Beaver Island is an unincorporated community located on the northern portion of Beaver Island. The Beaver Island 49782 ZIP Code serves the entirety of St. James Township, as well as neighboring Peaine Township.
St. James is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located on the northeastern coast of Beaver Island. The community served as the county seat of Manitou County during the county's existence from 1855–1895. The community had a population of 205 at the 2010 census.
History
The township was named for James Strang, who led a faction of Mormon settlers to Beaver Island in 1848. Producing mysterious brass plates from the ground, and receiving directives from God, Strang formed a colony on Beaver Island in 1848 called St. James, naming it after himself. Strang led those who accepted him to Nauvoo, Illinois, and then Voree, Wisconsin, before deciding that God wanted him to bring his flock to Beaver Island. James J. Strang appointed by Joseph Smith Jr. presided over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1844 to 1856.
Geography
St. James Township is one of only seven municipalities in the state of Michigan to consist entirely of islands, including Grosse Ile Township, Drummond Township, Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac Island, Peaine Township, and Sugar Island Township. St. James Township occupies the northern portion of Beaver Island and shares the islands with Peaine Township. St. James Township consists of the following islands in Lake Michigan, in which only Beaver Island has a permanent population.
Beaver Island
Garden Island
Gull Island
High Island
Hog Island
Squaw Island
Trout Island
Whiskey Island
Most of the township's population lives in the unincorporated community of St. James at the northeastern end of Beaver Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of, of which is land and, or 93.56%, is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 307 people, 138 households, and 82 families residing in the township. The population density was 15.4 per square mile. There were 331 housing units at an average density of 16.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 98.70% White, and 1.30% Native American. There were 138 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couplesliving together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.93. In the township the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $33,182, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,000 versus $20,682 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,109. About 5.6% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.
