Mancelona, Michigan

Mancelona, Michigan
—  Village  —
Location of Mancelona, Michigan
Coordinates: 44°54′14″N 85°3′38″W / 44.90389°N 85.06056°W / 44.90389; -85.06056Coordinates: 44°54′14″N 85°3′38″W / 44.90389°N 85.06056°W / 44.90389; -85.06056
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Antrim
Area
– Total	1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2)
– Land	1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,125 ft (343 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	1,408
– Density	1,420.7/sq mi (548.5/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49659
Area code(s)	231
FIPS code	26-50620[1]
GNIS feature ID	0631374[2]

Mancelona ( /mænˌsɪˈloʊnə/) is a village in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Mancelona Township.

History

The town was founded in 1872 when the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad built a station at the location. The town sprang up quickly, and by 1900 a large charcoal furnace, iron works, and pickle factory (all of which have since closed and have been demolished) were operating within the community. The Iron works (the Antrim Iron Company) was founded in 1886 and for many years was the main employer in the town. During its heyday, the Iron Company possessed its own railroad, the Mancelona Northwest Railroad. The M&NW tracks went about 2 miles to the west of Mancelona from the Iron Works, and the main purpose of the railroad was to transport lumber to the iron works for harvesting. The Antrim Iron Works closed in 1945, and was demolished in the mid-1980s. Because of the ease of transportation along the railroad and US 131, the town became a minor industrial center. In April 1995, a gas leak in a building located in the downtown area caused an explosion, destroying three buildings and closing US 131 for days.^[3]

Current events

Mancelona is probably best known for its annual buck pole, a deer hunting contest that has drawn hunters from across the State. Additionally, Mancelona hosts the annual "Bass Festival", a four-day event featuring a Grand Parade, carnival, flea market, and other community activities. The Bass Festival is held the first weekend in June. In 1999, a new high school was opened, and renovations to the middle school were completed. Up until recently, the town had three factories that employed most of the town. The largest factory, a Dura Automotive Systems plant, closed in February 2009 and the community has had a change for the worse. Many of the once thriving shops are now abandoned, and the poverty rate has risen considerably. In August 2009, contaminated groundwater caused by the Dura plant made headlines as it now threatens the Cedar River.^[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²), all land. The village is located at 44°54′08″N 85°03′39″W / 44.90222°N 85.06083°W / 44.90222; -85.06083

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 1,408 people, 535 households, and 367 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,420.7 per square mile (549.1/km²). There were 582 housing units at an average density of 587.3 per square mile (227.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.60% White, 0.36% African American, 1.35% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.71% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population.

There were 535 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the village the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,583, and the median income for a family was $32,375. Males had a median income of $25,313 versus $18,917 for females. The per capita income for the village was $12,391. About 14.1% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Major highways

• US-131
• M-66
• M-88
• C-38

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Village has third gas leak in two years
4. ^ Northern Mich. plant source of tainted groundwater Chicago Tribune^{[dead link]}