Felch Township, Michigan
Civil township in Michigan, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Felch Township is a civil township of Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan, named in honor of Alpheus Felch.[4] The population was 687 at the 2020 census.
Felch Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
Location within Dickinson County | |
  Felch Township Location within the state of Michigan  Felch Township Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 46°04′47″N 87°52′27″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Dickinson |
| Government | |
| • Supervisor | Robert Mattson |
| • Clerk | Darrell Oman |
| Area | |
• Total | 143.81 sq mi (372.47 km2) |
| • Land | 141.84 sq mi (367.36 km2) |
| • Water | 1.97 sq mi (5.10 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,180 ft (360 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 687 |
| • Density | 4.84/sq mi (1.87/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | |
| Area code | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-27660[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626273[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 143.8 square miles (372 km2), of which, 143.1 square miles (371 km2) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it (0.47%) is water.
Communities
There are no incorporated municipalities in the township.
- Felch is an unincorporated community on M-69 at 45°59′50″N 87°49′33″W.[5] Felch was a station on a branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway. A post office has been in operation there since 1906.[6]
- Metropolitan was a thriving village established just after 1880 to exploit the iron ore in the nearby Metropolitan Mine. Metropolitan was about one mile west of Felch[7] and was the last station on a branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway coming west from Escanaba. The village was platted by the Metropolitan Mining Company in 1881. A post office was in operation there from 1881 until 1963.[6] The present Zion Lutheran Church of Metropolitan sits almost exactly on the site of the old village, which is now a string of farms along the country roads. Metropolitan was sometimes referred to as Milltown and Farmertown.
- Theodore is an unincorporated community on M-69 about half a mile northwest of Felch at 46°00′05″N 87°50′07″W.[8] It was platted for the Lake Superior Ship Canal, Railway & Iron Company in 1881 by J.A. Van Clive.[6]
- Felch Mountain is an unincorporated community on M-69 about half a mile northwest of Felch. It is immediately adjacent to, and east of, Theodore.[9] Both Theodore and Felch Mountain are located on a steep hill north of M-69, while Felch and Metropolitan are located in the lower land south of M-69.
- Spruce was a station on the Chicago and North Western Railway[6] at 45°59′09″N 87°46′38″W near the junction of Lucas Rd with M-69[10]