Lake Odessa, Michigan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lake Odessa is a village in Ionia County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,272. It is located in the southern portion of the county in Odessa Township on the northeast shore of Jordan lake which is the county boundary with Barry County.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Miscellaneous
5 Sources
6 External links

[edit] History

Several brothers in the Russell family began settling here around 1839 and it became known as the "Russell Settlement". It later became known as "Bonanza" and a Post Office with that name was established in 1880. When the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad (later the Pere Marquette Railroad) was built through the area in the 1880s, the village was moved about a mile southwest. At that time the name was changed to "Lake Odessa", derived from the nearby Jordan Lake and the name of Odessa Township, which had been established in 1846. The township had been named for the city of Odessa in Russia, reflecting an interest of one of the founders in Russia as well as a desire for a distinctive name. Investor Humphrey Wager purchased 80 acres of farmland on Lake Jordan and platted the village in 1887. With the advantage of a station on the new railroad, the new village quickly eclipsed the former settlement at Bonanza. The village incorporated in 1889.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 2,272 people, 892 households, and 600 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,069.8/km² (2,767.8/mi²). There were 977 housing units at an average density of 460.0/km² (1,190.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.16% White, 0.13% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 2.77% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.07% of the population.

There were 892 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the village the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $34,896, and the median income for a family was $41,379. Males had a median income of $32,961 versus $25,787 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,822. About 5.5% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Miscellaneous

Lake Odessa, along with neighboring Woodland, Sunfield and Clarksville make up the Lakewood Public School district.

Lake Odessa has been named by the National Arbor Day Foundation a "Tree City USA" since 1987.

Lake Odessa is simply called "Lake O" by locals.

[edit] Sources

About Our Community. lakeodessa.org. Retrieved on August 2, 2006. Village of Lake Odessa site
Branch, Rev. E.E. (1916). History of Ionia County, Michigan. Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen & Co.. Chapter XIL, pp. 154+
Walter, Romig (1986). Michigan Place Names. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.