Iosco County, Michigan

Iosco County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan; its eastern border is formed by Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,887.[2] The county seat is Tawas City.[3]

Iosco County
U.S. county
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°17′N 83°20′W
Country United States
State Michigan
Founded1840 (as "Kanotin")
1857 organized[1]
SeatTawas City
Largest cityEast Tawas
Area
 • Total1,890 sq mi (4,900 km2)
 • Land549 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Water1,341 sq mi (3,470 km2)  71%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
25,081
 • Density47/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district5th

Etymology of Iosco

Iosco is traditionally said to be a Native American word meaning "water of light."[4] However, it was coined as a pseudo-Native American name by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, an American geographer and ethnologist who served as the US Indian agent in Michigan in the late 19th century. He named several counties and towns during the state's formative years.[5]

History
A detail from A New Map of Michigan with its Canals, Roads & Distances (1842) by Henry Schenck Tanner, showing Iosco County as Kanotin, the county's name from 1840 to 1843.[6] Several nearby counties are also shown with names that would later be changed.

The county was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 as Kanotin County, and renamed Iosco County in 1843. It was administered by a succession of other Michigan counties prior to the organization of county government in 1857.A majority of the population used to be Chippewa Indians, the area offered shelter from tall white pines, and food from the river and lake. Iosco County was cut from a piece of land seded from the Chippewa Indians to the United States Government. Then, in the 1800s when the lumber boom hit, many more people moved to the area.[6][1]

The 400-acre Alabaster Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is associated with an operating gypsum open-pit mine south of Tawas City. The large company town included internal rail lines for transportation and a tramway extending over Lake Huron on long piers for loading gypsum onto ships. Started in 1862, the mine supplied gypsum for temporary buildings constructed in Chicago at the World Columbian Exposition of 1893.[7] At present, two companies continue to mine gypsum in Iosco County.

In 2009, Alabaster Township formed the non-profit Alabaster Wind Power Development Corp. to conduct the necessary 2-year studies of wind data at this site as a potential location for the development of wind turbines. It proposed using 10 large tramway platforms which extend more than 6,000 feet into the lake to gauge winds. The turbines could be built on the tramways. At the time, the federal government was offering subsidies for such studies and development of alternative energy projects.[8]

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,890 square miles (4,900 km2), of which 549 square miles (1,420 km2) is land and 1,341 square miles (3,470 km2) (71%) is water.[9] The county is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. In total, it covers about 6,361,837 acres.

Geographic features
  • Lumberman's Monument
  • Canoer's memorial
  • 60 Lakes Area - Located near Hale
  • Iargo Springs
  • Tawas Point Light House - First lit in 1853
  • Tawas Bay
  • Pine River – rises in Alcona County and flows into Iosco County, where it empties into Van Etten Lake at 44°29′38″N 83°23′16″W northwest of Oscoda.[10]
  • Au Sable River
  • Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area
  • Van Etten Lake
  • Tawas Lake
  • Foote Dam Pond
  • Au Sable State Forest (partial) – the Grayling Fire Management Unit[11] consists of Alcona, Crawford, and Oscoda Counties, and northern Iosco county.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1860175—
18703,1631,707.4%
18806,873117.3%
189015,224121.5%
190010,246−32.7%
19109,753−4.8%
19208,199−15.9%
19307,517−8.3%
19408,56013.9%
195010,90627.4%
196016,50551.3%
197024,90550.9%
198028,34913.8%
199030,2096.6%
200027,339−9.5%
201025,887−5.3%
Est. 201825,081[14]−3.1%
US Decennial Census[15]
1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17]
1990-2000[18] 2010-2018[2]

As of the 2000 United States Census,[19] there were 27,339 people, 11,727 households, and 7,857 families in the county. Most of the population is located on the shoreline along US-23,East Tawas, Tawas City, and Oscoda County. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 20,432 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The county's racial makeup was 96.92% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.2% were of German, 12.3% English, 10.6% Irish, 9.9% American, 8.3% Polish and 7.1% French ancestry. 97.4% spoke English and 1.0% Spanish as their first language.

There were 11,727 households out of which 24.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.79.

The county population included 22.40% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 27.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,321, and the median income for a family was $37,452. Males had a median income of $30,338 versus $21,149 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,115. About 9.50% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget, with limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

Iosco County has been reliably Republican from the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 79% of the elections (27 of 34 elections).

