Hillsdale is the largest city in Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States. It is the main city where county government is located. According to the 2020 census, the population was 8,036. Hillsdale is also the home of Hillsdale College, which is a private college that focuses on subjects like literature, history, and the arts.
History
This area is in the rolling, fertile hills of South Central Michigan, near the borders of Indiana and Ohio, as defined by United States settlement boundaries. The Potowatomi, a group of people who spoke an Algonquian language, lived there for a long time. They were part of a group called the Council of Three Fires, which included the Ojibwe and Odawa (Ottawa) peoples. A Potowatomi group of about 150 people, led by a chief named Baw Beese, had a main camp near a large lake in the area.
In 1834, the first European-American settler, Jeremiah Arnold, arrived and met the Potowatomi. They helped the early settlers. Arnold built a cabin and lived there with his wife, Percy (Round) Arnold. As more settlers came, they built the first schoolhouse in 1838. Hillsdale was officially planned and mapped in 1839. In 1840, the United States forced Baw Beese and his people, along with other Potowatomi in nearby and distant areas of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, to move to Indian Territory, which is now part of Kansas.
Hillsdale College was founded in 1844 as Central Michigan College in Spring Arbor. It moved to Hillsdale in 1853 and changed its name. It was the first American college to ban discrimination based on race, religion, or sex in its founding documents. It also played an early role in ending slavery and was the second college in the United States to offer four-year college degrees to women.
The city of Hillsdale was officially chartered in 1869. In 1885, Hillsdale built its first high school, which is now a middle school on West Street. In the late 1800s, Hillsdale became a busy railroad town, with trains carrying both goods and passengers.
The railroad was used by tourists to visit cottages and other places near Baw Beese Lake, named after the Potowatomi chief. This area, about 20 minutes from downtown, was developed as a lake resort by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad. People could avoid dusty, unpaved roads by taking the train. By the early 1900s, tourists from cities like Chicago, Toledo, and Elkhart began visiting the area, which was once called Archer’s Landing. Visitors swam in the lake and rented canoes.
After World War II, the building of interstate highways made cars more popular, and passenger train use dropped. Railroads had to change their operations, and the last passenger train left Hillsdale in 1956. Many beautiful Victorian-style homes built during the 19th century’s economic growth still stand today as private homes, helping preserve the city’s historic character.
The 20th century brought more improvements. In 1908, the city opened its first public library. In 1921, it opened its first hospital. In 1934, Hillsdale Municipal Airport was built.
Geography
The United States Census Bureau reports that the city covers an area of 6.13 square miles (15.88 km²). Of this, 5.69 square miles (14.74 km²) is land, and 0.43 square miles (1.11 km²) is water.
The St. Joseph River begins in Hillsdale and flows from Lake Baw Beese. Parks and a beach are located near this important water source within the city.
This climate region is known for having large temperature changes between seasons, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hillsdale has a humid continental climate, labeled "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the city had 8,305 people, 2,970 households, and 1,686 families. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile (541.7/km²). There were 3,383 housing units, with an average density of 571.5 per square mile (220.7/km²). The racial composition of the city was 95.8% White, 0.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 2.3% of the population.
Of the 2,970 households, 31.0% had children under 18 living with them. 37.7% were married couples, 14.3% had a female householder without a husband, 4.7% had a male householder without a wife, and 43.2% were non-families. 36.4% of households included only one person, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.35 people, and the average family size was 3.03 people.
The median age in the city was 30.2 years. 22.1% of residents were under 18, 21.9% were between 18 and 24, 21.9% were between 25 and 44, 20.5% were between 45 and 64, and 13.6% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.
As of the 2000 census, the city had 8,233 people, 3,067 households, and 1,781 families. The population density was 1,548.2 people per square mile (597.8/km²). There were 3,274 housing units, with an average density of 615.7 per square mile (237.7/km²). The racial composition was 96.5% White, 0.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, less than 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 1.5% of the population.
Of the 3,067 households, 30.2% had children under 18 living with them. 41.5% were married couples, 12.6% had a female householder without a husband, and 41.9% were non-families. 34.6% of households included only one person, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33 people, and the average family size was 3.01 people.
The population was distributed as follows: 22.5% under 18, 21.3% between 18 and 24, 24.7% between 25 and 44, 17.4% between 45 and 64, and 14.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 83.7 males.
The median household income was $34,695, and the median family income was $42,649. Males had a median income of $32,573, while females had a median income of $22,707. The per capita income was $16,062. Approximately 5.5% of families and 10.3% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 10.1% of those under 18 and 15.7% of those aged 65 or older.
Education
The Hillsdale Community School District helps students in the city of Hillsdale. The district includes one high school, Hillsdale High School, one middle school, Davis Middle School, and two elementary schools. A private school, Hillsdale Academy, and two charter schools, Will Carleton Academy and Hillsdale Preparatory School, also help students in Hillsdale. The town is also home to Hillsdale College.
In 2022, the Hillsdale Library Board met to talk about whether to ban books created by or for people who identify as LGBT. At that time, Joshua Paladino, the current acting mayor of Hillsdale and a graduate student at Hillsdale College, was a member of the library board. He suggested taking out several books and puzzles from the library's children's section because they included LGBT content or promoted political activism. The idea to ban the books did not work. The argument caused the library director, the children's library director, and the president of the library board to resign.
Transportation
- U.S. Route 12 goes through an area about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Hillsdale
- M-99 crosses the city from the southeast to the northwest through its center
- Hillsdale Municipal Airport is a public airport located near the city in Adams Township
- The Indiana Northeastern Railroad has a train track that passes through Hillsdale
Media
- WCSR on 1340 kHz
- WPCJ on 91.1 MHz
- WCSR-FM on 92.1 MHz
- WRFH-LP on 101.7 MHz
- WKMH-FM on 102.5 MHz
- Hillsdale Daily News
- Imprimis, monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College
- The Collegian, student paper for Hillsdale College
Notable people
- Lee Bartlett, three-time Olympic athlete
- Micah Beckwith, 53rd Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
- Baw Beese, Potawatomi chief
- Will Carleton (1845–1912), newspaper reporter and poet
- William W. Cook, legal scholar and supporter of the University of Michigan Law School
- Charles Doolittle, Civil War general
- Sile Doty, thief, robber, and burglar
- Dick Estell, host and producer of The Radio Reader
- Andrew Fink, elected to the Michigan State Legislature in 2020
- Caril Ann Fugate, the youngest woman in U.S. history to be tried for first-degree murder
- Henry Churchill King, religious scholar and president of Oberlin College from 1902 to 1927
- Penny Neer, Olympic athlete
- John Corbett O'Meara, United States District Court judge
- Jason Robards Sr., actor
- Michael Sessions, youngest mayor elected
- Rube Vickers, Major League baseball pitcher
- Henry Waldron, politician
- Frank "Muddy" Waters, Hall of Fame football coach