| Independence Township, Michigan | |
| Official Name: | Charter Township of Independence |
| Settlement Type: | Charter township |
| Pushpin Map: | Michigan#USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Label: | Independence Township |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States |
| Mapsize: | 250 |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Michigan |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Oakland |
| Leader Title: | Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | José Aliaga |
| Leader Title1: | Clerk |
| Leader Name1: | Cari Neubeck |
| Leader Title2: | Treasurer |
| Leader Name2: | Paul A Brown, CPA |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1834 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 94.08 |
| Area Land Km2: | 90.75 |
| Area Water Km2: | 3.33 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 36.32 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 35.04 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 1.29 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 36686 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1047.1 |
| Population Metro: | 4296250 (Metro Detroit) |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 339 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1112 |
| Coordinates: | 42.74°N -83.3831°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code(s) |
| Postal Code: | 48346, 48348 (Clarkston) |
| Area Code: | 248 and 947 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 26-40400[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1626511 |
Independence Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 36,686 at the 2020 census.[3]
Independence Township was first organized in 1834. The township surrounds the city of Clarkston, but the two are administered autonomously after Clarkston incorporated as a city in 1992. The township is home to the Pine Knob Music Theatre and the Pine Knob Ski Resort.
The first settlers arrived in Independence Township in the mid-1820s and early 1830s, primarily from New Jersey and New York. The first settler to purchase and settle land in the township was John W. Beardslee (b. 1799, d. 1883), from Sussex County, New Jersey.[4]
Independence Township was named by one of its earliest settlers, Joseph Van Sycle, who came to the area in 1834 from Independence Township, New Jersey.[5] [6]
While initially the township was primarily agricultural, the many lakes in the area were beginning to draw vacationers out of Detroit and other cities. In 1851, the railroad came through Clarkston, which prompted hotels to be built in the township to accommodate the resort vacationers coming to the area. The invention of the automobile had a tremendous effect on Independence Township. Roads that were once Native American trails were paved and widened for this new mode of transportation. The old Saginaw Trail, now known as Dixie Highway, was paved as early as 1920, and Main Street (M-15) in Clarkston was paved around 1922.
The expanding national highway system brought I-75 through Independence Township in 1962, spurring both business and residential development. Many farms gave way to subdivisions and strip malls as Independence Township continued evolving into part of Metropolitan Detroit.[7]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.3sqmi, of which 34.99sqmi is land and 1.31sqmi (3.61%) is water.
The township is part of the Metro Detroit area and is 45miles northwest of Detroit.
Independence Township is primarily serviced by the Clarkston Community Schools.[8]
In 2016, Clarkston High School had an enrollment of 1,930 students in grade nine through twelve.[9] The school is located at 6093 Flemings Lake Road in Independence Township.
Clarkston High School offers twenty-six varsity sports, and competes in the Oakland Activities Association.[10] It is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.[11]
Renaissance High School is located at 6558 Waldon Road in Independence Township. Renaissance High School is for students in grades 9 to 12 who need an alternative to the traditional high school setting in order to be successful. Renaissance students must meet Clarkston High School graduation requirements and receive a Clarkston High School diploma. Renaissance students are encouraged to participate in athletics, clubs and extracurricular activities offered at Clarkston High School. Renaissance students can also take courses at the Oakland Schools Campus, whose Northwest campus is also located in the township at 8211 Big Lake Road.[12] [13]
Clarkston Junior High School is located at 6595 Waldon Road in Clarkston. The school teaches eight and ninth grades.
Sashabaw Middle School is located at 5565 Pine Knob Lane in Independence Township. The school teaches sixth and seventh grades.
There are five public elementary schools in Independence Township:
Everest Academy and High School is a private Roman Catholic high school also located in the township at 5935 Clarkston Road in Independence Township.[14] The school competes athletically in the Catholic High School League[15] and is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.[11]
Independence Township is home to three public golf courses; Fountains Golf Club, an 18-hole course located at 6060 Maybee Road in Independence Township, Pine Knob Golf Club, a 27-hole course, located at 5580 Waldon Road in Independence Township,[16] and Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club, a 27- hole championship course rated 42nd best golf course in the United States by Golf Magazine.[17] It is located at 9085 Big Lake Road in Independence Township.[18]
Oakhurst Golf and Country Club is a private club, located at 7000 Oakhurst Lanein Independence Township.[19] Oakhurst was the home of the 99th Michigan Amateur[20]
Pine Knob is a ski resort located in Independence Township. It features 17 trails and 12 lifts. It is known for its slope called "The Wall".
Pine Knob is also home to the Pine Knob Music Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater concert venue that has featured hundreds of celebrities and is always one of the highest grossing outdoor amphitheaters in the United States.[21] It is located in Independence Township minutes away from downtown Clarkston.
Independence Township is located along the Hillsdale-Lapeer Moraine Range. The highest hill along that range in Independence Township is Pine Knob, at 1,221 feet. It is also the highest point in Southeastern Michigan. Only three miles away is Waterford Hill, the second highest hill in Independence Township with an elevation of 1,150 feet.[22] Atop Waterford Hill is Olympus Circle, the highest elevation of any residential street in Independence Township.[23]
The Clinton River winds its way through Independence Township creating more than thirty named lakes of all sizes along the way.[24] [25]
| Lakes in Independence Township[26] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake | Size in acres | Depth in feet | |
| 35 | |||
| Crooked Lake (previously Lower Bushman Lake) | 68 | 65 | |
| Dark Lake (adjacent to Deer Lake) | 5 | 10 | |
| Dark Lake (adjacent to Whipple Lake) | 7 | 12 | |
| 137 | 63 | ||
| 3 | 15 | ||
| 27 | |||
| 117 | 55 | ||
| 16 | |||
| Heather Lake (part) | 64 | ||
| 2 | |||
| Lake Oakland (part) | 255 | 64 | |
| Lester Lake (part) | 12 | 25 | |
| 17 | |||
| Lotus Lake (part) | 179 | 65 | |
| 11 | |||
| 23 | 35 | ||
| 50 | |||
| 23 | 50 | ||
| 37 | |||
| Sans Souci Lake (part) | 7 | ||
| 12 | 15 | ||
| 26 | 55 | ||
| 30 | 32 | ||
| Van Norman Lake (most) | 66 | 90 | |
| 77 | 76 | ||
| 75 | 50 | ||
| Woodhull Lake (part) | 135 | 56 | |
The population of Independence Township was 34,681 at the 2010 census.[27]
In Independence Township in 2010, there were:
This list includes people from the area (Clarkston and Independence Township).