thumb|right|250px|City hall and municipal building

thumb|250px|right|U.S. Post Office in Boyne City

Boyne City () is a city in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan.

thumb|Boyne City after a destructive fire in 1908

Boyne City was home to the Buelah Home, which was built by Herman Swift in 1902. It served as a housing facility for delinquent boys. By 1910, the Buelah Home housed approximately 200 boys, who were also reviled by the community for committing numerous crimes and causing mischief. Soon after, Swift was accused of molesting numerous boys under his care, and criminal charges were filed. It became a cause célèbre in Northern Michigan, and it made headlines throughout the country. Many boys who accused Swift of the charges dropped out of the lawsuit to avoid public scrutiny. The case dragged on for three years before eventually making its way to the Michigan Supreme Court under chief justice Joseph H. Steere. Swift was acquitted, but it led to the Buelah Home being closed in 1912 and demolished in 1920.

The city contains three listings on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown area along Lake Street and Water Street has been included into the Boyne City Central Historic District. The municipal Boyne City Water Works Building was constructed in 1910 when the city was experiencing a tremendous growth in population, and the building continues to serve its purpose as a city water system booster station. The Chicago and West Michigan Railroad Charlevoix Station was built in 1892 as a station along the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, and it now serves as a museum and rental hall.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Transportation

Major highways

  • curves and runs through the city.
  • is a county-designated highway that runs through the north portion of the city before terminating M-75.
  • is a county-designated highway that enters the city briefly from the south and terminates at M-75.

Airport

  • 20px|alt=|link= Boyne City Municipal Airport is a public use airport located in the city limits.

Railroad

  • 20px|alt=|link= Boyne City Railroad was a railway company based in Boyne City from 1893 to 1978. Boyne City once contained its own train station along the larger Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Boyne City had a population of 3,816. The median age was 46.0 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males age 18 and over.

97.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,687 households in Boyne City, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.6% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. there were 3,735 people, 1,635 households, and 1,011 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,292 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.9% White, 0.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 1,635 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.2% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.

The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

census,

  • Boyne City Fourth of July.

Sports

  • Boyne City Boosters were a minor league baseball team that was part of the Michigan State League from 1911 to 1914.

Education

Boyne City is served entirely by its own school district, Boyne City Public Schools, which serves the city and large portions of several neighboring townships.

Notable people

  • Kaila Kuhn, freestyle skier, 2026 Olympic gold medalist in mixed team aerials, born in Boyne City.
  • Charles Archibald Nichols, state politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives, born in Boyne City
  • John William Tebbel, journalist, editor, writer, teacher, and media historian who was born in Boyne City.

References

  • Boyne City official website
  • Boyne Area Chamber Website