Au Sable Township is a charter township of Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,016 at the 2020 census.

Communities

  • Au Sable is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within the township at .
  • Oscoda is an unincorporated community and census-designated place that is mostly located within Oscoda Township to the north at . Only a very small portion of the CDP extends into Au Sable Township.

History

thumb|left|200px|Historic image of the Au Sable North Pierhead Light (1904)

The area was originally inhabited by the Chippewa Native Americans, who used the area for hunting and fishing. They ceded the area to the federal government under the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819. The first European settler to claim land was French-Canadian fur trader Louis Chevalier, and he established a trading post slightly upstream along the Au Sable River, which was translated from the French language "river of sand." The area became popular for hunters, fishermen, and trappers. In 1848, the township was established, and the community of Au Sable was platted in 1849 at the river mouth along Lake Huron. The township was later organized in 1857 under the name Sable when Iosco County was formally organized, and the township name was changed to AuSable in 1877.

The community of Au Sable became the center of population and incorporated as an autonomous city in 1889. The new city had a population of 4,828 at the 1890 census, while Au Sable Township remained sparsely populated and only had a population of 170. Along with neighboring Oscoda, the area became part of the thriving lumber region. After the lumber industry declined, the population dwindled, and Au Sable and Oscoda suffered a devastating fire in 1911. The city of Au Sable never recovered and surrendered its city charter in 1931 and returned to township control.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (2.32%) is water.

The Au Sable River runs through the northeast boundary and has its river mouth at Lake Huron within the township.

Major highways

  • runs south–north along the eastern edge of the township near Lake Huron.

Demographics

As of the census

References

  • Au Sable Township official website
  • Au Sable and Oscoda Historical Society