MIBARRY-L Archives

From:
Subject: "Michigan Today" 1937
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 22:24:34 EST

I picked up this book at an "antique mart". I've extracted only those items
which apply to Barry County and aren't easily found in your average home
encyclopedia or almanac. This book was intended to be a reference work for
Michigan teachers, and appears to be based on the 1930 census. D. A. Van
Buskirk, Supt. of Schools in Hastings, was on the Curriculum Steering
Committee. -- Lynn Kenney

State of Michigan Dept. of Public Instruction
"Michigan Today Its Human and Physical Resources as They Affect Education"
Bulletin No. 307
Published by Eugene B. Elliott, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Lansing, Michigan 1937

Pp. 111-142
Chapter Five "The People of Michigan"
by J. F. Thaden, Asst. Professor of Sociology, Michigan State College
population of Michigan Counties from 1880 to 1930:
Barry County
1880 - 25,317
1890 - 23, 783
1900 - 22, 514
1910 - 22, 633
1920 - 21,383
1930 - 20, 928 (loss of 17.3% since high point in 1880)
"Michigan's early growth was due largely to migration from New York and
the New England states. At present, natives of every state are residing in
Michigan but those of nearby states are the most numerous -- the eight
largest contributors, in order of rank, are Ohio, Illinois, Indiana,
Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Sixteen per cent
of the people residing in Michigan are natives of these eight states."
"Our present county-township form of local government is largely a
heritage from New York State, and our public school system is primarily a
heritage from Massachusetts."

Barry total pop. 20,928
Barry urban pop. 5,227
Barry rural pop. 15,701
Barry rural-farm pop. 11,048
Barry total sq. mi. 556 Mich. total sq. mi. 57,480
Barry pop. per sq. mi. 37.6 Mich. pop. per sq. mi. 84.2

In 1930, 46.9% of the Barry pop. was under 20 or over 64 years of age.
In 1930, the average size of a Barry family was 3.45, of the state of
Michigan 4.09.

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