Gratiot County, Michigan
Gratiot County Courthouse
Seal
Location in the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	1855[1]
Named for	Charles Gratiot
Seat	Ithaca
Largest city	Alma
Area
• Total	572 sq mi (1,481 km2)
• Land	568 sq mi (1,471 km2)
• Water	3.1 sq mi (8 km2), 0.6%
Population
• (2010)	42,476
• Density	75/sq mi (29/km2)
Congressional district	4th
Time zone	Eastern

Gratiot County (/ˈɡræʃɪt/) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 42,476.^[2] The county seat is Ithaca,^[3] although its most populous city is Alma.

Gratiot County comprises the Alma, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of the Mount Pleasant-Alma, MI Combined Statistical Area.

The Gratiot County Courthouse was designed in the classical revival style by Claire Allen, a prominent southern Michigan architect. It is one of seven sites in the county listed on the National Register of Historic Places (No. 76002291 added 1976).^[4]

In June 2012, the 212.8 MW Gratiot County Wind Project opened, the largest wind power installation in the state.^[5]

History[edit]

The county is named for Captain Charles Gratiot, who supervised the building of Port Huron's Fort Gratiot. It was described by the Territorial Legislature in 1831. By 1855, the Territory had been admitted to the Union as a state; the State Legislature authorized the organization of Gratiot County that year – the death year of the county's namesake.

Gratiot County was a New England settlement. The original founders of Ithaca and of Alma were settlers from New England, "Yankees", descended from the English Puritans who settled the northeastern coast of the new continent in the 1600s. The Gratiot County settlers were farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal as well as the close of the Black Hawk War. They arrived to virgin forest and wild prairie, but laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They maintained their customs, such as passion for education, and abhorrence of the existing slave trade. They were members of the Congregationalist Church or the Episcopal Church.^[6][7][8]

In the 1890s, German immigrants began settling in Gratiot County.^[1][9]See List of Michigan county name etymologies. Emil Lockwood, a noted Michigan legislator, represented Gratiot County in the Michigan Senate from 1963-1970, much of the time as Senate Majority Leader.

There are six Michigan historical markers in Gratiot County:

• Alma College


• Gratiot County


• Jackson Weller House


• Lumberjack Park


• Michigan Masonic Home


• Saginaw and Gratiot County State Road / Saginaw Valley & St. Louis Railroad^[10]

Geography[edit]

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km²), of which 568 square miles (1,470 km²) is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²) (0.6%) is water.^[11] It is considered to be part of Central Michigan.

Adjacent counties[edit]

• 
  Midland County – northeast


• 
  Isabella County – northwest


• 
  Saginaw County – east


• 
  Montcalm County – west


• 
  Shiawassee County – southeast


• 
  Clinton County – south


• 
  Ionia County – southwest

Major highways[edit]

• 
  US 127 – runs north to I-75 and south to Lansing.


• 
  
  Bus. US 127 – business loop through downtown Alma.


• 
  
  Bus. US 127 – business loop through downtown Ithaca.


• 
  
  Bus. US 127 – business loop through downtown St. Louis.


• 
  M-46 – cross-peninsular highway that runs east to Saginaw and Port Sanilac; runs west to Muskegon.


• 
  M-57 – runs east to Flint; runs west to US 131 near Grand Rapids.

Demographics[edit]

As of the 2000 United States Census^[17] there were 42,285 people, 14,501 households, and 10,397 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 15,516 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.01% White, 3.72% Black or African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races. 4.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.8% were of English ancestry, 24.4% were of German ancestry and 6.9% Irish ancestry according to the 2012 American Community Survey. 96.1% spoke English and 2.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 14,501 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.

The county population included 23.80% under the age of 18, 11.60% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 108.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,262, and the median income for a family was $43,954. Males had a median income of $32,442 versus $22,333 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,118. About 7.30% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Religion[edit]

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for the Catholic Church.^[18]

Government[edit]

Gratiot County has been reliably Republican from the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 76% of the elections (26 of 34 elections).

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 other 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[edit]

• 
  Prosecuting Attorney: Keith J. Kushion


• 
  Sheriff: Doug Wright


• 
  County Clerk: Carol A. Vernon


• 
  County Treasurer: Mary Sullivan


• 
  Register of Deeds: Janet Davis


• 
  Drain Commissioner: Brian Denman

(information as of September 2005)

Communities[edit]

Cities[edit]

• Alma


• 
  Ithaca (county seat)


• St. Louis

Villages[edit]

• Ashley


• Breckenridge


• Perrinton

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Ghost towns[edit]

• Bridgeville


• Langport


• Ola

Townships[edit]

See also[edit]

• List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Gratiot County, Michigan


• National Register of Historic Places listings in Gratiot County, Michigan

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Gratiot County Government


• Gratiot County Area Chamber of Commerce


• Greater Gratiot Development


• Gratiot County Community Connection


• Gratiot County Community Foundation


• 
  "Bibliography on Gratiot County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. 
  

Coordinates: 43°17′N 84°36′W / 43.29°N 84.60°W / 43.29; -84.60