Charlevoix, Michigan

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Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,994. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County6.

Charlevoix Township is a separate governmental entity that completely surrounds the City and is the functional equivalent of its suburbs.

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Transportation

The city is situated between Lake Michigan and the western end of Lake Charlevoix, which drains into Lake Michigan through the short Round Lake/Pine River complex in the heart of downtown Charlevoix. The Charlevoix South Pier Light Station marks the opening of the channel onto Lake Michigan. Charlevoix's Round Lake has been called the best natural harbor on Lake Michigan. The only way to get from Lake Michigan to East Jordan, Michigan, Boyne City, Michigan and other sites on Lake Charlevoix by boat is via Charlevoix. As a result, much commercial, industrial, and recreational boat traffic passes through Charlevoix.

U.S. Highway 31 runs through the city, connecting with Michigan State Highway 88 at Eastport, 17 miles to the south at the north end of Torch Lake, and with U.S. Highway 131 at Petoskey, 16 miles to the east on the Little Traverse Bay. Michigan State Highway 66 has it northern terminus in the city and connects with Michigan State Highway 32 at East Jordan, about 12 miles to the southeast at the end of the south arm of Lake Charlevoix.

Regular intercity passenger train service ended on October 29, 1966 after the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) discontinued Grand Rapids, Michigan - Charlevoix - Bay View, Michigan service. Freight rail service ended between Charlevoix and Williamsburg, Michigan in 1982 after Chessie System abandoned the track. The state of Michigan purchased the track between Charlevoix and Petoskey, Michigan from the Chessie System Railroads and contracted Michigan Northern Railway to operate it. This section of track was removed in the 1990's due to a series of washouts and no rail freight customers in Charlevoix. Sections of this rail line now serve as a bicycle trail. The Charlevoix railroad depot now serves as a museum for the Charlevoix Historical Society.

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History

Charlevoix is named after Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, a French explorer who travelled the great lakes. It is not known if he ever set foot near the current location. It is also thought that Native Americans lived in the Pine river valley at various times.

Charlevoix was settled in the post-Civil War era. Several professors from the University of Chicago formed the Belvedere Summer Home association. Eventually, the city became known as a tourist destination with a number of extravagant summer hotels. Charlevoix had two train depots on the Pere Marquette Railway line, one depot for the Belvedere Club on the south side of Round Lake and one on the north side near the Chicago Club.

Charlevoix was home to Michigan's first nuclear power plant, Big Rock Point, which operated from 1962 to 1997.

Another major employer in the Richmond area has been the Medusa cement plant, located south of town off of US-31 near Fisherman's Island State Park. In the late 1990s the cement plant was bought out by Cemex, a transnational company from Mexico.

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Tourism

Nearby Northern Michigan tourist destinations are:

Common annual festivals in Charlevoix are:

  • Venetian festival
  • Apple Festival
  • Waterfront art fair
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Media and Culture

Charlevoix is primarily served by four newspapers: the Charlevoix Courier, the Petoskey News Review, the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and the Detroit Free Press. Most television and radio stations are based in Traverse City and serve all of the Northern Michigan region including Charlevoix. Charlevoix has one movie tri-plex theater and no big box shopping outlets except for Kmart, so many locals and visitors go to Petoskey or Traverse City for these amenities.

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Notable Charlevoixians

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Geography

Image:MIMap-doton-Charlevoix.PNG According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²). 5.3 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.65% water.

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Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 2,994 people, 1,375 households, and 812 families residing in the city. The population density was 566.7/km² (1,465.8/mi²). There were 2,096 housing units at an average density of 396.7/km² (1,026.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.92% White, 0.27% African American, 2.84% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,375 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,284, and the median income for a family was $42,853. Males had a median income of $31,544 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,319. 9.5% of the population and 3.7% of families were below the poverty line. 6.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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External links

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