Editing Suttons Bay Township, Michigan

{{About|the township|the village|Suttons Bay, Michigan}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Suttons Bay Township, Michigan
| settlement_type          = [[Civil township]]
| image_skyline            = 45th parallel Suttons Bay Township MI.jpg
| imagesize                = 275
| image_caption            = [[45th parallel north|45th parallel]] sign along [[M-22 (Michigan highway)|M-22]], north of [[Suttons Bay, Michigan|Suttons Bay]]
| pushpin_map              = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position   = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label            = Suttons Bay Township
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Michigan
| pushpin_mapsize          = 
| image_map                = Suttons Bay Township, MI location.png
| mapsize                  = 250
| map_caption              = Location within [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]] (red) and the administered village of [[Suttons Bay, Michigan|Suttons Bay]] (pink)
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name         = {{Flagu|United States|size=23px}}
| subdivision_name1        = {{Flag|Michigan|size=23px}}
| subdivision_name2        = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Leelanau County, Michigan.svg|size=23px}} [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = Supervisor
| leader_name              = Tom Nixon
| leader_title1            = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1             = Sandra Van Huystee
| established_title        = Established
| established_date         = 1863
| area_total_km2           = 
| area_land_km2            = 
| area_water_km2           = 
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020"/>
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_note          = 
| population_total         = 2883
| population_metro         = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 117.6
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| coordinates              = {{coord|44|59|35|N|85|38|11|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_cousubs_26.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=February 20, 2024}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi         = 41.89
| area_land_sq_mi          = 24.52
| area_water_sq_mi         = 17.37
| elevation_m              = 183
| elevation_ft             = 600
| website                  = {{URL|www.leelanau.cc/suttonsbaytwp.asp|Official website}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code              = 49653 ([[Lake Leelanau, Michigan|Lake Leelanau]])<br>49682 ([[Suttons Bay, Michigan|Suttons Bay]])
| area_code                = [[Area code 231|231]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 26-77620<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              = 1627143<ref>{{gnis|1627143}}</ref>
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| footnotes                = 
}}
[[File:45th parallel Suttons Bay Township MI.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[45th parallel north|45th parallel]] marker along [[M-22 (Michigan highway)|M-22]]]]
'''Suttons Bay Township''' is a [[civil township]] and county seat of [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. The population was 2,883 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=060XX00US2608977620 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Suttons Bay township, Leelanau County, Michigan |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=February 20, 2024}}</ref>
The village of [[Suttons Bay, Michigan|Suttons Bay]] is located within the township along [[Grand Traverse Bay]].

In a 2004 referendum, voters approved moving the [[county seat]] from the community of [[Leland, Michigan|Leland]] to a site in [[section (land)|section]] 19 in the southwest corner of the township, nearer to the geographic center of the county.  Suttons Bay Township is the only civil township to serve as a county seat in the state of Michigan.

==Communities==
*'''[[Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians]]''' headquarters are located within Suttons Bay Township with a small reservation in the northeast portion of the township near Peshawbestown.
*'''[[Lake Leelanau, Michigan|Lake Leelanau]]''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] and [[census-designated place]] partially within Suttons Bay Township.  The majority of the community is to the west in [[Leland Township, Michigan|Leland Township]]. 
*'''[[Peshawbestown, Michigan|Peshawbestown]]''' is an unincorporated community along [[M-22 (Michigan highway)|M-22]] in the northern portion of the township.
*'''[[Suttons Bay, Michigan|Suttons Bay]]''' is a village within the township.

==History==
In 1854, Harry Chittenden Sutton and his crew established a wooding station to provide fuel to wood-burning steamboats.<ref>[http://www.suttonsbayarea.com/about/ Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce -- about Suttons Bay]</ref>  The Sutton name first caused the village to be called Suttonsburg.  Pleasant City was another name, but Suttons Bay was later adopted for this growing community.

Railroads played an important role in the development of the area.  Running through Suttons Bay, the train passed near the site of Sutton's station and the community's next enterprise, a sawmill built by Sutton's son-in-law, George Carr, and connected to [[Fountain Point]], an historic resort site.<ref>[http://www.suttonsbayarea.com/history Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce -- history]</ref>

The township also includes the small [[Ojibwe]] community of [[Peshawbestown, Michigan|Peshawbestown]], also known as Eagletown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetctraveler.com/us/mi/cities/peshawbestown.asp|title=Peshawbestown|work=thetctraveler.com}}</ref> Once a Franciscan mission named after Chief Peshaba, who ruled in the 1880s, this community has grown to include a casino and resort.

Other features of Suttons Bay Township include [[Lake Leelanau]] on its southwestern corner, which can be accessed by taking [[M-204 (Michigan highway)|M-204]] west to the community of [[Lake Leelanau, Michigan|Lake Leelanau]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.annmariemitchell.com/lake-leelanau.php|title=Ann Marie Mitchell - Real estate in the most beautiful place in America.|work=annmariemitchell.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701231024/http://www.annmariemitchell.com/lake-leelanau.php|archive-date=2007-07-01|df=}}</ref> where the channel runs between Lake Leelanau's upper and lower lakes.  This township is also prime cherry country, with several orchards and wineries among its hills.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infomi.com/township/suttonsbay/|title=Suttons Bay Township, Michigan, 49682. Suttons Bay Township, Leelanau County|work=infomi.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=GGLJ,GGLJ:2006-42,GGLJ:en&q=wineries&near=Suttons+Bay,+MI+49682&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title|title=wineries loc: Suttons Bay, MI 49682 - Google Maps|work=google.com}}</ref>

The township contains [[Fountain Point]], which was built in 1889 and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|41.89|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|24.52|sqmi|km2|2}} is land and {{convert|17.37|sqmi|km2|2}} (41.47%) 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|format=PDF |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 = October 10, 2020|page=29 Michigan}}</ref>

The [[45th parallel north|45th parallel]] runs through Suttons Bay Township with a marker along [[M-22 (Michigan highway)|M-22]].  The township is bordered on the east by the West Arm of [[Grand Traverse Bay]] and partially by [[Lake Leelanau]] on the southwest.

=== Major highways ===
*{{jct|state=MI|M|22}} runs south–north along the coast of [[Grand Traverse Bay]] 
*{{jct|state=MI|M|204}} runs east–west through the township beginning in the village of [[Suttons Bay, Michigan|Suttons Bay]]

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,982 people, 1,114 households, and 834 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|121.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,406 housing units at an average density of {{convert|57.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 75.52% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.20% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 19.01% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.10% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 3.45% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.71% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.51% of the population.

There were 1,114 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the township the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $48,068, and the median income for a family was $52,596. Males had a median income of $36,389 versus $22,794 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $22,640.  About 5.8% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/bibliographies_of_clarke_library_material/michigan_local_history/county_material/leelanau.html Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Leelanau County]

==External links==
*[http://www.leelanaucounty.com/suttonsbaytwp.asp Township website]
*[http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-lwm-water-highrisk-suttons-bay-twp.pdf Michigan DEQ map of Suttons Bay Township]
* [http://www.suttonsbay.k12.mi.us/ Suttons Bay school website]

{{Leelanau County, Michigan}}
{{Michigan county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Leelanau County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:County seats in Michigan]]
[[Category:Traverse City metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1863]]
[[Category:1863 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan]]