Huron County, Michigan

History

Huron County was originally attached to neighboring Sanilac and Tuscola counties. It was created by Michigan law on April 1, 1840, and was fully organized by an Act of Legislature on January 25, 1859. Sand Beach (now Harbor Beach) was the county seat until 1865, when the court house burned, destroying most of its records. The county seat was moved to Port Austin and remained there until 1873, when the county's Board of Supervisors designated Bad Axe as the county seat.

The name Huron was derived from the word "hures" as used in the phrase "În elles hures" (what heads) as applied by an astonished French traveler to the Wyandotte (Huron) Indians on beholding their mode of dressing the hair. During 1649 and the Beaver Wars of the mid-17th century, the Iroquois from the areas of New York and Pennsylvania drove out the Wyandotte, in order to control the fur trade.

In the 17th and early 18th century in this region, the Thumb of Michigan, the Wyandotte suffix "onti" or "ondi" was used in place names such as Skenchioetontius and E. Kandechiondius. "Onti" means to "jut out". The name Wyandotte, Huron descendants, was said to mean "dwellers of the peninsula". A headland or peninsula in Onondaga, an Iroquoian language, is "onoentoto".

In the early 18th century, the Thumb of Michigan was said to have the best beaver hunting in America. The Detroit region was called Tio-sahr-ondion, "where it is beaver dams athwart many". This was near Skenchioe [now Huron and Sanilac counties].

About 1700, French maps indicated the region of Saginaw and the Thumb of Michigan as "Chasse des caster des amis de François", "the beaver hunting grounds of the friends of Francis."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2137 sqmi, of which 836 sqmi is land and 1301 sqmi (61%) is water.

Huron county is heavily agricultural. The county is generally flat, with some rolling hills.

Adjacent counties

By land

• Sanilac County (southeast)

• Tuscola County (southwest) By water

• Arenac County (northwest)

• Iosco County (northwest)

Highways

• • runs north and south through the southern half of the county
• • runs along the outer edge of the county, along the shore of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay
• • runs north and south through the central part of the county
• • runs east and west through the central part of the county

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 31,407 and a median age of 49.6 years. 19.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.9 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.9% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian,

There were 14,048 households in the county, of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.5% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 20,319 housing units, of which 30.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.9% were owner-occupied and 19.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census indicates Huron County had a 2010 population of 33,118. This decrease of -2,961 people from the 2000 United States census represents an 8.2% decrease. In 2010 there were 14,348 households and 9,328 families in the county. The population density was 39.6 /mi2. There were 21,199 housing units at an average density of 25.4 /mi2. 97.5% of the population were White, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 2.0% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 41.1% were of German, 15.9% Polish, 6.8% Irish, 6.1% English and 6.0% American ancestry.

There were 14,348 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were husband and wife families, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.0% were non-families, and 30.7% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $38,789 and the median income for a family was $46,533. Males had a median income of $26,688 versus $15,198 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,342. About 1.4% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under the age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

• The United Methodist Church was historically strong in the Thumb region but has declined in recent decades with closure of several congregations and withdrawal of others to the Global Methodist Church. The Free Methodist, Nazarene, Wesleyan and Missionary Church denominations are also represented and have a Methodist heritage and belief system.
• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for the Catholic Church.
• All Episcopal parishes are members of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has one meetinghouse in Huron County.

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 and has 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

• Prosecuting Attorney: Timothy J. Rutkowski
• Sheriff: Kelly J. Hanson
• County Clerk: Lori S. Neal
• County Treasurer: Deb McCollum
• Register of Deeds: Sarah Durr
• Circuit Court Judge: Hon. M. Gerald M. Prill
• Probate Court Judge: Hon. David L. Clabuesch
• District Court Judge: Hon. David B. Herrington
• Commissioner Dist 1: Sami Khoury (R)
• Commissioner Dist 2: Michael Meissner (R)
• Commissioner Dist 3: Todd Talaski (R)
• Commissioner Dist 4: Steve Vaughan (R)
• Commissioner Dist 5: John L. Bodis (R)
• Commissioner Dist 6: Joe Murphy (R)
• Commissioner Dist 7: Mary Ellen Babcock (R) as of 2018

Politics

Huron County voters have generally supported Republican Party candidates. Since 1884, they have selected the Republican Party nominee in 81% of national elections (29 of 36). In 2016, Donald Trump carried the county by the largest margin in 32 years, won by an even larger margin in 2020, and improved even more in 2024.

Parks and recreation

Tourism is important to Huron County with bay front and lakefront towns such as Sebewaing, Caseville, Port Austin, Port Hope, and Harbor Beach, attracting tourists from all over. Huron County borders the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. There are two state parks – Sleeper State Park and Port Crescent State Park – and three roadside parks – Jenks Park, Brown Park, and White Rock Park. Huron County also maintains eight county parks along the shoreline – Caseville Park, Lighthouse Park, Stafford Park, McGraw Park, Philp Park, Wagener Park, Oak Beach Park, and Sebewaing Park.

Communities

Cities

• Bad Axe (county seat)
• Caseville
• Harbor Beach

Villages

• Elkton
• Kinde
• Owendale
• Pigeon
• Port Austin
• Port Hope
• Sebewaing
• Ubly

Civil townships

• Bingham Township
• Bloomfield Township
• Brookfield Township
• Caseville Township
• Chandler Township
• Colfax Township
• Dwight Township
• Fairhaven Township
• Gore Township
• Grant Township
• Hume Township
• Huron Township
• Lake Township
• Lincoln Township
• McKinley Township
• Meade Township
• Oliver Township
• Paris Township
• Pointe Aux Barques Township
• Port Austin Township
• Rubicon Township
• Sand Beach Township
• Sebewaing Township
• Sheridan Township
• Sherman Township
• Sigel Township
• Verona Township
• Winsor Township

Census-designated place

• Bay Port

Other unincorporated communities

• Bach
• Berne
• Cracow
• Filion
• Glencoe
• Grindstone City
• Helena
• Huron City
• Ivanhoe
• Kilmanagh
• Lewisville
• Linkville
• Parisville
• Pawlowski
• Pinnebog
• Pointe aux Barques
• Popple
• Rapson
• Redman
• Rose Island
• Ruth
• Valley Island
• Verona
• Weale
• White Rock

References

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. George Dawson. (1840). "Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Annual Session of 1840".
4. [http://www.deckervillelibrary.com/huron_county_earliest_settlers_chapter_2%20(9-31).htm "Huron County Earliest Settlers", Chapter 2 (9-31)] {{webarchive. link. (May 17, 2008, Deckerville Library)
5. "Bibliography on Huron County". [[Clarke Historical Library]], [[Central Michigan University]].
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau.
7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau.
8. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau.
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau.
16. Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "U.S. Census website". census.gov.
17. "Diocese of Saginaw". saginaw.org.
18. [https://www.comeuntochrist.org/worship-with-us "Worship With Us: Church Locator"], ''ComeUntoChrist.org'', 2020. Retrieved on March 24, 2020.
19. "Brief Overview of Huron County".
20. "Huron County Official Election Results".
21. [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS US Election Atlas]