Buchanan, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Buchanan is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,681 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about 5 miles west of Niles.
Olympic champion Jackson Scholz was born here.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²). 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.83%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 4,681 people, 1,915 households, and 1,191 families residing in the city. The population density was 753.1/km² (1,950.8/mi²). There were 2,098 housing units at an average density of 337.5/km² (874.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.26% White, 10.23% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.84% of the population.
There were 1,915 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,244, and the median income for a family was $43,860. Males had a median income of $32,950 versus $21,857 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,600. About 10.9% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
The St. Joseph River was once a major transportation route for Native American tribes in the area, especially the Potawatomi, and a historical marker to that effect has been placed on Moccasin Trail north of Buchanan near Batchelor's Island.
The City of Buchanan was settled in 1833 at the spot where McCoy Creek met the St. Joseph River.
Buchanan was historically known as the headquarters for Clark Equipment Corp., a manufacturer of truck axles, fork lift trucks, front-end loaders, and other heavy machinery, until that company left the area in the 1990s. This departure forced the city to diversify and a number of smaller businesses took over the buildings Clark essentially donated to the city.
Electro-Voice, a manufacturer of high quality audio equipment such as microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers. was also headquartered in Buchanan. Soon after being purchased by Telex Communications, Inc., Electro-Voice's management left Buchanan. Several years later, in 2002, the remaining Electo-Voice manufacturing plant closed[1].
[edit] Attractions
Bear Cave is a camping resort north of Buchanan featuring a cave which was once a stop along the Underground Railroad, assisting freed and escaped slaves from southern states to reach freedom in the northern states or Canada. The resort is on the St. Joseph River and offers canoeing and boating.
The Tin Shop Theater, located near Pears Mill, is a wonderful, little theater with great performances in the summer. The seasons run into September and a variety of shows for everyone of any age and any occasion are performed there.
Pears Mill, a flour mill using the water power of the swiftly flowing McCoy Creek, was built in 1857 and still stands. It is open during the summer for visitors.
Fernwood is a nature preserve on the eastern bank of the St. Joseph River.
Redbud Track 'N' Trail is an event site north of Buchanan featuring motocross, BMX, and other motor sport activities. Certain races held there are of national interest and are sometimes featured on the various ESPN cable sports networks.
[edit] Schools
Buchanan consists of a handful of elementary schools (grades K-5), one middle school (grades 6-8) and Buchanan High School, currently a Class C school in terms of student population (and, therefore, athletic participation.) Known as the Bucks, BHS has a strong reputation for success in high school sports including state champions in basketball in 1976 and 1978, baseball in 1993, Men's Track & Field in 1999, and tennis in 2003.
