Ottawa County, Michigan
Ottawa County | |
---|---|
UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Area code | 616 |
Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd, 4th |
Website | miottawa |
Ottawa County (
History
Before European settlers arrived, this area was home to the
The city dates its European-American founding to French colonial settlers. A
The first permanent settler of the county was a
Dutch settlers started arriving in the area in 1847, led by Albertus van Raalte.[8] These Dutch Settlers moved into the Holland area. This area was already inhabited by many Odawa (Ottawa) people as well as the Old Wing Mission.[9] Within just a few years, the new Dutch settlers had forced out the Ottawa people and the Old Wing Mission.[10]
Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,631 square miles (4,220 km2), of which 563 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 1,068 square miles (2,770 km2) (65%) is water.[11]
Bodies of water
- Bass River
- Black Lake (partially)
- Grand River
- Lake Macatawa
- Lake Michigan
- Macatawa River
- Pigeon River
- Spring Lake
Adjacent counties
By land
- Allegan County – south
- Kent County – east
- Muskegon County – north
By water
- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin – northwest
- Racine County, Wisconsin – southwest
Major highways
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1840 | 208 | — | |
1850 | 5,587 | 2,586.1% | |
1860 | 13,215 | 136.5% | |
1870 | 26,651 | 101.7% | |
1880 | 33,126 | 24.3% | |
1890 | 35,358 | 6.7% | |
1900 | 39,667 | 12.2% | |
1910 | 45,301 | 14.2% | |
1920 | 47,660 | 5.2% | |
1930 | 54,858 | 15.1% | |
1940 | 59,660 | 8.8% | |
1950 | 73,751 | 23.6% | |
1960 | 98,719 | 33.9% | |
1970 | 128,181 | 29.8% | |
1980 | 157,174 | 22.6% | |
1990 | 187,768 | 19.5% | |
2000 | 238,314 | 26.9% | |
2010 | 263,801 | 10.7% | |
2020 | 296,200 | 12.3% | |
2023 (est.) | 303,372 | [12] | 2.4% |
sources 1840-2022 [13] |
As of the
As of the
There were 81,662 households, out of which 39.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 19.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.25.
The county has numerous seasonal residents during the summer.
In the county, 28.70% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.90% was from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks Ottawa County as Michigan's second-healthiest county,[15] preceded only by the leisure-oriented Traverse City area.
The median income for a household in the county was $52,347, and the median income for a family was $59,896. Males had a median income of $42,180 versus $27,706 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,676. About 3.10% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.70% of those under age 18 and 4.90% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
- The Catholic Church has 11 churches and 24,700 members.[16]
- The Christian Reformed Church in North America has 67 churches and 33,700 members.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has two meetinghouses in the county.
- The Protestant Reformed Churches have around 10 large congregations in the county.
- The Reformed Church in America has 47 congregations and 33,300 members.
Government
Ottawa County operates the County jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and
Most of the county's offices are located in either the city of Grand Haven or at the Fillmore complex in Olive Township.
Elected officials
- Register of Deeds– Justin F. Roebuck
- County Commissioners[17]
- County Treasurer – Amanda Price
- Prosecuting Attorney – Lee F. Fisher
- Sheriff – Steve Kempker
- Water Resources Commissioner – Joe Bush
(information as of September 2022) Since the late 19th century, the county has been strongly supportive of the Republican Party.[18]
As of 2023, the county's board of commissioners, a majority of whom are members of the advocacy group Ottawa Impact, has been described as "far-right" by national and Michigan-based media organizations. After the 2022 elections in which they took power, the board appointed Trump administration official John Gibbs to serve as the county administrator.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] In February 2024, the Board of Commissioners voted 10–1 to fire Gibbs for cause.[27]
Board of Commissioners
11 members, elected from districts (1 Democrat, 10 Republicans)
District | Commissioner | Party | District's Area |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Gretchen Cosby | Republican | Townships of Port Sheldon, Olive, and Park |
2 | Lucy Ebel | Republican | Townships of Park and Holland Charter |
3 | Doug Zylstra | Democratic | City of Holland |
4 | Jacob Bonnema | Republican | City of Zeeland and Townships of Zeeland Charter and Holland Charter |
