Editing Sumpter Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Distinguish|Sumner Township, Michigan}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name=Sumpter Township, Michigan
|official_name            = 
|settlement_type          = [[Civil township]]
|image_skyline            = Sumpter Township Michigan Municipal Bldg.JPG
|imagesize                = 275
|image_caption            = Township Municipal Building on Sumpter Road
|image_seal               = 
|pushpin_map            =Michigan#USA
|pushpin_label_position =left<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_label = Sumpter Township
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
|image_map                = Location of Sumpter Township, Michigan in Wayne County.svg
|mapsize                  = 250
|map_caption              = Location within [[Wayne County, Michigan|Wayne County]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Michigan}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Wayne County, Michigan.svg}} [[Wayne County, Michigan|Wayne]]
|government_type          = 
|government_footnotes     = <ref>{{cite web|last=[[Michigan Townships Association]]|url=https://michigantownships.org/find-a-township/?fips=77360|title=Sumpter Township, Clare County, Michigan|date=2023|accessdate=January 14, 2023}}</ref>
|leader_title             = Supervisor
|leader_name              = Timothy Bowman
|leader_title1            = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
|leader_name1             = Esther Hurst
|established_date         = 1840 
|established_title        = Established
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 96.97
|area_total_sq_mi         = 37.44
|area_land_km2            = 96.76
|area_land_sq_mi          = 37.36
|area_water_km2           = 0.21
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.08
|elevation_ft             = 663
|elevation_m              = 202
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name=C2020>{{cite web|last=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Sumpter+township,+Wayne+County,+Michigan|title=Sumpter Township, Wayne County, Michigan|date=January 14, 2023}}</ref>
|population_total         = 9660
|population_metro        = 
|population_density_km2   = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 258.6
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|08|19|N|83|29|42|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
|postal_code              = 48111 ([[Belleville, Michigan|Belleville]])<br>48164 ([[New Boston, Michigan|New Boston]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 734|734]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 26-77360<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              = 1627138<ref>{{GNIS|1627138}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = {{URL|http://sumptertwp.com/|Official website}}
}}
[[Image:Sumpter Township Michigan Police Dept. Bldg.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Sumpter Police Department]]
'''Sumpter Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Wayne County, Michigan|Wayne County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]].  The population was 9,660 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name=C2020/>

==Communities==
* '''Ellisville''' was a community in the 1870s.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=180}}
* '''Martinsville''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] located within the township at {{coord|42|08|41|N|83|27|38|W}}.<ref>{{GNIS|631677|Martinsville, Michigan}}</ref>  The community was settled as early as 1840 and was briefly part of [[Van Buren Charter Township, Michigan|Van Buren Township]] until Sumpter Township was organized that same year.  A post office operated here from April 7, 1866, until September 16, 1906.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=355}}  The Martinsville Cemetery remains in the area as an active cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sumpter Township|url=https://sumptertwp.org/cemetery-map/|title=Sumpter Township Cemetery Map|date=2020|access-date=October 4, 2020}}</ref>  
* '''Smithsville''' is a former community in the eastern portion of the township.  It was given a post office named Woodville on April 12, 1852, and renamed Smithville on January 18, 1858.  The post office was renamed again and transferred to [[Waltz, Michigan|Waltz]] on February 19, 1872.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=520}}
* '''West Sumpter''' is an unincorporated community centered along the intersection of Karr Road and Wear Road at {{coord|42|07|21|N|83|30|34|W}}.<ref>{{GNIS|1616181|West Sumpter}}</ref>  The community was one of the first settlements in the township and was named after [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] veteran and later politician [[Thomas Sumter]], although inaccurately spelled as Sumpter Township.  A post office named West Sumpter operated from March 24, 1874, until February 28, 1902.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=595}}

