Au Sable Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 236 at the 2020 census, which makes it the county's least-populated municipality.

Communities

  • Herbert is a former settlement located within the township. It began as a lumber settlement, and a post office was established on May 22, 1902. It was named after the son of early settler James Nolan. The post office operated until September 13, 1910, and was then transferred to Keno. The community appears within Richfield Township in a 1916 map of Roscommon County. Its location is now within present-day Au Sable Township, which was established in 1947 long after the community disappeared.
  • Keno is an unincorporated community near the center of the township along St. Helen Road at . The community was also originally known as Hard Scramble. A post office named Herbert was established on May 22, 1902, and renamed to Keno on November 5, 1910. The post office was discontinued on December 15, 1925.

History

Au Sable Township was established in 1947 from the northern survey township area of Richfield Township. It was named after the southern branch of the Au Sable River, which flows through the township.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (0.33%) is water.

Major highways

  • forms a brief portion of the northwestern boundary of the township with Crawford County.
  • runs south–north through the center of the township.
  • 22px M-76 (Old M-76) is a former state highway that was commissioned from 1919 to 1973. The roadway passes briefly through the southwest corner of the township.

Demographics

As of the census

The township was once home to the main campus of Kirtland Community College, which was founded in 1966. In 2016, the college moved its location to Grayling Township slightly to the north in Crawford County.

References

Sources

  • Au Sable Township official website