Civil township in Michigan, United States
| Felch Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Civil township | |
 Location within Dickinson County | |
  Felch TownshipLocation within the state of MichiganShow map of Michigan Felch TownshipLocation within the United StatesShow map of the United States | |
| Coordinates: 46°04′47″N 87°52′27″W / 46.07972°N 87.87417°W / 46.07972; -87.87417 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Dickinson |
| Government | |
| • Supervisor | Robert Mattson |
| • Clerk | Darrell Oman |
| Area | |
| • Total | 143.81 sq mi (372.47 km) |
| • Land | 141.84 sq mi (367.36 km) |
| • Water | 1.97 sq mi (5.10 km) |
| Elevation | 1,181 ft (360 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 687 |
| • Density | 4.84/sq mi (1.87/km) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49815 (Channing) 49831 (Felch) 49877 (Ralph) 49881 (Sagola) |
| Area code | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-27660 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626273 |
| Website | Official website |
Felch Township is a civil township of Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan, named in honor of Alpheus Felch. The population was 687 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 143.8 square miles (372 km), of which, 143.1 square miles (371 km) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km) of it (0.47%) is water.
Communities
There are no incorporated municipalities in the township.
- Felch is an unincorporated community on M-69 at 45°59′50″N 87°49′33″W / 45.99722°N 87.82583°W / 45.99722; -87.82583. Felch was a station on a branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway. A post office has been in operation there since 1906.
- Metropolitan was a thriving village established just after 1880 to exploit the iron ore in the nearby Metropolitan Mine. Metropolitan was about one mile west of Felch and was the last station on a branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway coming west from Escanaba. The village was platted by the Metropolitan Mining Company in 1881. A post office was in operation there from 1881 until 1963. The present Zion Lutheran Church of Metropolitan sits almost exactly on the site of the old village, which is now a string of farms along the country roads. Metropolitan was sometimes referred to as Milltown and Farmertown.
- Theodore is an unincorporated community on M-69 about half a mile northwest of Felch at 46°00′05″N 87°50′07″W / 46.00139°N 87.83528°W / 46.00139; -87.83528. It was platted for the Lake Superior Ship Canal, Railway & Iron Company in 1881 by J.A. Van Clive.
- Felch Mountain is an unincorporated community on M-69 about half a mile northwest of Felch. It is immediately adjacent to, and east of, Theodore. Both Theodore and Felch Mountain are located on a steep hill north of M-69, while Felch and Metropolitan are located in the lower land south of M-69.
- Spruce was a station on the Chicago and North Western Railway at 45°59′09″N 87°46′38″W / 45.98583°N 87.77722°W / 45.98583; -87.77722 near the junction of Lucas Rd with M-69
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 726 people, 274 households, and 204 families residing in the township. By 2020, there were 687 people in the township.
References
- Michigan Townships Association (2023). "Felch Township, Dickinson County, Michigan". Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Felch Township, Michigan
- Daly, Matthew L.; Herman, Jennifer L.; Hannan, Caryn (December 1, 2008). Michigan Encyclopedia. North American Book Dist LLC. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-878592-94-1.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Felch, Michigan
- ^ Romig, Walter (1986) . Michigan Place Names. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Metropolitan, Michigan
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Theodore, Michigan
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Felch Mountain, Michigan
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Spruce, Michigan
| Municipalities and communities of Dickinson County, Michigan, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Iron Mountain | ||
| Cities |  | |
| Charter township | ||
| Civil townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||