Sanilac County, Michigan

Infobox U.S. County
county = Sanilac County
state = Michigan




map size = 200
founded = September 10, 1822
seat = Sandusky | area_total_sq_mi =1590
area_land_sq_mi =964
area_water_sq_mi =626
area percentage = 39.39%
census yr = 2000
pop = 44547
density_km2 =18
web = www.sanilaccounty.net
|

Sanilac County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 44,547 with a projection of 44,448 in 2006. The county seat is SanduskyGR|6. The county, which is part of the Thumb region, was created on September 10, 1822 and was fully organized on December 31, 1849.

Geography

*According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,590 square miles (4,119 km²), of which, 964 square miles (2,496 km²) of it is land and 626 square miles (1,622 km²) of it (39.39%) is water. As mentioned above, Sanilac County is one of five counties that forms the Thumb area. Sanilac County enjoys seasonable tourisum in towns such as Lexington, Port Sanilac, and Carsonville. Sanilac County is econocomically attached to St. Clair County and Huron County and has very fertile, flat land.
*It is considered to be part of the Thumb of Michigan, which in turn is a subregion of the Flint/Tri-Cities.
*The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for the Catholic Church. [ [http://www.saginaw.org/ Saginaw County Diocese home page,] ]

Adjacent counties

*Huron County (north)
*Tuscola County (west)
*St. Clair County (south)
*Lapeer County (southwest)
*Huron County, Ontario, Canada (east)

Major highways

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History

Sanilac County was probably named for a Wyandotte/Huron Chief named Sanilac. [ [http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_20826_20829-54126--,00.html Michigan government on origin of county names] ] See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

In the middle 1800's, the area now called Port Sanilac was called Bark Shanty. It was named for a lone shanty made of bark, which was used to make shingles from pine. The Algonquin word "zngwak" means pine. Sanilac County was named for Chief Sannilac, who was Wyandotte. The county seat of Sanilac is the City of Sandusky. The later word is said to mean "water". Perhaps, both word have origin in water, which in Onondaga is "ochneca": "oschwoencara" means board or shingle. Bark is "ochscuntara".

Sanilac may mean shanty, which in IroquoisFact|date=September 2008 is "ganochsaje", which is used to form the name Canada meaning essentially "shanties".Fact|date=September 2008 The word shanty comes from the French word "chantier" often meaning a lumber camp. The root seems to be the Latin word "scandula" meaning to split.

The Thumb of Michigan was at one time the lumber capital of the world based on logging white pine. To the Algonquin, Iroquois, and European the pine tree was the tree of the shingle or split wood.Fact|date=September 2008 The Chippewa/Ottawa word "jingwak" or "zhngwak" meant the splitting wood or the pine. German [Dutch] word "kein" means pine.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 44,547 people, 16,871 households, and 12,163 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 21,314 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.90% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.9% were of German, 11.7% English, 10.3% American, 10.2% Polish and 9.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.7% spoke English, 1.6% Spanish and 1.2% German as their first language.

There were 16,871 households out of which 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.90% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,870, and the median income for a family was $42,306. Males had a median income of $32,101 versus $21,376 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,089. About 7.60% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Sanilac/GB Broadcasting operates three radio stations in Sanilac County. The county is served weekly by the Sanilac County News of Sandusky and other small newspapers. Also daily deliveries of the Port Huron Times Herald are available in Sanilac County.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare andother social services. The county board of commissioners controls thebudget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most localgovernment functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, streetmaintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

anilac County elected officials

*Prosecuting Attorney: James V. Young
*Sheriff: Virgil Strickler
*County Clerk: Linda Kozfkay
*County Treasurer: Kathy Dorman
*Register of Deeds: Michele VanNorman
*Drain Commissioner: James Bowerman
*Circuit Court Judge: Hon. Donald A. Teeple
*Probate Court Judge: Hon. R.T. "Terry" Maltby
*District Court Judge: Hon. James A. Marcus

(information as of May 16, 2006)

Cities, villages, and townships

Cities
* Brown City
* Croswell
* Marlette
* SanduskyVillages
* Applegate
* Carsonville
* Deckerville
* Forestville

* Lexington
* Melvin
* Minden City
* Peck
* Port Sanilac

Townships
* Argyle Township
* Austin Township
* Bridgehampton Township
* Buel Township
* Custer Township
* Delaware Township
* Elk Township
* Elmer Township
* Evergreen Township
* Flynn Township
* Forester Township
* Fremont Township
* Greenleaf Township
* Lamotte Township
* Lexington Township
* Maple Valley Township
* Marion Township
* Marlette Township
* Minden Township
* Moore Township
* Sanilac Township
* Speaker Township
* Washington Township
* Watertown Township
* Wheatland Township
* Worth Township

Notes

Further reading

* [http://www.clarke.cmich.edu/localhistory/Sanilac.htm Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Sanilac County]

External links

* [http://www.sanilaccounty.net/ Sanilac County]