Mason, Michigan

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Mason, Michigan
Downtown Mason, looking West from the Town Square.
Location of Mason in Michigan.
Coordinates: 42°34′345″N, 84°26′37″W
Founded	1865
Government
- Mayor	Leon Clark
Area
- City	11.9 km²  (4.6 sq mi)
- Land	11.9 km² (4.6 sq mi)
- Water	0 km² (0 sq mi)  0%
Population (2000)
- City	6,714
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.mason.mi.us

Mason is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is named after that state's first governor, Stevens T. Mason. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,714. It is the county seat of Ingham County⁶. Mason is the only city in the U.S. that serves as a county seat ahead of a state capital, with the capital of Lansing also in Ingham County. Despite being the county seat, many county offices and courtrooms are located in Lansing.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Points of interest 4 Celebrations and festivals 5 Famous residents and businesses 6 Notes 7 External links

[edit] Geography

Mason is located at 42°34′45″N, 84°26′37″W^GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.9 km² (4.6 mi²). 11.9 km² (4.6 mi²) of it is land and no noteworthy portion of it is covered by water, save for a thin tributary of the Grand River.

The Mason Esker, one of the longest in the western hemisphere^[1]

Mason also has several small pockets of natural gas.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 6,714 people, 2,806 households, and 1,826 families residing in the city. The population density was 566.0/km² (1,466.6/mi²). There were 2,961 housing units at an average density of 249.6/km² (646.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.98% White, 0.64% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.74% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.73% of the population.

There were 2,806 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,790, and the median income for a family was $53,519. Males had a median income of $41,081 versus $26,266 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,866. About 1.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Points of interest

• Mason Branch of the Capital Area District Library [1]
• Mason Area Historical Museum [2]
• Mason Skate Park [3]
• Ingham County Fairgrounds [4]

[edit] Celebrations and festivals

• Down Home Days, a weekend-long craft festival in the fall. Its set up in a circle around the courthouse.
• Spring Fling, a spring version of Down Home Days.
• Ingham County Fair.
• Mason Steam Show, a steam engine show.

[edit] Famous residents and businesses

• According to The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm X spent part of his childhood in Mason. He was placed in a juvenile home in Mason in 1939 and completed 8th grade at Mason High School, where historical accounts indicate he received straight-"A" grades. [5] A famous anecdote of Malcolm X's life tells of a teacher who discouraged Malcolm of his dream of becoming a lawyer because of his race. However, sources vary on whether this was a Mason teacher.
• Former Mason resident Ltc. Amos Steele was one of the (relatively) few Union soldiers to be killed during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.[6] Steele Street is named after Amos Steele, which would make Steele Street Elementary School indirectly named after him.
• Mason is home to Kristin Haynie, a point guard with the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs. Haynie, a 2001 Mason High School graduate, was a 2005 first-round WNBA draft pick after leading Michigan State to the women's NCAA national championship game.
• Mason is home to Dart Container, the largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers in the world. Dart is known for being vertically integrated, and is one of the largest privately owned corporations in Michigan.
• John W. Longyear moved to Mason in 1844, where he taught school and studied law.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ (1952) Field Manual of Soil Engineering. Michigan. State Highway Dept, 8. “The longest esker in Michigan is called the Mason esker and it extends from the outskirts of Lansing to a point beyond Mason” 

[edit] External links

• City of Mason
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 42.5792027° -84.4435845°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

Cities and communities of Ingham County, Michigan

County seat Mason Cities East Lansing | Lansing | Leslie | Mason | Williamston Villages Dansville | Stockbridge | Webberville Townships Alaiedon Twp. | Aurelius Twp. | Bunker Hill Twp. | Ingham Twp. | Leroy Twp. | Leslie Twp. | Locke Twp. | Onondaga Twp. | Stockbridge Twp. | Vevay Twp. | Wheatfield Twp. | White Oak Twp. | Williamstown Twp. Charter townships Delhi Twp. | Lansing Twp. | Meridian Twp. Census-designated places Haslett | Holt | Okemos