Van Buren Township, Michigan
| Van Buren Charter Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Charter township | |
 |
|
 Location in Wayne County and the state of Michigan |
|
 Van Buren Charter Township, Michigan
|
|
| Coordinates: 42°13′14″N 83°29′15″W / 42.22056°N 83.48750°WCoordinates: 42°13′14″N 83°29′15″W / 42.22056°N 83.48750°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Wayne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 35.8 sq mi (92.7 km2) |
| • Land | 33.9 sq mi (87.8 km2) |
| • Water | 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) |
| Elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 28,821 |
| • Density | 810/sq mi (310/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| FIPS code | 26-81660 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627189 |
Van Buren Charter Township is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 28,821 at the 2010 census. Van Buren Charter Township surrounds the city of Belleville, and Belleville Lake on all sides, leading the township to be commonly referred to as Belleville. It is home to Willow Run Airport, Metro Detroit's second busiest airport.
Van Buren Township was designated survey township 3 S in range 8 E of Wayne County.
In 1800, settler Henry Snow came and settled on what is now the border with Ypsilanti Township, Washtenaw County which was original called Snow's Landing.
A settlement of the Huron River received a post office on May 7, 1834 with the name of West Huron and postmaster Scott Vining. The township was formed by the State in 1835 and was soon renamed for Martin Van Buren, then vice president of the US. The post office name was also changed. On November 14, 1838, The Van Buren post office was move to Rawsonville and assumed that name.
On October 25, 1895, the Rawsonville post office was closed only to reopen on November 20, 1895 only to close again on February 28, 1902. In 1925, a dam was put in place on the Huron River placing most of the Rawsonville village under water of the new Belleville Lake. The only visual sign that a village was here at one time is the historical marker in front of the McDonald's on Rawsonville Road and across from Grove Road.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.8 square miles (93 km2), of which 33.9 square miles (88 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), or 5.28%, is water.
...
Wikipedia