Editing Sodus Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Sodus Township, Michigan
|settlement_type          = [[Civil township]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = Sodus Logo.png
|seal_type                = logo
|seal_size                = 200px

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map            =Michigan#USA
|pushpin_label_position =top<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_label          =Sodus Township
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location within the state of Michigan
|pushpin_mapsize        =
|image_map                = Sodus Township, MI location.png
|mapsize                  = 250
|map_caption              = Location within [[Berrien County, Michigan|Berrien 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        = [[Berrien County, Michigan|Berrien]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Supervisor
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Established
|established_date         = 1859

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 51.8
|area_land_km2            = 50.3
|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         = 1995
|population_density_km2   =
|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              = 208
|elevation_ft             = 682
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|02|39|N|86|22|54|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
|postal_code              = 49126
|area_code                = [[Area code 269|269]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 26-74440<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              = 1627087<ref>{{gnis|1627087}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|http://www.sodustwp.org/|Official website}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Sodus Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Berrien County, Michigan|Berrien County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]].  The population was 1,995 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 census">{{cite web |title=Sodus township, Berrien County, Michigan - Census Bureau Profile |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Sodus_township,_Berrien_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2602174440 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> There are no incorporated municipalities in the township. The [[unincorporated community]] of '''Sodus'''<ref>{{GNIS|638230|Sodus}}</ref> in the northwest of the township is its main settlement; the portion of the township just to the west is part of the [[Benton Harbor, Michigan|Benton Harbor]]/[[St. Joseph, Michigan|St. Joseph]] urban area.<ref>{{cite map |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |title=Urbanized Area Outline Map (Census 2000), Benton Harbor&ndash;St. Joseph, MI |url=http://ftp2.census.gov/geo/maps/urbanarea/uaoutline/UA2000/ua07138/ua07138_01.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030621150528/http://ftp2.census.gov/geo/maps/urbanarea/uaoutline/UA2000/ua07138/ua07138_01.pdf |archive-date=2003-06-21 |url-status=live |year=2000 |scale=1 : 33,208 }}</ref>

==History==
Probably the first entrepreneur in Sodus Township was James LaRue, a New Jersey native, who purchased riverfront land for the construction of a sawmill in 1835. The first permanent settler, however, was David S. Rector who, in 1837, took possession of 40 acres of land. 
<ref name="Sodus Township">[http://www.berriencounty.org/econdev/pdfs/sodus_township.pdf Sodus Township] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613074436/http://berriencounty.org/econdev/pdfs/sodus_township.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908031844/http://www.berriencounty.org/econdev/pdfs/sodus_township.pdf |archive-date=2008-09-08 |url-status=live |date=2010-06-13 }}, [[Berrien County, Michigan|Berrien County]] Community Development Department, August 2008.</ref> The name of the township came from Rector. He and his brother, William H., came to the area by way of keel boat from [[Sodus, New York]], so the township was named such in 1859 after the town from which they departed.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3G0Qo9lf4nsC&pg=PA960 A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, pg. 960]</ref>
[[File:Tabor Farm, Sodus, Michigan. 160 acres of homelike hospitality -- private 9-hole golf course -- swimming pool -- shuffle and tennis courts -- solarium. - 8242029576.jpg|thumb|left|Post card showing the resort at Tabor Farms.]]
In 1853, Joab Enos built a flour mill, also on Pipestone Creek.<ref>Cowles, Edward B. (1871). ''Berrien County Directory and History'', p. 213. Buchanan, Michigan: Record Steam Printing House.</ref> The township was organized on October 11, 1859.<ref name="Sodus Township"/> In 1891, Ernest Tabor established Tabor Farm Summer Resort on the banks of the [[St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)|St. Joseph River]]. The resort was open during summers and hosted reunions, conventions and banquets.<ref name=tabor>[http://berrien.migenweb.net/News_files/TaborResort.htm Tabor's Farm Resort]</ref> From 1961 to 1983, it was owned and managed by [[Alma Adamkienė|Alma]] and [[Valdas Adamkus]], future [[President of Lithuania]].<ref>[http://www.lituanus.org/2010/10_4_10%20BR%20Grazulis.html Book Review: Marius K. Gražulis, Lithuanians in Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, 2009.]</ref> The resort was closed in 1990.<ref name=tabor/>

Sodus has had retail establishments in the past, though it has none now.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ralph |last=Heibutzki |title=Shadow of its former self |url=http://www.theh-p.com/articles/2009/09/22/local_news/857228.txt |work=[[The Herald-Palladium]] |date=2009-09-22 |access-date=2009-09-22 }}</ref>

==Geography==
The [[St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)|St. Joseph River]] forms most of the western boundary of the township, with [[Royalton Township, Michigan|Royalton Township]] on the other side of the river. The township shares a short western border with the community of [[Fair Plain, Michigan|Fair Plain]] in [[Benton Charter Township, Michigan|Benton Charter Township]] north of the St. Joseph River. Benton Charter Township continues as the township to the north, [[Bainbridge Township, Michigan|Bainbridge Township]] is to the northeast, [[Pipestone Township, Michigan|Pipestone Township]] to the east, [[Berrien Township, Michigan|Berrien Township]] to the southeast, and [[Oronoko Charter Township, Michigan|Oronoko Charter Township]] to the south. A new segment of [[U.S. Route 31 in Michigan|US&nbsp;31]] was completed in August 2003 that re-routed the highway through the township. [[Interstate 94 in Michigan|Interstate 94]] crosses the northwest corner of the township with two interchanges located nearby.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|51.8|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|50.3|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.5|km2|order=flip}}, or 2.91%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602174440| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212164148/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2602174440| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Sodus township, Berrien County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,139 people, 884 households, and 570 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|109.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 957 housing units at an average density of {{convert|49.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 87.19% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 8.37% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.28% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.05% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.23% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.26% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.62% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 8.74% of the population.

There were 884 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the township the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $33,804, and the median income for a family was $42,250. Males had a median income of $34,018 versus $22,824 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $17,646.  About 6.6% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Culture==
The novel ''[[At Home in Old Sodus]]'' by [[Michael Jewell]] ({{ISBN|1603832343}}) is set in Sodus Township.<ref>{{cite news |title='Old Sodus' in the early 1970s |url=http://www.theh-p.com/articles/2010/04/24/local_news/1369831.txt |work=[[The Herald-Palladium]] |date=2010-04-24 |access-date=2010-05-03 }}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[James Enright (referee)|James Enright]], [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] referee and former Chicago sportswriter

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sodustwp.org/ Sodus Township official website]
* [http://www.sodustwplibrary.org/ Sodus Township Library]

{{Berrien County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Berrien County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]