the lake became known as a local vacation area served by an "interurban trolley" which ran from the City of Lansing to the resort on the south side of the lake. An amusement park was introduced and enjoyed immense popularity into the mid-20th century. Currently, the Village of Haslett is located at the south side of Lake Lansing.<ref name="history">{{cite book | last = Durant | first = Samuel W. | title = History of Ingham and Eaton Counties, Michigan | publisher = D.W. Ensign & Co., Philadelphia | year = 1880 }}</ref>

The first settlers near the current Village of [[Okemos, Michigan|Okemos]] (to the south of the former Pine Lake) were Sanford Marsh and his wife who built their cabin in 1839.  They were soon followed by Joseph Kilbourne, who took out land for his brother-in-law, Freeman Bray.<ref name="history" />

It was Bray who platted out the southeast corner of his land and sold the lots to newcomers traveling into the mid-state wilderness.  The village was first known as Hamilton.<ref name="history" /> <blockquote>
A post-office called Sanford was established in the spring of 1840.  Joseph H. Kilbourne was the first postmaster.
</blockquote>

A local Native American, Chief John Okemos, was well known throughout the area.  The village area was one of his primary camping areas and he traveled frequently between the village and another campsite near present-day Portland, Michigan.  In 1857, the Michigan Legislature changed the name of the village officially to Okemos to honor the old chief.<ref name="history" />

The Township is rich with history and one resident, Joseph Kilbourne, had a major role in the decision in 1847 to relocate the state capitol from Detroit to Lansing (then Lansing Township).  A local organization, the Friends of Historic Meridian, has an archive of local historic information and also maintains the historic buildings in the Meridian Historical Village.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|31.57|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|30.49|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.08|sqmi|km2}} (3.42%) is water.<ref name=CENS>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019111423/http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |archive-date=2012-10-19 |url-status=live|format=PDF |title=Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing | date = September 2012|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]| work = [[2010 United States Census]]| access-date = November 26, 2020|page=25 Michigan}}</ref>

The [[Red Cedar River (Michigan)|Red Cedar River]] flows through the township.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1960= 13884
|1970= 23817
|1980= 28754
|1990= 35416
|2000= 39108
|2010= 39688
|2020= 43916
|estyear= 2021
|estimate= 43988
|footnote= U.S. Census Bureau<ref name="Quickfacts">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/meridianchartertownshipinghamcountymichigan,US/PST045221 |website=Census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 June 2022}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 39,116 people, 16,414 households, and 9,782 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|1,261.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 17,120 housing units at an average density of {{convert|552.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 86.36% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 4.05% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.32% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 6.51% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.05% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.69% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.01% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.53% of the population.

There were 16,414 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $55,203, and the median income for a family was $80,114. Males had a median income of $55,705 versus $39,306 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $32,190.  About 4.3% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
Meridian Township is governed under the Charter Township Act, which prescribes a 7-member board of trustees comprising a township supervisor, clerk, treasurer and 4 trustees.<ref name="Charter">{{cite web |title=The Charter Township Act, Act 359 of 1947 |url=http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-Act-359-of-1947 |website=legislature.mi.gov |publisher=Legislative Service Bureau |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> In addition, the township employs a township manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the township, and who serves at the pleasure of the board.

On the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, the township is split between the 13th, 14th, and 15th districts. In the [[Michigan legislature]], the township lies in the [[Michigan's 73rd House of Representatives district|73rd]] and [[Michigan's 75th House of Representatives district|75th]] state house districts, and the [[Michigan's 28th Senate district|28th]] state senate district. At the federal level, the township is included within [[Michigan's 7th congressional district]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.meridian.mi.us/ Website of the Charter Township of Meridian]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071024233943/http://www.cadl.org/new/haslett/branchinfo-haslett/ Haslett Branch of the Capital Area District Library]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071212141234/http://www.cadl.org/new/okemos/branchinfo-okemos/ Hope Borbas Okemos Branch of the Capital Area District Library]
*[http://www.meridianhistoricalvillage.org// Friends of Historic Meridian]

{{Cities of Ingham County, Michigan}}
{{Michigan}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Ingham County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Charter townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area]]
[[Category:1842 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1842]]