Michigan Center is an unincorporated community in Leoni Township of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The United States Census Bureau has defined an area about the community as a Census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,641.
Michigan Center was platted as "Michigan Centre" in 1837 by Abel Fitch and Paul Ring, although there were settlements in the area from at least 1834. The name was presumably derived from the proximity to the Michigan Meridian which divided the state into eastern and western portions for surveying. The community is not close to any sort of geographical center of the state. Fitch became the first postmaster in 1838.
Located at 42°13'59"N, 84°19'38"W, Michigan Center began developing as a mill town on a tributary of the Grand River. There was a station on Michigan Central Railroad. However, nearby Jackson rapidly outpaced Michigan Center, which has since become a bedroom community to the city of Jackson.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.7 km2 (5.7 mi2). 13.4 km2 (5.2 mi2) of it is land and 1.2 km2 (0.5 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 8.48% water.
The community is situated primarily around the northern end of Center Lake, formed by a dam on a tributary of the Grand River. Several other nearby lakes on the same tributary form a connected chain of lakes: Round Lake, Price Lake, Moon Lake, Little Dollar Lake, Dollar Lake, Olcott Lake, and Little Olcott Lake. Wolf Lake and Little Wolf Lake are part of the same chain of lakes, but are separated from the other by another dam. Local residents travel between the first several lakes on small boats or personal watercraft.
Source:
MichiganCenterMI.com
HOTELS • REAL ESTATE • JOBS