5 | Joe Moss (chairman) | Republican | City of Hudsonville and Townships of Blendon, Jamestown Charter, and Zeeland Charter |
6 | Kendra Wenzel | Republican | Township of Georgetown Charter |
7 | Rebekah Curran | Republican | Township of Georgetown Charter |
8 | Sylvia Rhodea (Vice-chairman) | Republican | Township of Allendale Charter |
9 | Roger Belknap | Republican | Townships of Grand Haven Charter, Robinson, and Spring Lake |
10 | Roger Bergman | Republican | Cities of Grand Haven and Ferrysburg, Township of Spring Lake |
11 | Allison Miedema | Republican | City of Coopersville and Townships of Chester, Crockery, Polkton Charter, Tallmadge Charter, and Wright |
(information correct as of February 2024)
Local policies
Beginning in 2012, County Administrator Alan Vanderberg and the Board of Commissioners adopted the "Four Cs" Initiative including "Cultural Intelligence." At that time, Vanderberg asserted that there was discrimination in the county, and that it could adversely affect the future prosperity of the county.[29] The county "rebranded" in 2017, adopting the slogan "Where you belong." Vanderberg said the slogan is intended to let everyone know they are welcome in Ottawa County, regardless of color, ethnic background, sexual identity, religion or other qualifier.[30]
The county board made numerous changes at their first meeting when sworn in on January 3, 2023; the county slogan was changed to "Where Freedom Rings", the
Politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 100,913 | 59.81% | 64,705 | 38.35% | 3,095 | 1.83% |
2016 | 88,467 | 61.50% | 44,973 | 31.26% | 10,408 | 7.24% |
2012 | 88,166 | 66.41% | 42,737 | 32.19% | 1,854 | 1.40% |
2008 | 83,330 | 61.03% | 50,828 | 37.23% | 2,381 | 1.74% |
2004 | 92,048 | 71.55% | 35,552 | 27.64% | 1,043 | 0.81% |
2000 | 78,703 | 71.16% | 29,600 | 26.76% | 2,296 | 2.08% |
1996 | 61,436 | 64.39% | 27,024 | 28.32% | 6,956 | 7.29% |
1992 | 56,862 | 59.10% | 22,180 | 23.05% | 17,169 | 17.85% |
1988 | 61,515 | 76.20% | 18,769 | 23.25% | 445 | 0.55% |
1984 | 60,142 | 79.69% | 15,000 | 19.88% | 326 | 0.43% |
1980 | 51,217 | 67.85% | 18,435 | 24.42% | 5,832 | 7.73% |
1976 | 49,196 | 74.12% | 16,381 | 24.68% | 793 | 1.19% |
1972 | 42,169 | 71.99% | 15,119 | 25.81% | 1,288 | 2.20% |
1968 | 33,356 | 67.60% | 12,431 | 25.19% | 3,555 | 7.20% |
1964 | 24,512 | 54.79% | 20,151 | 45.05% | 72 | 0.16% |
1960 | 32,678 | 75.26% | 10,617 | 24.45% | 128 | 0.29% |
1956 | 28,611 | 74.90% | 9,459 | 24.76% | 130 | 0.34% |
1952 | 22,328 | 72.83% | 7,835 | 25.56% | 494 | 1.61% |
1948 | 16,028 | 63.38% | 8,789 | 34.76% | 471 | 1.86% |
1944 | 17,077 | 66.23% | 8,511 | 33.01% | 198 | 0.77% |
1940 | 15,462 | 62.39% | 9,152 | 36.93% | 170 | 0.69% |
1936 | 11,114 | 51.35% | 9,579 | 44.26% | 952 | 4.40% |
1932 | 12,076 | 58.34% | 7,981 | 38.56% | 643 | 3.11% |
1928 | 15,417 | 85.48% | 2,524 | 14.00% | 94 | 0.52% |
1924 | 11,688 | 78.55% | 1,871 | 12.57% | 1,321 | 8.88% |
1920 | 10,528 | 78.74% | 2,391 | 17.88% | 451 | 3.37% |
1916 | 5,484 | 56.19% | 3,941 | 40.38% | 335 | 3.43% |
1912 | 1,825 | 20.87% | 2,036 | 23.28% | 4,885 | 55.85% |
1908 | 5,642 | 66.25% | 2,429 | 28.52% | 445 | 5.23% |
1904 | 5,908 | 75.33% | 1,553 | 19.80% | 382 | 4.87% |
1900 | 5,324 | 62.21% | 3,050 | 35.64% | 184 | 2.15% |
1896 | 5,188 | 58.05% | 3,550 | 39.72% | 199 | 2.23% |
1892 | 3,643 | 50.82% | 2,996 | 41.79% | 530 | 7.39% |
1888 | 4,302 | 55.03% | 3,191 | 40.82% | 325 | 4.16% |
1884 | 3,758 | 53.36% | 3,049 | 43.29% | 236 | 3.35% |
Ottawa County has long been one of the most consistently
The county is very Republican even by the standards of traditionally Republican West Michigan. As a measure of how Republican the county has been since then, it has rejected Democratic presidential candidates even in national Democratic landslides. It was one of the few counties where
In 2008, it was one of the only two counties in Michigan where
Perhaps the most prominent politician in Ottawa County History was Grand Haven's
Communities
Cities
- Coopersville
- Ferrysburg
- Grand Haven (county seat)
- Holland
- Hudsonville
- Zeeland
Village
Charter townships
- Allendale Charter Township
- Georgetown Charter Township
- Grand Haven Charter Township
- Holland Charter Township
- Jamestown Charter Township
- Polkton Charter Township
- Tallmadge Charter Township
- Zeeland Charter Township
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
- Agnew
- Bauer
- Beaverdam
- Big Spring
- Blendon
- Borculo
- Conger
- Conklin
- Crisp
- Crockery Lake
- Dennison
- Drenthe
- Eastmanville
- Finnasey
- Forest Grove
- Gooding
- Grand Valley
- Harlem Station
- Harrisburg
- Herrington
- Jamestown
- Lamont (called Steele's Landing 1851–1856)
