St. James, Michigan

St. James, Michigan
St. James, Michigan
Census-designated place (CDP) & unincorporated community
	Beaver Island Harbor Light
	Location within Charlevoix County
	St. James Location within the state of Michigan St. James Location within the United States
	Coordinates: 45°44′47″N85°31′18″W / 45.74639°N 85.52167°W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Charlevoix
Township	St. James
Area
• Total	1.03 sq mi (2.67 km2)
• Land	1.03 sq mi (2.67 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	604 ft (184 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	145
• Density	140.91/sq mi (54.41/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49782 (Beaver Island)
Area code	231
FIPS code	26-70900
GNIS feature ID	0636683

Last updated July 14, 2023

St. James is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan.^[2] The population of the CDP was 145 at the 2020 census.^[3] The community is located within St. James Township.

History

The community was settled as early as 1847 when James Jesse Strang took over his Mormon church and settled his colony on Beaver Island. Originally part of Michilimackinac County, it received a post office named Beaver Island on January 13, 1849 with Charles Wright serving as the first postmaster. Strang named the new community after himself, and the post office was renamed St. James on October 10, 1854 when it became part of Emmet County. Strang declared himself to be a king—the only king ever crowned in the United States. After Strang's murder in 1856 by disgruntled followers, the community began to fold, and the post office closed on March 6, 1868. Charles Wright restored the post office under the name Beaver Island on December 19, 1868 and served again as postmaster. During the 1870s, St. James was also referred as Beaver Harbor. By 1895, the Mormons left the island, and St. James became part of Charlevoix County. It is now a resort community.^[4]

The community of St. James was listed as a newly-organized census-designated place for the 2010 census, meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics for the first time.^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the St. James CDP has a total area of 1.03 square miles (2.67 km²), all land.

St. James is located in St. James Township at the northern end of Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan. The center of town faces southeast onto St. James Harbor, through which the Beaver Island Ferry arrives from Charlevoix. The northeastern side of the entrance to the harbor is marked by the Beaver Island Harbor Light. The St. James CDP extends east about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to Lookout Point and Sucker Point, marking the northeastern end of the island.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
2010	205	—
2020	145	−29.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[6]

Education

St. James is served entirely by Beaver Island Community School.^[7] The Beaver Island Community School is located within St. James and serves the entire district. It is one of only four insular school districts in the state, along with Bois Blanc Pines School District, Grosse Ile Township Schools, and Mackinac Island School District.

Related Research Articles

Emmet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the northernmost county in the Lower Peninsula. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 34,112, making it the second-most populous county in Northern Michigan. The county seat is Petoskey, which is also the county's largest city.

Charlevoix County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county seat is Charlevoix. Located in the Northern Lower Peninsula, Charlevoix County is bisected by Lake Charlevoix, Michigan's third largest inland lake. As of the 2020 Census, the county's population was 26,054.

Chandler Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 248 at the 2010 census.

Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County. Part of Northern Michigan, Charlevoix is located on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, bisected by the short Pine River. Charlevoix serves as the main access point for Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan, which can be accessed by Island Airways or carferry. The population of Charlevoix was 2,348 at the 2020 census. Charlevoix is mostly surrounded by Charlevoix Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peaine Township, Michigan</span> Civil township in Michigan, United States

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Manitou County was an insular county in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of Beaver Island and its surrounding islands, together with the North and South Manitou Islands and Fox Islands in Lake Michigan. The county existed from 1855 to 1895. The county seat was at St. James on Beaver Island.

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Walloon Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 271 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Melrose Township.

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Horton Bay is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 485 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Bay Township on northeastern shores of Lake Charlevoix.

References

↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. James, Michigan
↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): St. James CDP, Michigan". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
↑ Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Great Lakes Books Series (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.
↑ "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census . United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. III-4. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
↑ Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Charlevoix County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2022.

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[CenPopGazetteer2020-1] "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.

[gnis-2] 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. James, Michigan

[Census_2020-3] "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): St. James CDP, Michigan". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2022.

[4] Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Great Lakes Books Series (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.

[5] "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census . United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. III-4. Retrieved February 29, 2020.

[DecennialCensus-6] "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

[7] Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Charlevoix County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2022.

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v t e Municipalities and communities of Charlevoix County, Michigan, United States
County seat: Charlevoix
Cities	Boyne City Charlevoix East Jordan	Map of Michigan highlighting Charlevoix County.svg
Village	Boyne Falls
Civil townships	Bay Boyne Valley Chandler Charlevoix Evangeline Eveline Hayes Hudson Marion Melrose Norwood Peaine St. James South Arm Wilson
CDPs	Advance Bay Shore‡ Horton Bay Ironton Norwood St. James Walloon Lake
Other unincorporated communities	Barnard Beaver Island Bonner Landing Boulder Park Burgess Clarion Martins Bluff Nomad Phelps Wildwood Zenith Heights
Ghost towns	Afton Bay Springs Bedwin Belvedere Cherrie Cushman Dot Doyle's Siding Dwight Embo Eveline High Island Holy Island Intermediate Inwood Lake Junction Moore Nelsonville Raymond Rock Elm Sedan South Arm Spring Vale Success Thumb Lake Troutdale Undine
Indian reservations	Grand Traverse Indian Reservation‡ Little Traverse Bay Reservation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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