Editing Moffatt Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Moffatt 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 = left<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Moffatt Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Moffatt Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Arenac County, Michigan|Arenac 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  = [[Arenac County, Michigan|Arenac]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = Dennis Spencer
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 83.1
| area_land_km2      = 81.6
| area_water_km2     = 1.5
| 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   = 1166
| 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        = 234
| elevation_ft       = 768
| coordinates        = {{coord|44|06|38|N|84|05|14|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 48610, 48659
| area_code          = 989
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-54800<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        = 1626751<ref>{{gnis|1626751}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.moffatttownship.org/|Official website}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Moffatt Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Arenac County, Michigan|Arenac County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]].  The population was 1,166 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 census">{{cite web |title=Moffatt township, Arenac County, Michigan - Census Bureau Profile |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Moffatt_township,_Arenac_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2601154800 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=23 February 2024}}</ref>

==Communities==
*'''[[Alger, Michigan|Alger]]''' is an [[unincorporated community]] at {{Coord|44|07|32|N|84|07|16|W|}}, situated on exit 202 off [[Interstate 75 in Michigan|I-75]] at the junction with [[M-33 (Michigan highway)|M-33]].<ref>{{gnis|619941|Alger, Michigan}}</ref> The [[ZIP code]] is 48610.  Alger was established in 1883 as a railway junction.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=16}}
*'''Forest Lake''' is a small community around the reservoir named Forest Lake on the east-central part of the township.<ref>{{gnis|1619955|Forest Lake, Michigan}}</ref> The lake is formed by a dam on Wells Creek. Water from Forest Lake is released into the [[Rifle River]].

==History==
Moffatt Township was organized in 1874, at the time part of [[Bay County, Michigan|Bay County]]. The community of Alger was named after [[Russell A. Alger]] almost a decade later. In 1882 to 1883, the area of Alger was created from the formation of a railroad junction along the [[Michigan Central Railroad]].<ref>[http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Timeline/1880s/TimeLine1880sBackUp.htm RRHX – Railroad History Time Line – 1880s<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  This junction came from the now defunct [[Bay City and Alpena Railroad]] out of [[Prescott, Michigan]].<ref>[http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu:9001/StyleServer/calcrgn?cat=North%20America%20and%20United%20States&item=States/Michigan/Michigan1890a-south.sid&wid=500&hei=400&props=item(Name,Description),cat(Name,Description)&style=simple/view-dhtml.xsl 1890 railroad map of lower Michigan]</ref> It was constructed under the direction of Russell Alger, who later became the 20th [[governor of Michigan]], and then the [[U.S. Secretary of War]]. The railroads were thriving mainly due to Michigan's [[lumbering]] boom at the time, and Alger grew to be a popular settlement with many mills, restaurants, and saloons. Two small towns named Culver and Wells existed nearby. Culver was located about a mile north, and Wells was about a mile south of downtown Alger.

In 1896 the railroad from Prescott ceased operations,<ref>[http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Timeline/1890s/TimeLine1890sBackUp.htm RRHX – Railroad History Time Line – 1890s<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and into the early 1900s (decade), as the timber reached depletion, the logging railroads disappeared along with businesses.  Today, Wells and Culver no longer exist, and Alger has slowly downsized to a small community of approximately 1,000 people.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|83.1|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|81.6|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.5|km2|disp=flip}}, or 1.83%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2601154800| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212143604/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2601154800| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Moffatt township, Arenac County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=June 12, 2013}}</ref>

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,121 people, 484 households, and 327 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|35.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 862 housing units at an average density of {{convert|27.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 97.86% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.62% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.27% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.25% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.80% of the population.

There were 484 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the township the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $32,250, and the median income for a family was $40,724. Males had a median income of $35,769 versus $17,917 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $16,058.  About 5.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

According to the [[2010 United States Census|census of 2010]], the population grew 5.6% to 1,184 people, 514 households, and 354 residing families and the median income for a household in the township was $39,318.<ref>[https://www.census.gov United States Census]</ref>

==Organization camps==
[[Great Lakes Field Service Council|Cole Canoe Base]] is a nearby camp for the [[Boy Scouts of America]]. It is located on East Greenwood Road, a few miles from the [[Skidway Lake]] and [[Prescott, Michigan|Prescott]] area.

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

===Sources===
*{{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 = 0-8143-1838-X |location=Detroit, Michigan <!--|ISBN=978-0814318386 --> }}

==External links==
*[http://www.moffatttownship.org Moffatt Township official website]

{{Arenac County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Arenac County, Michigan]]
[[Category:1874 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1874]]