Editing Porter Township, Cass County, Michigan

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

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 141.5
| area_land_km2      = 133.4
| area_water_km2     = 8.1
| 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   = 3750
| 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        = 278
| elevation_ft       = 912
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|49|08|N|85|49|38|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49031, 49042, 49061, 49095, 49099, 49130
| area_code          = [[Area code 269|269]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-65720<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        = 1626929<ref>{{gnis|1626929}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.portertownship.org/|Official website}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Porter Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Cass County, Michigan|Cass County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. The population was 3,750 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 census">{{cite web |title=Porter township, Cass County, Michigan - Census Bureau Profile |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Porter_township,_Cass_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2602765720 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>

==Communities==
* '''Union''' {{coord|41|47|N|85|52|W}} is an unincorporated community in the southeast part of the township on [[U.S. Route 12 in Michigan|US 12]] at Union Rd.  It has a post office.
*'''Williamsville''' is an unincorporated community in the northwest part of the township on Sears St. and Williamsville St.
*'''Zimmysville''' is an unincorporated community on the southwest part of the township near [[M-217]]

==History==
Cass County—particularly [[Calvin Township, Michigan|Calvin]], [[Penn Township, Michigan|Penn]], and Porter townships—was settled by Quakers from Ohio and Indiana and free blacks beginning in 1829. They became a network of people who provided freedom seekers with food, shelter, and transportation along the [[Underground Railroad]] to [[List of Underground Railroad sites|sites in Canada]], where slavery was illegal.<ref name="Eby">{{Cite news |last=Eby |first=John |date=2005-06-17 |title=State Bar memorializing 1847 slave raid 'milestone' |language=en |work=Dowagiac Daily News | location=Cassopolis| via=Leader Publications |url=https://www.leaderpub.com/2005/06/17/state-bar-memorializing-1847-slave-raid-039milestone039/ |access-date=2022-02-27}}</ref> [[Wright Modlin]], also known as Wright Maudlin, settled in Williamsville in the 1840s.<ref name="Mull">{{Cite book |last=Mull |first=Carol E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8yOsjE8OG4UC&pg=PA62 |title=The Underground Railroad in Michigan |date=2014-01-10 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5563-8 |pages=62, 68}}</ref> He was a scout, spy, and conductor on the [[Underground Railroad]]. He made trips down to the [[Ohio River]] and into [[Kentucky]] to bring people escaping slavery directly north into Michigan. Angry slaveholders banded together for the [[Kentucky raid on Cass County Underground Railroad|Kentucky raid on Cass County]] of 1847 to recover former slaves.<ref name="Snodgrass">{{Cite book |last=Snodgrass |first=Mary Ellen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SWusBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA348 |title=The Underground Railroad: An Encyclopedia of People, Places, and Operations |date=2015-03-26 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-45416-8 |page=348}}</ref> He was also a central figure in ''[[The South Bend Fugitive Slave Case]]'' of 1849.<ref name="O'Brien">{{Cite magazine |last=O'Brien |first=Sean |date=Summer 2017 |title=The Stationmaster |url=https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/the-stationmaster/ |magazine=Notre Dame Magazine | publisher=University of Notre Dame |language=en |access-date=2022-03-01}}</ref>

==Geography==
Porter Township is located in the southeast corner of Cass County and is bordered to the east by [[St. Joseph County, Michigan|St. Joseph County]] and to the south by the state of [[Indiana]]. The [[St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)|St. Joseph River]] forms part of the township border, cutting off what would have been the southeast corner of the township.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|141.5|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|133.4|sqkm|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|8.1|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 5.73%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602765720| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212162527/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602765720| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Porter township, Cass County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 29, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align= left
|2000= 3794
|2010= 3798
|2020= 3750
|footnote=<ref name="2020 census"/><ref name="Census 2010"/><ref name="GR2" />
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 3,794 people, 1,523 households, and 1,134 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|73.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 2,040 housing units at an average density of {{convert|39.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 97.36% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.63% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.53% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.08% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.21% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.19% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.34% of the population.

There were 1,523 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $51,320, and the median income for a family was $55,739. Males had a median income of $41,642 versus $27,004 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $24,026.  About 3.9% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://portertownship.org/ Porter Township official website]

{{Cass County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Cass County, Michigan]]
[[Category:South Bend – Mishawaka metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]