Independence Township is a charter township of

Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. The population was 36,686 at the 2020 census. Independence Township was first organized in 1834. The township surrounds the city of Clarkston, but the two are administered autonomously after Clarkston incorporated as a city in 1992. The township is home to the Pine Knob Music Theatre and the

Pine Knob A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

Ski Resort.

History

The first settlers arrived in Independence Township in the mid 1820s and early 1830s, primarily from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and New York. The first settler to purchase and settle land in the township was John W. Beardslee (b. 1799, d. 1883), from

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.Independence Township, New Jersey Independence Township is a township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 5,662, reflecting an increase of 59 (+1.1%) from the 5,603 counted in the 2000 Census, which ha ...

. While initially the township was primarily agricultural, the many lakes in the area were beginning to draw vacationers out of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

and other cities. In 1851, the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

came through Clarkston, which prompted hotels to be built in the township to accommodate the resort vacationers coming to the area. The invention of the

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...

had a tremendous effect on Independence Township. Roads that were once Native American trails were paved and widened for this new mode of transportation. The old

Saginaw Trail Saginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeast and Central Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint that was originally a tribal foot trail. To drive it today, drivers would follow: * from ...

, now known as

Dixie Highway Dixie Highway was a United States auto trail first planned in 1914 to connect the Midwest with the South. It was part of a system and was expanded from an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final system is better understood as a network of ...

, was paved as early as 1920, and Main Street (M-15) in Clarkston was paved around 1922. The expanding national highway system brought

I-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 St ...

through Independence Township in 1962, spurring both business and residential development. Many farms gave way to subdivisions and strip malls as Independence Township continued evolving into part of Metropolitan Detroit.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (3.61%) is water. The township is part of the

Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the a ...

area and is northwest of Detroit.

Major highways

* runs diagonally east–west through the southern portion of the township and has two access points at exit 89 (Sashabaw Road) and exit 91 (M-15). * runs briefly south–north through the southwest corner of the township and has its eastern terminus just to the west in Springfield Township. * runs north beginning at Dixie Highway and passes through the city of Clarkston. It is known as Main Street near Clarkston and Ortonville Road north of Clarkston.

Education

Independence Township is primarily serviced by the Clarkston Community Schools. In 2016, Clarkston High School had an enrollment of 1,930 students in grade nine through twelve. The school is located at 6093 Flemings Lake Road in Independence Township. Clarkston High School offers twenty-six varsity sports, and competes in the

Oakland Activities Association Oakland Activities Association is a Southeast Michigan high school athletics conference. It is made up of 23 schools located largely throughout Oakland County, with a single member located in Wayne County History The Oakland Activities Associati ...

. It is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Renaissance High School is located at 6558 Waldon Road in Independence Township. Renaissance High School is for students in grades 9 to 12 who need an alternative to the traditional high school setting in order to be successful. Renaissance students must meet Clarkston High School graduation requirements and receive a Clarkston High School diploma. Renaissance students are encouraged to participate in athletics, clubs and extracurricular activities offered at Clarkston High School. Renaissance students can also take courses at the Oakland Schools Campus, whose Northwest campus is also located in the township at 8211 Big Lake Road. Clarkston Junior High School is located at 6595 Waldon Road in Clarkston. The school teaches eight and ninth grades. Sashabaw Middle School is located at 5565 Pine Knob Lane in Independence Township. The school teaches sixth and seventh grades. There are five

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

elementary schools in Independence Township: *Bailey Lake Elementary School *Clarkston Elementary School *Independence Elementary School *North Sashabaw Elementary School *Pine Knob Elementary School Everest Academy and High School is a private

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

high school also located in the township at 5935 Clarkston Road in Independence Township. The school competes athletically in the

Catholic High School League The Catholic High School League (CHSL) is a school athletic conference based in Detroit, Michigan, led by director Victor Michaels. Most member schools are also members of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), the governing body fo ...

and is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Golf

Independence Township is home to three public golf courses; Fountains Golf Golf Club, an 18-hole course located at 6060 Maybee Road in Independence Township, Pine Knob Golf Club, a 27-hole course, located at 5580 Waldon Road in Independence Township, and Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club, a 27- hole championship course rated 42nd best golf course in the United States by

Golf Magazine ''Golf Magazine'' is a monthly golf magazine. It was started in April 1959 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was acquired by Howard Milstein in 2018. It was the world ...

