Editing Ransom Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Ransom Township, Michigan
| settlement_type    = [[Civil township]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Ransom Township, Michigan hall.jpg
| imagesize          = 275
| image_caption      = Ransom Township Hall
| 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      = Ransom Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Ransom Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Hillsdale County, Michigan|Hillsdale County]]

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Hillsdale County, Michigan|Hillsdale]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|last=[[Michigan Townships Association]]|url=https://michigantownships.org/find-a-township/?fips=67120|title=Ransom Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan|date=2022|accessdate=December 26, 2022}}</ref>
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = Clifford Fether
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1       = Susan Ruder
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1848

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 78.17
| area_land_km2      = 77.91
| area_water_km2     = 0.26
| area_total_sq_mi   = 30.18
| area_land_sq_mi    = 30.08
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.10

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1012
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 33.6

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 305
| elevation_ft       = 1001
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|46|14|N|84|31|50|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49266 ([[Osseo, Michigan|Osseo]])<br>49288 ([[Waldron, Michigan|Waldron]])<br>49271([[Pittsford, Michigan|Pittsford]])
| area_code          = [[Area code 517|517]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-67120<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1626952<ref>{{GNIS|1626952}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
[[File:Ransom, Michigan road signage.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Unincorporated community of Ransom]]
'''Ransom Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Hillsdale County, Michigan|Hillsdale County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]].  The population was 1,012 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==Communities==
* '''Betzer''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] in the eastern portion of the township on the boundary with [[Wright Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan|Wright Township]] at {{coord|41|45|11|N|84|28|33|W}}.<ref>{{GNIS|1617442|Betzer, Michigan}}</ref>  The community was named after the Daniel Colbetzer, who served as the first postmaster when a post office opened here on November 15, 1886.  The post office operated until December 31, 1901.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=60}}
*'''Ransom''' is an unincorporated community located within the township at {{coord|41|46|31|N|84|32|03|W|}}.<ref>{{GNIS|635641|Ransom, Michigan}}</ref>  It was first settled in 1840 in the area formerly called Rowland Township, which was named after pioneering settler Rowland Bird.  It was given a post office named North Rowland on April 17, 1848.  It was renamed Ransom soon after on September 5, 1848 when the area was reogranized under the name Ransom Township.  It was named after [[Epaphroditus Ransom]], who was the governor of Michigan at the time.  The post office was briefly named Bird the following year but then renamed back to Ransom in 1850.  The Ransom post office operated until August 31, 1936.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=466}}

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|30.18|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|30.08|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.10|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (0.33%) is water.

===Historic sites===
*[[Trunk Line Bridge No. 237]] is an [[arch bridge]] listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. Built in 1918, it carries Burt Road over Silver Creek.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|url=http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/1915.htm|title=Trunk Line Bridge No. 237|work=State Historic Preservation Office|publisher=Michigan State Housing Development Authority|accessdate=August 20, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121224130159/http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/1915.htm|archivedate=December 24, 2012}}</ref><ref name=mdot>{{cite web|title=Burt Rd. / Silver Creek|url=http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9620_11154_11188-28545--,00.html|work=Historic Bridges|publisher=Michigan Department of Transportation|accessdate=August 20, 2012}}</ref>

===Major highways===
*{{jct|state=MI|MI|99}} runs south–north through the center of the township.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 982 people, 324 households, and 256 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|32.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 353 housing units at an average density of 11.7 per square mile (4.5/km{{sup|2}}).  The racial makeup of the township was 98.07% [[White (U.S. Census)|white]], 0.10% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.43% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.43% of the population.

There were 324 households, out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the township the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,069, and the median income for a family was $43,264. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $22,438 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $15,904.  About 8.0% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The township is served by three separate public school districts.  The western portion of the township is served by [[Camden-Frontier Schools]] to the southwest in [[Amboy Township, Michigan|Amboy Township]].  The northeast portion of the township is served by [[Pittsford Area Schools]] to the northeast in [[Pittsford, Michigan|Pittsford]].  A small portion of the southeast corner of the township is served by [[Waldron Area Schools]] to the east in [[Wright Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan|Wright Township]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Michigan Geographic Framework|url=https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_HILLSDALE%20COUNTY.pdf|title=Hillsdale County School Districts|date=15 November 2013|accessdate=December 26, 2022}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Jason E. Hammond]], educator and politician, born in Ransom Township<ref>{{cite book |last=Michigan Historical Commission|date=1924 |title=Michigan Biographies: Including Members of Congress, Elective State Officers, Justices of the Supreme Court, Members of the Michigan Legislature, Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, State Board of Agriculture and State Board of Education, Volume 1 |trans-title= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2jhAAAAMAAJ|language=English |location= |isbn=|pages=387–388}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 21, 1957|title=Prominent Figure Dies|page=17|work=Lansing State Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115909104/prominent-figure-dies/|via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=January 7, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===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 |type=Paperback  |orig-date= 1973 |date=October 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn = 978-0-8143-1838-6 |location=Detroit, Michigan| pages=60, 466}}

{{Hillsdale County, Michigan}}
{{authority control}}

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