Comstock Township, Michigan
Comstock Township, Michigan | ||
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Charter Township of Comstock | ||
FIPS code 26-077-17680[1] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1626126[2] | |
Website | www |
Comstock Charter Township is a
Communities
- ZIP code49041 offers only P.O. box service.
- Comstock Northwest is a census-designated place in the northwest section of the township and borders the city of Kalamazoo.
- East Comstock is a named place located just east of the community of Comstock on M-96, near the dam forming Morrow Lake on the Kalamazoo River at 42°17′10″N 85°29′23″W / 42.28611°N 85.48972°W.[6]
- Galesburg is a city on M-96 that borders the eastern portion of the township. The Galesburg ZIP code 49053 serves much of the eastern portion of the township.[7]
- Lawndale is a named place between East Comstock and Galesburg along M-96 at 42°17′11″N 85°27′44″W / 42.28639°N 85.46222°W.[8]
Schools
Comstock Township residents are served by three public school systems:
- Comstock Public Schools, Comstock (Kalamazoo), Michigan
- Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools; Galesburg, Michigan
- Gull Lake Community Schools; Richland, Michigan
Forest Academy is a K-8 charter school located in Comstock Township.
History
Township 2 South Range 10 West was first surveyed in January 1827 by Robert M. Clark. The first settler, William Tolland, came there in 1829 but apparently never purchased any land, despite living there for several years. In 1830, land entries were recorded for William Harris for the southwest quarter of section 17 and Major G. Van Dwyer for the southwest quarter of section 13 (the eastern portion of the section is now part of Galesburg). In 1831 land entries were recorded for Horace H. Comstock, Caleb Eldred, Thomas W. Merrill, Mumford Eldred, Stephen Eldred, Leland Lane, and others. Settling in the eastern part of the township in or near what is now Galesburg were Nathaniel Matthews, Ralph Tuttle, Sherman Cummings, George Townsend, and Nathan Cothren. H. H. Comstock, Caleb Eldred, and Cryus Lovell settled in the western part of the township near what became Comstock.
Comstock Township was organized by an act of the Territorial Legislature in 1834. Previously, it was a part of Arcadia Township (later renamed
Comstock Township became a charter township in 1964.[10]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.3 square miles (91.3 km2), of which 33.3 square miles (86.3 km2) are land and 1.9 square miles (5.0 km2), or 5.49%, are water.[11] The Kalamazoo River flows from east to west through the center of the township, including through Morrow Lake, a reservoir.
Demographics
A densely populated portion of the township adjacent to the city of Kalamazoo is part of the census-designated place (CDP), Comstock Northwest.
As of the
There were 5,366 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $46,140, and the median income for a family was $54,866. Males had a median income of $40,845 versus $29,195 for females. The
Government
Comstock Township operates under a home rule charter government, with a supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and four trustees forming the township board of governance.[12]
Public utilities
The city of Kalamazoo and the city of Galesburg provide water and sanitary sewer service to the urban areas within the township.
Public safety
The Comstock Fire and Rescue department was established in 1924. It currently operates three fire stations that house six engines. The department employs a full-time fire chief and fire inspector, as well as a number of full-time and paid on-call staff that operate the three fire stations 24 hours a day.[13]
The township contracts with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's department to provide police patrol during designated hours within the township.
Transportation
Comstock Township is served by the following highways:
- Interstate 94 (exits 80, 81, and 85).
- State highways M-96 and M-343.[14]
The
The
The
Economy
"Bedding Plant Capital of the World"
The fertile soil along the Kalamazoo River valley led the Comstock area to become known as the "Bedding Plant Capital of the World". Comstock Township is home to the largest bedding plant cooperative in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of plants, many varieties of which can be found throughout the county's parks and boulevards, are sold each year to retail garden centers nationwide.[15]
Bell's Brewery
Comstock Township is the home of the
Midlink Business Park
Midlink Business Park is a multi-use commercial center that was once the home of a General Motors Fisher Body plant located in Comstock Township. Following the closure of the GM plant in 1998, the site was purchased by a mix of public and private partners to transform the 2.2 million-square-foot facility into a business park. As of 2010, there were 13 businesses operating within the 340-acre site, including a 95-room hotel.[17]
References
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Comstock Township, Michigan
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Comstock, Michigan
- ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: East Comstock, Michigan
- ^ 49053 5-Digit ZCTA, 490 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder[permanent dead link], U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lawndale, Michigan
- ^ A Brief History of the County Archived February 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, by George Torry, from the 1876 meeting of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan
- ^ a b Chronology of Township, Village and City Formation, Kalamazoo County, MI Genealogy and Local History
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Comstock charter township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
- ^ [1] Archived February 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ About CFD
- ^ "Michigan Highways: Route Listings: M-343 Route Map".
- ^ The History of Kalamazoo MI
- ^ Bell's Brewery
- ^ "Midlink Business Park :: Kalamazoo, Michigan". Archived from the original on 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2012-04-11.