Spencer Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,163 at the 2020 census.

It is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is located in northeast Kent County about northeast of the city of Grand Rapids.

History

The area was first settled as early as 1846 by Cyrus Thomas. In 1855, Thomas Spencer settled in the area and founded the community of Spencer Mills. He served as the first postmaster when a post office was established on October 17, 1857. The township was organized in 1861 under the name Celsus but was soon renamed after Spencer. The post office at Spencer Mills operated until September 30, 1903. Griswold was another historic community that began before 1877 around a lumber mill and a shingle mill on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. The Griswold post office operated from March 13, 1877 until August 31, 1900.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (7.34%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census

References

Sources

  • Spencer Township official website