Tuscola County, Michigan
Coordinates: 43°28′N 83°27′W / 43.467°N 83.45°W
| Tuscola County, Michigan | |
 Location in the state of Michigan |
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 Michigan's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | April 1, 1840[1] |
|---|---|
| Named for | Neologism invented by Henry Schoolcraft |
| Seat | Caro |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
913.82 sq mi (2,367 km²) 812.43 sq mi (2,104 km²) 101.39 sq mi (263 km²), 11.10 |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
55,729 72/sq mi (28/km²) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.tuscolacounty.org |
Tuscola County is a county in the Thumb region of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,729. The county seat is Caro[2]. The county was created by Michigan Law on April 1, 1840, from land in Sanilac County and attached to Saginaw County for administrative purposes. The Michigan Legislature passed an act on March 2, 1850, that empowered the county residents to organize governmental functions.
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[edit] Geography
- According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 913.82 square miles (2,366.8 km2), of which 812.43 square miles (2,104.2 km2) (or 88.90%) is land and 101.39 square miles (262.6 km2) (or 11.10%) is water.[3] As mentioned above, this is one of five counties that are in the Thumb area. Like the rest of the thumb, Tuscola County enjoys seasonal tourism from larger cities like Flint, Detroit and Saginaw.
- It is considered to be part of the Thumb of Michigan, which in turn is a subregion of the Flint/Tri-Cities.
- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for the Catholic Church.[4]
[edit] History
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2008) |
- The name Tuscola was a Neologism created by Henry Schoolcraft. One scholar believes it to be a combination of "dusinagon" (level) and "cola" (lands).
The Chippewa/Ottawa word "dusinagon", or "tessi-nagan", actually, means flat dish or plate. The early Chippewa/Ottawa often used a shell or bark from a tree for a dish or plate. Shell in their language was "essi", which may be the root of Tuscola.[citation needed] The Thumb of Michigan, which includes Tuscola, Huron, and Sanilac Counties, was in the 17th century called Skenchioe, which may be related to the Onondaga word "uschwuntschios", which means plain or flat. It was said[who?] that Skenchioe, the early home of the Fox People, meant red fox. The French in the early 18th century called the Thumb of Michigan Le Pays Plat, which means The Country Flat. This name was continued by the English in the late 18th century in the name—Flat Country.[citation needed] The Chippewa/Ottawa word "tessi-" is used to make the words for shelf, platform, bench, and plate. The phrase "tessi-aki" may have been used by Algonquin speaking people to mean the entire Thumb of Michigan and meant level land.[citation needed] During the Saginaw Treaty of 1819, the Native chief of Tuscola was Chief Otusson. His name was said to mean "bench in the lodge or platform".[citation needed] The Thumb of Michigan forms a tableland with knolls or hillocks located in the interior part along the Cass River. The county seat of Tuscola is Caro, which is located along one of these large knolls. Caro was called by Native People High Bank.[citation needed] The land around Caro particularly to the north and east is cultivated and widely farmed. Caro is located in Indianfields Township, which was given its name for its plentiful Indian gardens.[citation needed]
[5] See List of Michigan county name etymologies.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Huron County (north)
- Sanilac County (east)
- Saginaw County (west)
- Lapeer County (southeast)
- Genesee County (southwest)
- Bay County (west)
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Saginaw Bay | Huron County | |
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| Bay County and Saginaw County |  |
Sanilac County | ||
 Tuscola County, Michigan  |
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| Genesee County | Lapeer County |
[edit] Highways
[edit] Demographics
The 2010 United States Census[6] indicates Tuscola County had a 2010 population of 55,729. This is a decrease of -2,537 people from the 2000 United States Census. Overall, the county had a -4.4% growth rate during this ten year period. In 2010 there were 21,590 households and 15,423 families in the county. The population density was 69.4 per square mile (26.8 square kilometers). There were 24,451 housing units at an average density of 30.4 per square mile (11.7 square kilometers). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 94.3% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races.
There were 21,590 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were husband and wife families, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.6% were non-families, and 24.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.5% under age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate[6] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $40,839 and the median income for a family was $49,274. Males had a median income of $28,288 versus $15,314 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,470. About 1.7% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under the age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
[edit] Tuscola County elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney: Mark E. Reene
- Sheriff: Lee Teschendorf
- County Clerk: Margie White
- County Treasurer: Patricia Donovan
- Register of Deeds: Daniel Grimshaw
- Drain Commissioner: Robert Mantey
- Circuit Court Judge: Hon. Patrick Reed Joslyn
- Probate Court Judge: Hon. Amanda Roggenbuck
- District Court Judge: Hon. Kim David Glaspie
(information as of March 16, 2011)
[edit] Cities, villages, and townships
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Unincorporated |
Communities |
Charter Townships
