St. James Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 259 at the 2020 census.

Communities

  • Beaver Island is an unincorporated community at the northern end of Beaver Island. The island was named for the numerous beavers that once populated it. A post office named Beaver Island opened on January 13, 1849. The name of the post office was changed to St. James from October 10, 1854 until it closed on March 6, 1868. It was restored under the name Beaver Island on December 19, 1868 and remains in operation. The Beaver Island 49782 ZIP Code serves the entirely of the island, including all of Peaine and St. James townships, as well as several uninhabited outlying islands. The current post office is located at 26135 Main Street.
  • High Island is a former settlement that occupied High Island just west of Beaver Island. A post office named High Island opened on June 5, 1913 as a rural branch of Beaver Island with Gladys Hill serving as the first postmaster. The post office is no longer in operation, and the island is now uninhabited.
  • St. James is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located at the northern end of Beaver Island at .

History

The township was named for James Strang, who led a faction of Mormon settlers to Beaver Island in 1848. Producing mysterious brass plates from the ground, and allegedly receiving directives from God, Strang formed a colony on Beaver Island in 1848 called St. James, naming it after himself. Strang led those who accepted him to Nauvoo, Illinois, and then Voree, Wisconsin, before deciding that God wanted him to bring his flock to Beaver Island.

St. James Township is one of only seven municipalities in the state of Michigan to consist entirely of islands, including Grosse Ile Township, Drummond Township, Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac Island, Peaine Township, and Sugar Island Township. St. James Township occupies the northern portion of Beaver Island and shares the islands with Peaine Township. St. James Township consists of the following islands in Lake Michigan, in which only Beaver Island has a permanent population. Most of the township's population lives in the unincorporated community of St. James at the northeastern end of Beaver Island.

Islands

  • Beaver Island
  • Garden Island
  • Gull Island
  • Hat Island
  • High Island
  • Hog Island
  • Horseshoe Island
  • Little Island
  • Pismire Island
  • Shoe Island
  • Squaw Island
  • Trout Island
  • Whiskey Island

Demographics

As of the census The Beaver Island Community School is located within St. James Township and serves the entire district. It is one of only four insular school districts in the state, along with Bois Blanc Pines School District, Grosse Ile Township Schools, and Mackinac Island School District.

References

Sources

  • St. James Township official website