Mellen Township, Michigan

Coordinates: 45°20′39″N 87°37′41″W / 45.34417°N 87.62806°W / 45.34417; -87.62806
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Mellen Township, Michigan
Location within Menominee County and the state of Michigan
Location within Menominee County and the state of Michigan
Mellen Township is located in Michigan
Mellen Township
Mellen Township
Mellen Township is located in the United States
Mellen Township
Mellen Township
Coordinates: 45°20′39″N 87°37′41″W / 45.34417°N 87.62806°W / 45.34417; -87.62806
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyMenominee
Area
 • Total31.4 sq mi (81 km2)
 • Land30.8 sq mi (80 km2)
 • Water0.6 sq mi (2 km2)
Elevation
699 ft (213 m)
Population
 • Total1,109
 • Density36.0/sq mi (13.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
49893 (Wallace)
49848 (Ingalls)
49887 (Stephenson)
Area code906
FIPS code26-109-52860[3]
GNIS feature ID1626718[4]

Mellen Township is a civil township of Menominee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,109 at the 2020 census.[2] It is named after pioneer settler Mellen Smith (1829–1905), who served as the first postmaster at Wallace.[5]

Geography[edit]

Mellen Township is in southern Menominee County, bordered to the west by the Menominee River, across which is Marinette County in the state of Wisconsin. U.S. Route 41 crosses the township, leading south 15 miles (24 km) to Menominee, the county seat, and north 26 miles (42 km) to Powers.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 31.4 square miles (81 km2), of which 30.8 square miles (80 km2) are land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), or 1.80%, are water.[1]

Communities[edit]

  • Ingalls is an unincorporated community along U.S. Highway 41, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Stephenson.[6] Ingalls has a post office with ZIP code 49848.[7]
  • Wallace is an unincorporated community located 15 miles (24 km) north of Menominee on US Highway 41. It is a small village with the DeYoung Family Zoo, a used-car dealership, a tavern, lumber yard, post office, ice maker, wood businesses, grocery market, service station, and a liquidator store. There are also three churches: Country Bible Church (non-denominational), a Covenant Church, and a Lutheran church. The Mellen Elementary School is also located in Wallace. Wallace was originally called "Wallace's Siding" after Wallace Sutherland (1858–1890),[8] who was assigned to the railroad depot. It was then shorted to "Wallace" by the time the post office was established in 1877.[5] On April 12, 1931, Wallace suffered a fire that destroyed most of the village.[9][10] Wallace has a post office with ZIP code 49893.[7]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
19001,022
19101,0623.9%
1920808−23.9%
1930753−6.8%
194086514.9%
19508781.5%
1960800−8.9%
19708222.8%
19801,15941.0%
19901,1832.1%
20001,2606.5%
20101,150−8.7%
20201,109−3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,260 people, 520 households, and 368 families residing in the township. In 2020, there were 1,109 people in the township.[2]

Notable people[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Michigan". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "P1. Race – Mellen township, Michigan: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mellen Township, Michigan
  5. ^ a b Romig, Walter. 1986. Michigan Place Names. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, p. 580.
  6. ^ Menominee County (pdf) (Map). Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  7. ^ a b ZIP Code Lookup, United States Post Office
  8. ^ "What's in a Name? How Michigan Areas Were Christened". Lansing State Journal. September 8, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved May 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "Wallace Hit by $100,000 Fire Sunday". The Escanaba Daily Press. Escanaba, MI. April 14, 1931. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved August 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "In the fire which wiped out the village of Wallace, Michigan". The Sheboygan Press. Escanaba, MI. April 15, 1931. p. 8. Retrieved August 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "Decennial Census Official Publications". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 6, 2023.