Ada Township, Michigan

 

Ada Township, Michigan
—  Township  —
Ada Township, Michigan Location within the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°58′31″N 85°29′30″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Kent
Area
• Total	37.0 sq mi (95.9 km2)
• Land	36.1 sq mi (93.4 km2)
• Water	1.0 sq mi (2.5 km2)
Elevation	758 ft (231 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	9,882
• Density	273.9/sq mi (105.8/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49301
Area code(s)	616
FIPS code	26-00240
GNIS feature ID	1625798

Street scene in the village

Ada Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is an upscale suburb of Grand Rapids. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 13,142. Ada is the corporate home of Alticor and its subsidiary companies Quixtar and Amway.

Communities

• Ada also known as Ada Village, is an unincorporated community within the township on M-21 twelve miles east of Grand Rapids. Rix Robinson built a trading post near Ada in 1821 and made the first land purchase here in 1833. A post office was established in 1837, and both the township and settlement were named for Ada Smith, the daughter of the first postmaster. It was a station on the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad (later part of the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway). A plat was recorded in 1857. The Ada ZIP code, 49301, serves most of the township as well as much of eastern Cascade Township to the south, the northwest corner of Lowell Township to the southeast, small areas of western Vergennes Township to the east, the southwest corner of Grattan Township to the northeast, much of southern Cannon Township to the north, and a small area of eastern Grand Rapids Charter Township to the west. In addition to 49301, the Ada ZIP codes 49355, 49356, 49357 are assigned to specific organizations.
• The city of Grand Rapids is to the west, and the 49525 ZIP code for Grand Rapids, serves a small area in the northwest corner of the township. The 49546 ZIP code for Grand Rapids serves the southwestern portion of the township.
• Lowell is to the east and the 49331 ZIP code for Lowell serves a small area in the eastern part of the township and in the southeast along the Grand River.

The Ada Covered Bridge in the village, across the Thornapple River, dates to the 1860s

History

The township traces its history to 1821, when Rix Robinson obtained a French-Canadian trading post at the junction of the Grand and Thornapple Rivers from Madeline La Framboise on behalf of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company. Land north of the Grand River was not open for white settlers to purchase land in until the 1836 Treaty of Washington. There are conflicting reports concerning when the township was organized. Information provided by the township web site indicate that Robinson was elected as the Township's first Supervisor. However, other sources indicate it was organized on April 2, 1838, and that Sydney Smith was elected the first Supervisor and that Robinson was the second, elected in 1841 and again in 1844.

A village was platted in 1858 at the mouth of the Thornapple, but it developed slowly and never incorporated.

The Grand River and hills on the N side of the river

The Ada Covered Bridge, was constructed across the Thornapple in 1867. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is one of 9 covered bridges that remain standing in the state.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.0 square miles (96 km²), of which, 36.1 square miles (93 km²) of it is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²) of it (2.59%) is water.

In addition to its two rivers (the Grand and the Thornapple), numerous streams and meadows, Ada Township is best known for its lush, rolling, woodland terrain. In fact, the local school district is called Forest Hills.

Dam across the Thornapple River

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,882 people, 3,263 households, and 2,802 families residing in the township. The population density was 273.9 per square mile (105.8/km²). There were 3,384 housing units at an average density of 93.8 per square mile (36.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.57% White, 0.47% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.

There were 3,263 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.7% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.1% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the township the population was spread out with 32.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,357, and the median income for a family was $87,972. Males had a median income of $61,795 versus $36,288 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,840. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sources

• Ada Township Official Website
• Info on Rix Robinson
• History and Directory of Kent County, Michigan. Dillenback and Leavitt. Grand Rapids, Mich.,: Daily eagle steam printing house, 1870 p. 20
• Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan. Chicago [Ill.] : Robert O. Law Company, 1918. pp. 219++
• History of Kent County, Michigan. Leeson, M. A. Chicago: C. C. Chapman & co. 1881. p. 487+

External links

• Ada Business Association
• Ada Connect Discussion Forum
• Adacroft Commons Community Association
• Clements Mill Community Association
• Ada Township Fire Department