Presidential election results
Presidential Elections Results[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 62.1% 8,345 32.4% 4,345 5.5% 739
2012 51.6% 6,909 46.6% 6,242 1.8% 234
2008 46.3% 6,583 51.4% 7,309 2.3% 333
2004 52.1% 7,301 46.8% 6,557 1.1% 148
2000 48.0% 6,345 49.2% 6,505 2.8% 372
1996 35.5% 4,410 50.2% 6,240 14.3% 1,774
1992 36.4% 4,912 39.8% 5,369 23.8% 3,211
1988 59.2% 7,234 40.3% 4,929 0.5% 62
1984 67.0% 7,907 32.6% 3,850 0.4% 47
1980 56.5% 6,680 36.0% 4,255 7.4% 880
1976 52.4% 5,500 46.4% 4,875 1.2% 123
1972 64.1% 5,750 34.2% 3,065 1.7% 156
1968 55.4% 4,068 34.5% 2,533 10.1% 739
1964 38.4% 2,704 61.6% 4,336 0.1% 4
1960 62.7% 4,308 37.1% 2,549 0.1% 9
1956 72.5% 4,385 27.5% 1,660 0.1% 3
1952 74.6% 3,772 25.2% 1,274 0.3% 13
1948 68.9% 2,599 29.6% 1,115 1.5% 58
1944 67.3% 2,340 32.4% 1,127 0.3% 12
1940 65.5% 2,504 34.1% 1,303 0.5% 18
1936 50.9% 1,768 44.5% 1,547 4.6% 160
1932 49.6% 1,581 47.1% 1,500 3.3% 105
1928 76.8% 1,873 22.6% 552 0.6% 14
1924 71.4% 1,713 12.7% 304 15.9% 381
1920 76.7% 2,013 20.9% 548 2.4% 63
1916 56.0% 984 41.5% 729 2.5% 44
1912 28.9% 521 23.2% 418 47.9% 864
1908 63.0% 1,224 34.4% 668 2.6% 50
1904 75.3% 1,482 21.7% 426 3.1% 60
1900 66.4% 1,402 32.2% 679 1.4% 30
1896 60.3% 1,470 37.4% 912 2.4% 58
1892 49.6% 1,393 47.5% 1,336 2.9% 81
1888 45.5% 1,505 49.5% 1,639 5.0% 167
1884 52.8% 1,016 44.9% 864 2.2% 43

County elected officials
  • Prosecuting Attorney: Gary W. Rapp
  • Sheriff: Allan MacGregor
  • County Clerk: Nancy J. Huebel Chief Deputy Clerk Kellie M. Flory
  • County Treasurer: Elite Shellenbarger
  • Register of Deeds: Ericka Earl
  • Drain Commissioner: Gary Adams

County commissioners

  • District 1: Robert Huebel III
  • District 2: Jeff Johnston
  • District 3: Mark McKulsky
  • District 4: John Moehring
  • District 5: Donald "Jay" O'Farrell

Education

Iosco County has four public school districts:

There are also three private elementary schools

  • Emanuel Lutheran School (Tawas City)
  • Holy Family School (East Tawas)
  • Shady Grove School (Whittemore)

Alpena Community College offers college-level courses at its campus on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda and local public school facilities.

Media
  • The Iosco County News-Herald is the newspaper of record for Iosco County.[21]
  • The Oscoda Press is a weekly newspaper serving northern Iosco County and southern Alcona County[22]

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities
  • Hale
  • Long Lake
  • National City

Townships

See also

References
  1. "Bibliography on Iosco County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 165.
  5. "Michigan Counties". Michigan.gov. Archive.org. Archived from the original on March 13, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  6. Newberry Library. "Michigan: Individual County Chronologies". Atlas of County Historical Boundaries. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  8. Amy L. Payne, "Planners propose retrofitting old gypsum tramway for wind turbines on Lake Huron", MLive, Booth Mid-Michigan, February 26, 2009
  9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  10. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Pine River (Iosco/Alcona Counties
  11. FMU definition
  12. "Picture of M-55 end point". state-ends.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007.
  13. River Road Scenic Byway at America's Byways.
  14. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  15. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  16. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  17. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  18. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  19. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  20. US Election Atlas
  21. Iosco County News Herald home page
  22. "Iosco County News Herald". Iosco County News Herald.

Further reading
  • Romig, Walter (1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Great Lakes Books. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814318386.

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