Meridian Charter Township
| Charter Township of Meridian | |
|---|---|
| Charter township | |
Meridian Charter Township sign
along Grand River Avenue (M-43) |
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 Charter Township of Meridian
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| Coordinates: 42°43′37.2″N 84°24′54.0″W / 42.727000°N 84.415000°WCoordinates: 42°43′37.2″N 84°24′54.0″W / 42.727000°N 84.415000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Ingham |
| Settled | 1836 |
| Organization | 1842 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Supervisor-Board of Trustees |
| • Supervisor | Ronald J. Styka (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 31.5 sq mi (82 km2) |
| • Land | 30.4 sq mi (79 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (3 km2) |
| Elevation | 850 ft (259 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 39,688 |
| • Estimate (2014) | 41,776 |
| • Density | 1,301.8/sq mi (487/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 48805 (PO box Okemos), 48840 (Haslett), 48864 (Okemos) |
| Area code(s) | 517 |
| FIPS code | 26-53140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626727 |
| Website | http://www.meridian.mi.us/ |
Meridian Charter Township is a charter township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census the township had a population of 39,688. Meridian Township is the local government unit that includes the unincorporated communities and census-designated places of Okemos and Haslett. Meridian Township is the third largest municipality in the Lansing-East Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Meridian Township takes its name from the fact that the Michigan Meridian, the prime north-south survey line, comprises the eastern border of the township. It is from this line that all townships were surveyed and measured.
Meridian Township was first settled by pioneers in 1836. In November 1836 Obed Marshall purchased 180 acres (73 ha) of land near present-day Haslett. The earliest settlers located at Pine Lake (now Lake Lansing) and made use of the numerous stands of pines to build their cabin. The lake was later the site of a Spiritualist Meeting Camp led by John Haslett. During the late 19th century, the lake became known as a local vacation area served by an "interurban trolley" which ran from the City of Lansing to the resort on the south side of the lake. An amusement park was introduced and enjoyed immense popularity into the mid-20th century. Currently, the Village of Haslett is located at the south side of Lake Lansing.
The first settlers near the current Village of Okemos (to the south of the former Pine Lake) were Sanford Marsh and his wife who built their cabin in 1839. They were soon followed by Joseph Kilbourne, who took out land for his brother-in-law, Freeman Bray.
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