. It is located at 9085 Big Lake Road in Independence Township. Oakhurst Golf and Country Club is a private club, located at 7000 Oakhurst Lane in Independence Township. Oakhurst was the home of the 99th Michigan Amateur

Skiing and music

is a ski resort located in Independence Township. It features 17 trails and 12 lifts. It is known for its slope called "The Wall". Pine Knob is also home to the Pine Knob Music Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater concert venue that has featured hundreds of celebrities and is always one of the highest grossing outdoor amphitheaters in the United States. It is located in Independence Township minutes away from downtown Clarkston.

Hills and lakes

Independence Township is located along the Hillsdale-Lapeer Moraine Range. The highest hill along that range in Independence Township is Pine Knob, at 1,221 feet. It is also the highest point in

Southeastern Michigan Southeast Michigan, also called southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are c ...

. Only three miles away is Waterford Hill, the second highest hill in Independence Township with an elevation of 1,150 feet. Atop Waterford Hill is Olympus Circle, the highest elevation of any residential street in Independence Township. The Clinton River winds its way through Independence Township creating more than thirty named lakes of all sizes along the way.

Demographics

The population of Independence Township was 34,681 at the 2010 census. In Independence Township in 2010, there were: *11,765 households *9,094 families *12,375 housing units *95.84%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

*1.22% Asian *0.84%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

*0.24% Native American *2.75 was the average household size *3.14 was the average family size *27.7% under the age of 18 *6.9% from 18 to 24 *31.7% from 25 to 44 *25.7% from 45 to 64 *8.1% who were 65 years of age or older *$74,992 was the median income

Notable people

This list includes people from the area (Clarkston and Independence Township). *

Valerie Bertinelli Valerie Anne Bertinelli (born April 23, 1960) is an American actress. She first achieved recognition as a child actress, portraying Barbara Cooper Royer on the sitcom '' One Day at a Time'' (1975–1984) for which she won two Golden Globe Award ...

, actress *

Tim Birtsas Timothy Dean Birtsas (born September 5, 1960) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Though history remembers the "Nasty Boys" as a trio, according to Rob Dibble, Birtsas' name should be included when talking about the famed World Series wi ...

, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Dan Dickerson Daniel Hill Dickerson (born November 13, 1958) is an American sportscaster, best known for his current position as the lead radio play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers on the Detroit Tigers Radio Network. Early life an ...

, radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers * Dane Fife, former

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

basketball player and current assistant coach at Michigan State University *

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that ...

, industrialist and founder of the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

. Maintained a summer home and weekend cottage on Main Street. Ford also owned a mill which operated on the water from what is now called "Mill Pond" in Clarkston. This building still exists in part but has been modernized into a small mall which includes art galleries and office space. He also purchased the old school building on N. Main St. to serve as an apprentice school. *

John Hardon John Anthony Hardon, SJ (June 18, 1914 – December 30, 2000) was an American Jesuit priest, writer, and theologian. A candidate for sainthood since 2005, he is recognized by the Catholic Church as a Servant of God. Early life John Anthon ...

, Jesuit priest, theologian *

Steve Howe Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to le ...

, former MLB pitcher, 198
NL Rookie of the Year
(LA Dodgers) *

Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serv ...

, comic book writer *

Scott Kamieniecki Scott Andrew Kamieniecki (born April 19, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Atlanta Braves between 1991 and 2000. Biography A native of M ...

, former MLB player *

Tim McCormick Timothy Daniel McCormick (born March 10, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player from Detroit who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He currently is a pre- and post-game analyst for the Detroit Pi ...

, former NBA player and current sports broadcaster * Bob Miller, former NFL player *

Marisha Pessl Marisha Pessl (born October 26, 1977) is an American writer known for her novels '' Special Topics in Calamity Physics'', '' Night Film'', and ''Neverworld Wake''. Early life Pessl was born in Clarkston, Michigan, to Klaus, an Austrian engineer ...

, author * Ryan Riess, professional poker player,

2013 World Series of Poker The 2013 World Series of Poker was the 44th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada between May 29 – July 15, 2013. There was 62 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No L ...

champion * Tim Robinson, comedian, former cast member and writer on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

'' * Kid Rock, musician * Ron Serafini, former NHL player * David Simko, former NASCAR Cup Series driver * Samuel William Smith, former member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

* Daniel Travis, actor

References

External links

Official website of the Charter Township of Independence
{{Metro Detroit Townships in Oakland County, Michigan Charter townships in Michigan Metro Detroit Populated places established in 1834 1834 establishments in Michigan Territory