Newport is an unincorporated community centered at mostly in Berlin Charter Township. As an unincorporated community, Newport has no legal boundaries or demographic statistics of its own. Newport contains its own post office with the 48166 ZIP Code, which serves most of Berlin Charter Township, while portions of the ZIP Code extend into Frenchtown Charter Township. The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station is within the Frenchtown portion of the Newport ZIP Code.
Stony Point is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located at.
Woodland Beach is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located at. While the main community and namesake within the CDP is Woodland Beach, the CDP also includes the following lakefront communities:
History
This area was long occupied by Native Americans, including the historic Potawatomi. They had trading relations with French-Canadians in the area. Frenchtown area reflected the ethnicity of its first European settlers: French Canadians took land along the banks of the River Raisin as early as 1784. There had been other French colonial settlements closer to Detroit and on both sides of the Detroit River. Their descendants are known as Muskrat French. Around the same time, the Sandy Creek Settlement was founded near this by Joseph Porlier Benec. The United States acquired this area, which had been considered part of British Canadian territory after the Treaty of Paris settling the American Revolutionary War. It was specifically part of state claims ; the Northwest Territory ; Indiana Territory ; Michigan Territory ; and, finally, the State of Michigan. During the War of 1812, the area was the site of the Battle of Frenchtown, in which 397 Americans were killed by the coalition of British Army and Native Americans ; this was the highest number of American fatalities of any battle during the war. The battlefield site today is within the River Raisin National Battlefield Park, which was designated in 2009 and falls within the present-day city limits of Monroe. In 1817 that portion of Frenchtown was renamed and incorporated as the village of Monroe, named in honor of President James Monroe's planned visit to the Michigan Territory later that year, and burying the history of the original French-Canadian settlers. In the same year, the village of Monroe was named as the county seat of the newly created Monroe County. Monroe was incorporated as a city in 1837. At that time, the remaining area known as Frenchtown was reorganized as a township, encompassing much of the northern portion of the county: the area from the River Raisin to the Huron River at Wayne County's southern border. Shortly after, the northern portion of the township was broken off to form Ash Township. Later, by 1867, Berlin Charter Township was formed from other territory of the township. In addition the city of Monroe has annexed pieces of the southern portion of Frenchtown several times. As a result, the boundary between the current Frenchtown Charter Township and the city limits of Monroe is jagged.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The township is bordered on the east by Lake Erie, and many of the township’s communities are located near the lake. Sterling State Park is located along the southern edge of the township and is the only of Michigan’s 98 state parks located on or near Lake Erie. Small pieces of the township are also organized into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Frenchtown Charter Township is bordered on the south by the city of Monroe, but a small portion of the southern border touches Monroe Charter Township. Raisinville Township is to the west, and Ash and Berlin Charter Townships border on the north. A very small portion of the northwest corner of Frenchtown Charter Township touches Exeter Township. The River Raisin serves as the boundary between Frenchtown and the city of Monroe for a short length near Lake Erie and then again further upstream for a small portion near the Custer Airport. Sandy Creek also runs through Frenchtown before ending in Lake Erie. Frenchtown Charter Township, as well as the rest of the county's Lake Erie shoreline, is at the lowest elevation in the state of Michigan at 571 feet above sea level. Interstate 75 passes through Frenchtown Charter Township, and the southern terminus of Interstate 275 is at Interstate 75 in the extreme northern portion of the township. U.S. Highway 24 and M-125 pass through the township as well. Frenchtown Charter Township is served by one area code and three ZIP Codes: 48162, 48166, and 48117. The majority of the township is served by 48162, while the area to the north near Newport falls into 48166. A very small portion in the northwest corner near the terminus of M-125 at US 24 is within 48117. No portion of Frenchtown Charter Township falls within 48161, used primarily for Monroe and Monroe Charter Township, as the boundary between 48161 and 48162 is the River Raisin; no portion of the township is south of the River Raisin.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 20,428 people, 7,733 households, and 5,598 families residing in the township. The population density was 493.4 per square mile. There were 8,244 housing units at an average density of 195.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 95.51% White, 1.59% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population. There were 7,733 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.10. In the township the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $47,699, and the median income for a family was $54,032. Males had a median income of $44,338 versus $25,787 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,335. About 4.9% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
