Stockbridge, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stockbridge is a village in Stockbridge Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and lies 36.4 miles (58.58 kilometers) from downtown Lansing, Michigan. The population was 1,260 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
The area that is now Stockbridge was originally settled in 1835 by Elijah Smith and Herman Lowe. The town was originally named Perkins by Elijah Smith, after his hometown in the state of New York. In 1838, the town was renamed Stockbridge after the township, and formally incorporated as a village in 1889.
Stockbridge was part of a vegetable growing region once known as "the salad bowl," which attracted large numbers of farm workers from Kentucky in the 1930's. Many of these families remain in Stockbridge today and it is common for Stockbridge natives to quip that 'everyone in this town is related.'
Today, visitors can still see the deep black soil of the onion farms that attracted workers in the early 20th century and still produce tear-inducing crops today.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.8 km² (1.5 mi²). 3.8 km² (1.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.68% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,260 people, 480 households, and 322 families residing in the village. The population density was 335.5/km² (866.1/mi²). There were 510 housing units at an average density of 135.8/km² (350.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.70% White, 0.79% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.48% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 480 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,456, and the median income for a family was $47,250. Males had a median income of $40,625 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,614. About 8.3% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
The economy of the village is based primarily on agriculture and small business. Its location at the busy junction of M-52 and M-106 helps maintain and sustain the small businesses of the village which include at least three pizza shops and an equal number of gas stations. (Plus one gas station that also serves pizza.)
In the late 1990's, Stockbridge officially joined the elite ranks of rural American towns that can boast their own McDonalds franchise. Since 2006, customers have been able to enjoy a hamburger and fries and then head across the street for a low-cost shopping spree at Dollar General.
[edit] Points of Interest
Michigan highway M-52 runs through town and motorists passing through will notice the striking, Romanesque town hall in the small village center. Its grounds feature a statue honoring area veterans of the Civil War and a quaint gazebo and are the site of "A Day in the Village," a festival held in mid-June which features attractions like face painting, sand art, and various groups handing out free candy and religious tracts.
Century old, two story, brick storefront buildings flank the townhall on the opposite sides of the street to the north and west. Antique shops, a pharmacy, a hobby shop, and a real estate office are among the current occupants of the buildings that comprise the old town center.
The town is also served by the Stockbridge Branch of the Capital Area District Library [1]
[edit] Stockbridge Miscellanea
Stockbridge Public Schools are the home to "The Panthers" whose colors are orange and black, but they might have been more aptly named "The Stockbridge Blonde Squirrels." Visitors to the village of Stockbridge might notice large numbers of striking squirrels dashing about. Rather than the more common coats of grey, black or brown, Stockbridge squirrels tend to sport a unique yellowy fur.
| Cities and communities of Ingham County, Michigan | |
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