Bath Charter Township, Michigan

Bath Charter Township is a charter township of Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan.  As of the 2010 census, the township population was 11,598, an increase from 7,541 in 2000.  It is situated directly north of the city of East Lansing.

Communities
 The unincorporated community of Bath is located within the southwestern corner of the township.

History 
Bath Township was originally organized in 1839 as Ossowa Township, having been split from DeWitt Township by an act of the governor.  It was renamed Bath Township in 1843 after Bath, New York.

Park Lake at the southern edge of the township was the source of the Park Lake Trail, an important Native American trailway that intersected the Okemah Trail in what later became the city of East Lansing, Michigan. Park Lake developed into a regional recreation destination for the growing Lansing population after the state capitol relocated to Lansing in 1847 and the Michigan Agricultural College was established in East Lansing, Michigan in 1855. By the early 1900s Park Lake was surrounded by summer camps affiliated with various churches and associations as well as seasonal cabins and lodges. The most ambitious of these was the Park Lake Resort which featured a large dance pavilion built over the water on pilings. The Park Lake Dance Pavilion served as an entertainment venue playing host to many famous acts such as Tommy Dorsey until it burned in the 1930s. Years of decline followed and Park Lake never regained its former popularity.

Bath Township was the scene of the Bath School bombing, which is the deadliest act of mass murder in a school in United States history. It claimed more than three times as many victims as the Columbine High School massacre and half-again as many victims as the Virginia Tech and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which  is land and  (10.0%) is water.

Demographics

2010
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,598 people, 4,697 households, and 2,596 families residing in the township.  The population density was 364.3 per square mile (140.6/km²).  There were 5,106 housing units at an average density of 160.4 per square mile (61.9/km²).  The racial makeup of the township was 87.5% White, 5.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.

2000
There were 2,799 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the township the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $53,881, and the median income for a family was $58,825. Males had a median income of $43,548 versus $31,056 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,675.  About 3.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
School districts serving township residents:
Bath Community Schools
East Lansing Public Schools
Haslett Public Schools
Laingsburg Community Schools

References

External links
Official Website of Bath Charter Township

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Category:Townships in Clinton County, Michigan
Category:Charter townships in Michigan
Category:Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area
Category:Populated places established in 1839
Category:1839 establishments in Michigan