Alanson ( ) is a village in Emmet County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 778 at the 2020 census. Alanson is in Littlefield Township on U.S. Highway 31 at the junction with M-68. Petoskey is about southwest on US 31 and

Mackinaw City Mackinaw City ( ) is a village at the northernmost point of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, United States. Divided between Cheboygan and Emmet counties, Mackinaw City is located at the southern end of the Mackinac Bridge, which carries Interst ...

and the

Mackinac Bridge The Mackinac Bridge ( ; also referred to as the Mighty Mac or Big Mac) is a suspension bridge that connects the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. It spans the Str ...

are about north.

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

is about to the east on M-68 at Indian River. Alanson was first settled in 1875. The Alanson post office opened with the name ''Hinman'' on January 17, 1877, and changed to Alanson on June 22, 1882.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Located on the Crooked River, Alanson is part of the

Inland Water Route The Inland Waterway or Inland Water Route is a series of rivers and lakes in the U.S. state of Michigan. With only a short portage, it forms a navigable route for small craft connecting Lake Huron and Crooked Lake, across the Northern Michigan ...

, which includes Crooked, Burt and

Mullett Lake Mullett Lake is a lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is named after John Mullett, who, together with William A. Burt, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. A neighboring lake was named after Burt. Hi ...

s, and the Crooked, Indian and

Cheboygan River The Cheboygan River ( ) is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed November 21, 2011 river flows from Mullett Lake to Lake Huron, with ...

Attractions

The Inland Water Route Historical Society Museum is located in Alanson. The Alanson Swing Bridge across the Inland Water Route is billed as America's shortest swing bridge, although it is probably not. Alanson has a hillside garden located adjacent to the former

Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA. The company was formed on January 18, 1854. Beginnings After grapp ...

depot, and a community center including a library.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 738 people, 307 households, and 209 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 429 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 92.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 2.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 307 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the village was 36.3 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 785 people, 323 households, and 207 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 407 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 89.55%

, 0.89%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 5.61% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 3.31% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population. There were 323 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $33,125, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $23,929 versus $20,568 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $20,703. About 4.0% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Alanson Public Schools Alanson Public Schools is a PK–12 school district, consisting of a single school, Alanson Public School, in Alanson, Michigan. The district includes sections of Littlefield, Little Traverse, Maple River, Pleasantview townships. The distr ...

In popular culture

The town and the Crooked River are mentioned in a song title on the

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomina ...

album ''Michigan''.

Sources

References

{{authority control Villages in Emmet County, Michigan Villages in Michigan Populated places established in 1875 1875 establishments in Michigan