==History==
Sumpter Township was designated Township 4 South in Range 8 East of Wayne County.  The original survey was approved on November 5, 1819.  Federal land in Sumpter Township began to be sold to individuals by the 1830s, with one land patent to Arthur Fuller on April 4, 1833.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glorecords.blm.gov |title=IIS7 |website=Glorecords.blm.gov |access-date=2016-02-27}}</ref> Sumpter Township has a brief history on their web page.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sumptertwp.com/TownshipHistory.html |title=Sumpter Township History |website=Sumptertwp.com |access-date=2016-02-27}}</ref>

Sumpter Township, including Township 4 South, of Range 8 East, was taken from Huron township and erected into a separate township on April 6, 1840, under the name of West Huron. Subsequently the name was changed to that of Sumter in honor of General [[Thomas Sumter]], Revolutionary war hero, but the engrossing clerk inserted a "p" in the name, which has since remained Sumpter.

The township received its first settlers before it was set off from Huron Township. George Jewett, one of the first assessors of Huron township lived in what is now Sumpter, and Ira P. Beach was elected the first supervisor when Sumpter township was erected.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wood|first1=William|last2=Gabriel|first2=Ralph H.|date=June 1928|title=The Pageant of America, A Pictorial History of the United States. Vol. VI, The Winning of Freedom|journal=The Mississippi Valley Historical Review|volume=15|issue=1|pages=118|doi=10.2307/1891682|issn=0161-391X|jstor=1891682}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|37.44|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|37.36|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.08|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (0.21%) is water.<ref>{{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|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]]| accessdate = January 13, 2023|page=45 Michigan}}</ref>

==Demographics==
As of the 2010 census Sumpter Township had a population of 9,549. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was 82.1% non-Hispanic white, 12.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from some other race, 2.9% reporting two or more races and 2.6% Hispanic or Latino.<ref>2010 census report for Sumpter Township, Michigan</ref>

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 11,856 people, 4,110 households, and 3,164 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|315.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 4,563 housing units at an average density of {{convert|121.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 84.68% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 12.33% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.52% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.18% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.50% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.79% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.78% of the population.

There were 4,110 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the township the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $48,680, and the median income for a family was $51,731. Males had a median income of $41,123 versus $27,397 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $19,323.  About 8.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Sumpter Township is divided between four neighboring school districts.  The entire western edge of the township is served by [[Lincoln Consolidated School District (Michigan)|Lincoln Consolidated School District]] in neighboring [[Washtenaw County, Michigan|Washtenaw County]].  The north-central portion of the township is served by [[Van Buren Public Schools]] to the north.  The southwestern portion of the township is served by [[Airport Community Schools]] to the south in [[Monroe County, Michigan|Monroe County]], and a small eastern portion of the township is served by [[Huron School District (Michigan)|Huron School District]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sumpter Township|url=https://sumptertwp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/School-District-Map.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105042008/https://sumptertwp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/School-District-Map.pdf |archive-date=2020-11-05 |url-status=live|title=Sumpter Township school districts|date=September 2019|access-date=October 24, 2020}}</ref>

The township itself no longer contains any public school buildings after Lincoln Consolidated closed Bessie Hoffman Elementary at the end of the 2009–10 school year.  The school was built in 1965 and is located at 50700 Willow Road.  Following its closure, it remains vacant.<ref>{{cite news |publisher = [[Booth Newspapers]] |work = [[The Ann Arbor News]] |url = http://www.annarbor.com/news/time-capsule-disgorges-history-of-lincoln-districts-soon-to-close-bessie-hoffman-school/ |title = Time capsule unearths history of Lincoln district's soon-to-close Bessie Hoffman school |date = 4 June 2010 |access-date = October 23, 2020 }}</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 |work=Great Lakes Books Series |type=Paperback  |orig-date= 1973 |date=October 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn = 978-0-8143-1838-6 |location=Detroit, Michigan| pages=180, 355, 520, 595}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sumpter Township, Michigan}}
*[http://www.sumptertwp.com Sumpter Township official website]
*[http://www.sumpterpd.org Sumpter Township Police Department official website]

{{Cities of Wayne County, Michigan}}
{{Metro Detroit}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Wayne County, Michigan]]
[[Category:1840 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1840]]