- Lisbon
- Macatawa
- Marne
- Noordeloos
- North Blendon
- Nunica
- Ottawa Center
- Pearline (also called East Allendale)
- Port Sheldon
- Reno
- Robinson
- Spoonville
- Tallmadge
- Vriesland
- West Olive
- Wright
Townships
See also
- List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Ottawa County, Michigan
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ottawa County, Michigan
References
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ottawa County, Michigan; United States". census.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "U.S. Census website". census.gov.
- ^ "Look into the Michigan Tribes | Central Michigan University". www.cmich.edu. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Madeline La Framboise". History of American Women. January 13, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- OCLC 183327308.
- ^ Bartholomew, Henry (1908). Collections of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan together with reports of county pioneer societies. Library of Congress: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford, Co. State Printers. p. 307.
- ^ Moore, Charles (1915). History of Michigan. Vol. I. The Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 529–31.
- S2CID 161497248.
- ^ Swierenga, Robert P.; Van Appledorn, William (2007). Old Wing Mission: The Chronicles of the Reverend George N. and Arvilla Powers Smith, Missionary Teachers of Chief Wakazoo's Ottawa Indian Band in Western Michigan, 1838-1849. Holland, MI: A.C. Van Raalte Institute for Historical Studies.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "Census.gov". Census.gov.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Michigan". County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.
- ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives - Maps & Reports". thearda.com.
- ^ "miOttawa - Ottawa County Board of Commissioners". ottawa.mi.us.
- ^ a b c "In deep-red Ottawa County, religion, race spark civil war among Republicans | Bridge Michigan". Bridge Michigan. July 19, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ POLITICO. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ MLive. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- MLive.
A far-right group that campaigned on individual freedom and parental rights, Ottawa Impact is set to take over control of the county
- ^ a b "Ottawa County community reacts to John Gibbs, new County Administrator". Fox 17. January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
the eleven-person board saw eight new members sworn in. Most of them are affiliated with the far-right conservative group "Ottawa Impact", which among other things, rallied against public Covid health mandates and diversity efforts.
- MLive. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
The 2023 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners will be comprisedof one Democrat and 10 Republicans, nine of whom were endorsed by the far-right Republican group
- ^ Carlson, Kate (January 3, 2023). "'Completely Blindsided': Ottawa Impact commissioners oust multiple top officials at first meeting". mibiz.com. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
eight commissioners, backed by a far-right political action committee who now control a large majority of the county board
- ^ Leatzow, Jared (June 1, 2022). "Ottawa County Republican Party becoming more far right". The Holland Sentinel. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ Boothe, Daniel (January 3, 2023). "Ottawa County Board ofCommissioners hires John Gibbs as new Administrator". WGVU.
In 2023, the new board is one Democrat and 10 Republicans, nine of whom were endorsed by the far-right
- ^ https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/ottawa-county-commission-holds-special-meetings-regarding-hambley-gibbs/
- ^ "Board of Commissioners; Meet Your Commissioners". Ottawa County.
- ^ "Cultural Intelligence Committee - Ottawa County MI". miottawa.org. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015.
- ^ "Administrator touts Ottawa County's attributes in annual address". mlive.com. January 26, 2018.
- MLive. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- MLive. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Kransz, Michael (May 24, 2023). "Ottawa County becomes 'constitutional county'". mlive. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
- ^ "Presidential election of 1864 - Map by counties". free.fr.
- ^ "2008 Presidential General Election Results - Michigan".
- ^ "Christian nationalism is gripping the nation — has it arrived in Ottawa County?". The Holland Sentinel. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- OCLC 312070.
- OCLC 40411130.
- JSTOR 2147319.