St. Helen, Michigan
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| St. Helen, Michigan | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Roscommon |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5.9 sq mi (15.3 km²) |
| - Land | 5.0 sq mi (13.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,191 ft (363 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 2,993 |
| - Density | 593.6/sq mi (229.2/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| FIPS code | 26-70800[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0636665[2] |
St. Helen is an unincorporated community in Richfield Township, Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes and has no legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 2,993 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 48656.
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[edit] History
In the 1870s, lumber baron Henry Stephens established a large lumber operation at St. Helen,[3] considered at the time to be among the largest and best equipped in the state. The mills were estimated to have produced more than 1 billion board feet (2,000,000 m³) of lumber within a period of fourteen years. Most of the logs were moved by river, but lumber was also moved by rail.
The St. Helen Development Company was organized to sell land and promote development of the area, and over seven years sold 80,000 acres (320 km²) of land and helped to build more than 30 miles (50 km) of roads and over 80 miles (130 km) of fencing.
St. Helen was named after the Lake. It is believed that French voyageurs named it after Saint Helena of Constantinople, mother of Emperor Constantine.
The Detroit, Bay City & Alpena Railroad (later the Michigan Central, then the Detroit and Mackinac Railway and presently the Lake State Railway Company) built a line through the area with a station at St. Helen. The now decommissioned M-76 passed through St. Helen and portions are still signed as "Old 76". St. Helen has survived based on tourism and proximity to the lake.
[edit] Geography
- The area of the CDP covers an area on the southeast side of Lake St. Helen, which is the headwaters for the south branch of the Au Sable River. There is a large boat ramp and park located just east of town to provide easy lake access. Canoeing, kayaking and fishing are popular on the river.
- According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), of which, 5.0 square miles (13.1 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (14.86%) is water.
- St. Helen is considered to be part of Northern Michigan
- Over 90% percent of the township is located in the Houghton Lake State Forest. There are many RV, snow mobile and two-tracks trails.
- St. Helen is near part of the Au Sable State Forest including
- Roscommon FMU (Ogemaw and Roscommon counties).
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,993 people, 1,380 households, and 873 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 593.6 per square mile (229.3/km²). There were 2,617 housing units at an average density of 519.1/sq mi (200.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.46% White, 0.07% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 1,380 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.67.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,104, and the median income for a family was $30,268. Males had a median income of $30,521 versus $20,461 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,198. About 12.8% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Other affiliations
- It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord.[4]
[edit] Local events
There are a number of recurrent local events:
- Bluegill Festival each summer.
- Kirtland Warbler Habitat and Festival is to the north, a must for avid bird-watchers.[5]
[edit] Famous resident
- Charlton Heston spent part of his childhood in St. Helen. The 1930 Census for Richfield, Michigan confirms it.[6][7]
[edit] Further reading
- Diss, Peggy. The Heritage of Richfield Township, St. Helen. Roscommon, MI: Graphic Arts Press, 1976.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Michigan Historical Markers
- ^ Diocese of Gaylord.
- ^ Kirtland Warbler link/festival
- ^ My Bay City article, February 5, 2006.
- ^ Bay City Times, April 7, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Roscommon County
- A history of northern Michigan and its people Powers, Perry Francis. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912. pp. 554-555
- History of Michigan. Moore, Charles. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1915. p. 709
- Higgins Lake/Roscommon Chamber of Commerce
- Houghton Lake/Roscommon Chamber of Commerce
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