York Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,108 at the 2020 census.

The township is located north of the city of Milan and is home to the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan, which carried out the only capital punishment sentence in the state's history when Tony Chebatoris was executed in 1938.

Communities

  • Mooreville is an unincorporated community located in the southwest portion of the township at .
  • Nora is a former settlement that had a station along the Toledo & Ann Arbor Railroad and also had its own post office from January 28, 1879, until March 19, 1887.
  • Urania is a historic community within the township. A railroad station was established here by the Toledo & Ann Arbor Railroad in 1878, and a post office was established on January 10, 1879. The post office operated until January 31, 1914.

History

thumb|left|150px|Othniel Gooding, the first clerk of York Township

The area that is now York Township was first settled in 1824, and organized into York Township on March 7, 1834. The township was named York due to the large number of residents originating from New York. The township's first clerk was Othniel Gooding.

The Federal Correctional Institution, Milan was built in 1933 in York Township. The prison is notable for carrying out the only execution in the state's history, despite the state abolishing the death penalty in 1847. Tony Chebatoris, who was convicted on federal charges related to bank robbery and murder, received the death penalty at Milan in 1938. He is buried at Marble Park Cemetery in York Township.

York Township was an original survey township until small segments of the township were later incorporated into portions of the city of Saline in 1966 and Milan in 1967.

In 2004, Toyota opened the Toyota Technical Center in the township. The state passed legislation permitting the sale of of land in the township to Toyota for a research and development facility. The expanded technical center was scheduled to open in 2008.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (0.46%) is water.

The Saline River flows through the southwest portion of the township.

Major highways

  • runs south–north through the eastern portion of the township.

Demographics

As of the census

South Arbor Academy is a National Heritage Academies charter school operated by Central Michigan University. The school opened in 1999.

Parks and recreation

Two parks are operated by the township.

The Sandra Richardson Park has soccer fields leased to the Saline Area Soccer Association, three walking trails, a picnic pavilion north of the park's parking lot, a sheltered picnic table, the historic Judd Road Bridge, two bridges crossing wet areas of the trails, a shelter gazebo located at the intersection of the three trails, and portable toilets. A walking trail opened in 2002, while a second trail opened in 2003. Boy Scout Eagle projects led to the installation of the picnic tables and bridges. In 2004 the York Township Parks and Recreation Community applied for a grant from the Michigan National Resources Trust Fund. The grant was awarded in 2005. The township used the grant funds and local match funds to build the pavilion and surface several park trails to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The township also installed a handicapped parking pad near the pavilion, built the gazebo, and installed portable toilets. The township reseeded of prairie with native grasses and wildflowers. The township re-installed the Judd Road Bridge. A boardwalk was built from a Boy Scout Eagle project. In 2005 the State of Michigan gave an additional of land to the park.

  • Mary Frances Tyler Tucker, poet, born in York Township
  • Mary Collins Whiting, lawyer, entrepreneur, and teacher, born in York Township

Images

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References

Sources

  • York Charter Township official website