Colon is a village in St. Joseph 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 sove ...

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 1,173 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Colon Township.

History

Colon was platted in 1844. It was incorporated as a village in 1904. Main St

Geography

According to the

United States 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The town is flanked by Long Lake and Palmer Lake, which are connected by a narrow channel.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 1,173 people, 485 households, and 299 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 650 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.3%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 485 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age in the village was 39.7 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,227 people, 521 households, and 339 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 639 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.96%

, 0.16%

, 0.08% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population. There were 521 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were

living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91. In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $29,417, and the median income for a family was $35,536. Males had a median income of $33,056 versus $21,375 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $14,502. About 12.5% of families and 15.1% 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 19.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

People and culture

The former home and burial site of famous magicians including, Harry Blackstone, Sr. (The Great Blackstone) The United States Congress recognizes Colon as "The Magic Capital of the World." It is the home of the Abbott Magic Company, founded by magicians Percy Abbott, an Australian and friend of Blackstone's, and Recil Bordner, originally from Eaton, Ohio, in 1934. The company has a local store, showroom and a factory where magicians' supplies and new tricks are manufactured. Abbott Magic is well known among professional stage acts, with customers around the world. FAB Magic Company and the Sterlini Magic Manufacturing Company are also based in Colon. Weekly magic shows are performed during the summer at Abbott Magic Company and FAB Magic. Each August more than 1,000 magicians and lovers of magic gather there for "

Abbott's Magic Get-Together Abbott's Get Together is a long-running convention for magicians in the United States and around the world, which is held each year in Colon, Michigan. It was founded in 1937 by Percy Abbott and his business partner, Recil Bordner. The Get To ...

", a 4-day magic convention, doubling the population, sharing magic tricks, and recollecting their knowledge of the famous occupation. The convention concludes each day with an evening show at

Colon High School Colon High School is a public high school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students withou ...

. The

teams are known as the "Magi", and the high school mascot is a white rabbit wearing a black top hat. Also, a few of the local shops exploit the "magic" theme in their titles. Colon also has a small

Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...

community.

References

Notes

Sources

* {{authority control Villages in St. Joseph County, Michigan Villages in Michigan 1904 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1904