Editing Wexford Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Wexford Township, Michigan
| settlement_type    = [[Civil township]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Wexford Township, MI hall.jpg
| imagesize          = 275
| image_caption      = Wexford Township Hall
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map        = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Wexford Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Wexford Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Wexford County, Michigan|Wexford County]]

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

<!-- Government -->| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = David Williams
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1       = Teresa Hankins
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1885

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 94.64
| area_land_km2      = 94.64
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 36.54
| area_land_sq_mi    = 36.54
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1161
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 331
| elevation_ft       = 1086
| coordinates        = {{coord|44|27|41|N|85|44|51|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49620 ([[Buckley, Michigan|Buckley]])<br>49625 ([[Copemish, Michigan|Copemish]])<br>49668 ([[Mesick, Michigan|Mesick]])<br>49683 ([[Thompsonville, Michigan|Thompsonville]])
| area_code          = [[Area code 231|231]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-86500<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        = 1627253<ref>{{GNIS|1627253}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Wexford Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Wexford County, Michigan|Wexford County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]]. The population was 1,161 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==Communities==
*'''Bagnall''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] within the township at {{coord|44|25|38|N|85|45|31|W}}.<ref>{{GNIS|1622870|Bagnall, Michigan}}</ref>  The community was settled in 1888 with a railway station along the [[Ann Arbor Railroad (1895–1976)|Ann Arbor Railroad]].  A post office named Farnsworth opened on June 20, 1889 and was named after the Farnsworth & Chesbrough company, which operated a grist mill and sawmill in the area.  The post office name was changed to Bagnall on December 29, 1902, but it is no longer in operation.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=39}}   
*'''Claggettville''' is a former settlement founded in 1897 along the Ann Arbor Railroad just west of the community of [[Sherman, Michigan|Sherman]].  Claggettville, which was also referred to as West Sherman, was the site of a large mill.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=117}}
*'''Harlan''' is an unincorporated community located along the county line with [[Manistee County, Michigan|Manistee County]] at {{coord|44|27|25|N|85|45|10|W}}.<ref>{{GNIS|627797|Harlan, Michigan}}.</ref>  The community began as a railway station along the Ann Arbor Railroad in 1888.  For state purposes, the Manistee County portion was named Churchills within [[Cleon Township, Michigan|Cleon Township]], and the Wexford County portion was named Harlan and given a post office on March 31, 1890.  The post office closed briefly in 1906 but remained in operation until July 15, 1935.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=252}}  
*'''[[Sherman, Michigan|Sherman]]''' is an unincorporated community located in the southeast corner of the township at {{coord|44|25|26|N|85|41|48|W}}.  The community extends into several neighboring township.<ref>{{GNIS|1621586|Sherman, Michigan}}</ref> 
*'''Wexford''' is a former settlement within the township. It was settled as early as 1865 by John Lennington.  William Masters became the first postmaster of Wexford on February 17, 1865.  The community was also referred to as Hanover, and a fire destroyed the community in 1906.  It was partially rebuilt but later abandoned.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=596}}
*'''Wexford Corner''' is an unincorporated community located in the northeast corner of the township at {{coord|44|30|46|N|85|41|46|W}} just northwest of the village of [[Buckley, Michigan|Buckley]].<ref>{{GNIS|1617937|Wexford Corner, Michigan}}</ref>  The community is at a four-point intersection within [[Hanover Township, Wexford County, Michigan|Hanover Township]] on the southeast in Wexford County, as well as [[Grant Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Grant Township]] on the northwest and [[Mayfield Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Mayfield Township]] on the northeast in [[Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Grand Traverse County]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|36.54|sqmi|km2|2}}, all land.

===Major highways===
*{{jct|state=MI|M|37}} forms most of the eastern boundary of the township.
*{{jct|state=MI|M|115}} runs very briefly through the southwest corner of the township.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 798 people, 298 households, and 213 families residing in the township.  The [[population density]] was 21.9 per square mile (8.4/km{{sup|2}}).  There were 379 housing units at an average density of 10.4 per square mile (4.0/km{{sup|2}}).  The racial makeup of the township was 96.62% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.13% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.25% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 2.01% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 298 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the township the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $35,083, and the median income for a family was $37,727. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $20,074 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $14,331.  About 8.3% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Wexford Township is served by three separate school districts.  The majority of the township is served by [[Mesick Consolidated Schools]] in [[Mesick, Michigan|Mesick]].  The northeastern portion of the township is served by [[Buckley Community School District]] in [[Buckley, Michigan|Buckley]].  A very small northwestern portion of the township is served by [[Benzie County Central Schools]], which is located to the northwest in [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie County]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Michigan Geographic Framework|url=http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_WEXFORD%20COUNTY.pdf|title=Wexford County School Districts|date=15 November 2013|accessdate=August 8, 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=39, 117, 252, 596}}

{{Wexford County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Wexford County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1885]]
[[Category:1885 establishments in Michigan]]