Lowell, Michigan

Lowell, Michigan
City
Location of Lowell, Michigan
Coordinates: 42°56′1″N 85°20′31″W / 42.93361°N 85.34194°W / 42.93361; -85.34194Coordinates: 42°56′1″N 85°20′31″W / 42.93361°N 85.34194°W / 42.93361; -85.34194
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Kent
Government
• Mayor	Jeff Altoft
• Mayor Protemp	Mike Devore
• City Manager	Vacant
• Public Works Director	Ron Woods
• Chief Of Police	Steve Bukala
Area[1]
• Total	3.10 sq mi (8.03 km2)
• Land	2.88 sq mi (7.46 km2)
• Water	0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2)
Elevation	636 ft (194 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	3,783
• Estimate (2012[3])	3,839
• Density	1,313.5/sq mi (507.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49331
Area code(s)	616
FIPS code	26-49540[4]
GNIS feature ID	0631155[5]

Downtown Lowell Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	Roughly along Main St. bet. Hudson and Washington, Lowell, Michigan
Coordinates	42°56′4″N 85°20′16″W / 42.93444°N 85.33778°W / 42.93444; -85.33778
Built	1904
Architect	McDole, Shaw, et al.; Vinton, Colonel H.H., et al
Architectural style	Late Victorian, Art Deco
NRHP Reference #	99001539 [6]
Added to NRHP	December 09, 1999

Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,783 at the 2010 census. The city is in the northern portion of Lowell Township, but is politically independent. Lowell's economy is a mix of manufacturing, restaurants and locally owned businesses.

History

Lowell was founded as a trading post on the south bank of the Grand River in 1831 by Daniel Marsac. In 1847, he purchased land on the north side of the river and platted it as "Dansville". In 1851, a post office was established there named "Lowell" after the township. The community was replatted in 1854 and renamed after the post office. It incorporated as a village in 1861.^[7] Lowell is the home of a retired showboat, the Robert E. Lee.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.10 square miles (8.03 km²), of which, 2.88 square miles (7.46 km²) is land and 0.22 square miles (0.57 km²) is water.^[1]

Demographics

Lowell is bordered by Vergennes Township on the north; Lowell Township on the west, south and east; and Boston Township in Ionia county is one-half mile east of the eastern Lowell city limit.

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 3,783 people, 1,457 households, and 962 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,313.5 inhabitants per square mile (507.1/km²). There were 1,581 housing units at an average density of 549.0 per square mile (212.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.1% White, 1.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.

There were 1,457 households of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 4,013 people, 1,492 households, and 1,008 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,391.2 per square mile (538.0/km²). There were 1,564 housing units at an average density of 542.2 per square mile (209.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White, 0.57% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.14% of the population.

There were 1,492 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,326, and the median income for a family was $49,145. Males had a median income of $36,525 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,843. About 4.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Schools and athletics

Lowell Area Schools maintains eight school buildings: Lowell High, Lowell High Freshman Center, Lowell Middle, Alto Elementary, Bushnell Elementary, Cherry Creek Elementary, Murray Lake Elementary, and Unity High. The district excels in Michigan educational assessment program (MEAP), with only 8.3% of Michigan Schools scoring higher, and 95% of students are excelling in reading and math. They have around 4000 students in the district with a growth rate of 75 per year. The school district covers 130 square miles (340 km²). Greg Pratt is the current Lowell Area Schools Superintendent.

One private school, St. Patrick School, is also located within the Lowell Area School district. This school serves children from preschool through 8th grade and is affiliated with St. Patrick Catholic Church in Parnell. The school provides a comprehensive, faith-based curriculum.

The Lowell High School mascot is the Red Arrow. Lowell High School participates in Division 2 for all sports according to the Michigan High School Athletic Association. The football team is known for being a powerhouse, winning three state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2009. The Equestrian team won Lowell's first state championship then went on to win three more state titles, in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2007. The High School wrestling program also has become a powerhouse in the state, holding four state championships, in 2002, 2004, 2009, and 2014.

Police and fire

The City of Lowell staffs a full-time police department located at 111 N. Monroe St. With a sworn staff of four full-time officers, six part-time officers, an investigator, a police sergeant, and the Police Chief. Two non-sworn employees provide additional support for the department. The Police Department also supports a Senior Volunteer Patrol which provides complementary services with in the City, including crossing guard details and property checks.

The Lowell Area Fire Department maintains a firehouse within the City on Hudson St. (M-50) south of downtown.

Recreation

Lowell is the home of the North Country Trail Association.^[10]

Notable residents

• Ann Rule, author of true crime novels, born in Lowell, Michigan^[11]
• William Seward Burroughs I, adding machine inventor, founder of the Burroughs Corporation and grandfather of Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs lived in Lowell in the 1860s and graduated from Lowell High School.
• David Christenson, distinguished classical scholar, grew up in Lowell (1960–74)
• Mike Dumas, professional football player (retired)
• Dave Hildenbrand, Michigan politician^[12]
• Anthony Kiedis, "Red Hot Chili Peppers" lead singer
• Glendon Swarthout, novelist, The Shootist, etc., graduated from Lowell High School.
• Daniel Vosovic, a fashion designer and a finalist in season 2 of the reality show, Project Runway.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Lowell has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.^[13]

References

External links

• Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce
• Lowell Area Schools
• Discover Lowell
• Lowell Community Wellness

Municipalities and communities of Kent County, Michigan, United States County seat: Grand Rapids Cities Cedar Springs East Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Grandville Kentwood Lowell Rockford Walker Wyoming Villages Caledonia Casnovia‡ Kent City Sand Lake Sparta Charter townships Caledonia Cascade Gaines Grand Rapids Lowell Plainfield General law townships Ada Algoma Alpine Bowne Byron Cannon Courtland Grattan Nelson Oakfield Solon Sparta Spencer Tyrone Vergennes CDPs Byron Center Comstock Park Cutlerville Forest Hills Northview Other unincorporated communities Ada Alaska Alto Belmont Cannonsburg Cascade Dutton Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties