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Lenawee County
Lenawee County
County
	Lenawee County Courthouse in Adrian
	Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
	Michigan's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 41°53′N 84°04′W / 41.89°N 84.07°W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1822 (created); September 10, 1826 (organized)
Seat	Adrian
Largest city	Adrian
Area
• Total	761 sq mi (1,970 km2)
• Land	750 sq mi (1,900 km2)
• Water	12 sq mi (30 km2) 1.6%
Population (2020)
• Total	99,423
• Estimate (2023)	97,520
• Density	100/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.lenawee.mi.us

Lenawee County (/ˈlɛnəweɪ/ LEN-ə-way) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 99,423.^[2] The county seat is Adrian.^[3] The county was created in 1822, from territory partitioned from Monroe County. Its governing structure was organized in 1826.^[1]

Lenawee County comprises the Adrian, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is served by the Toledo Media market. Lenawee County is home to the Potawatomi, Ottawa, Chippewa, Iroquois, Miami, Sauk, Fox, Mascoutens and Huron tribes.^[4]

History

The county owes its formation to the 1807 Treaty of Detroit, by which the Ottawa, Ojibwe (called Chippewa by the Americans); Wyandot and Potawatomi nations ceded their claims to the United States of their traditional territories in today's southeast Michigan.^[5] However, many leaders of these tribes believed that the treaty was coercive and opposed it. They began to collaborate and organize a confederacy of resistance, led by Chief Tecumseh (Shawnee). They wanted through warfare and alliance with Great Britain to force the US from their territory. This was the period of the US War of 1812 with Great Britain. During this time, the US fought the Battle of Tippecanoe, the Battle of Lake Erie, and the Battle of Thames in this area, against both British and indigenous forces.^[6]

The United States won the Battle of the Thames in 1813, defeating the British and their allies. Tecumseh died in the battle and his confederacy dissolved. (He became the namesake for the city of the same name in Lenawee County.) As a result of this defeat, the confederacy leaders agreed to a peace treaty, the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war with the indigenous peoples. It affirmed US control of the land demarcated in the Treaty of Detroit, comprising much of the future state of Michigan, including what became organized as Lenawee County in the United States.^[6]

The US continued efforts to force the tribes from these western territories. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act to authorize the government to relocate Indigenous peoples from territories east of the Mississippi River and move them west, to what became known as Indian Territory (and later Oklahoma). While Indian Removal was directed specifically at Southeast Indian tribes, it was also applied to those further north in the Midwest.^[7]^[8]

Lenawee County was organized in 1826, after being authorized and described by the Michigan legislature in 1822. It was taken from Monroe County, Michigan.^[1]

Etymology

The county's name was a neologism created by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, a US Indian agent in the region who later became a prominent ethnologist. Married to Jane Johnston, a mixed-race woman of high-rank Ojibwe and Scots ancestry, Schoolcraft gained entry to Ojibwe language and culture through her. He later became a proponent of forced Indigenous assimilation. While working in Michigan, he named several of the newly organized counties in the area, all neologisms.^[9] 'Lenawee' is thought to be derived from a misappropriation of an Indigenous word. Scholars debate whether its origins lie in the Lenape language leno or lenno, meaning "male," or the Shawnee lenawai.^[1]^[10]

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 761 square miles (1,970 km²), of which 750 square miles (1,900 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (1.6%) is water.^[11] Lenawee County is considered to be part of Southeastern Michigan.

Adjacent counties

Jackson County, northwest
Washtenaw County, northeast
Monroe County, east
Lucas County, Ohio, southeast
Fulton County, Ohio, southwest
Hillsdale County, west

Major highways

Within Lenawee County's townships, north–south roads are referred to as "highways", while east–west roads are referred to as "roads".

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	1,491		—
1840	17,889		1,099.8%
1850	26,372		47.4%
1860	38,112		44.5%
1870	45,595		19.6%
1880	48,343		6.0%
1890	48,448		0.2%
1900	48,406		−0.1%
1910	47,907		−1.0%
1920	47,767		−0.3%
1930	49,849		4.4%
1940	53,110		6.5%
1950	64,629		21.7%
1960	77,789		20.4%
1970	81,609		4.9%
1980	89,948		10.2%
1990	91,476		1.7%
2000	98,890		8.1%
2010	99,892		1.0%
2020	99,423		−0.5%
2023 (est.)	97,520	^[12]	−1.9%
US Decennial Census^[13] 1790-1960^[14] 1900-1990^[15] 1990-2000^[16] 2010-2018^[2]

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile (51 people/km²). There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.51% White, 2.12% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. 6.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Residents identified as being 30.4% of German, 11.6% English, 10.2% American and 9.9% Irish ancestry. Some 94.7% spoke English and 4.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 35,930 households, out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

The county population contained 25.90% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,739, and the median income for a family was $53,661. Males had a median income of $38,458 versus $25,510 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,186. About 4.40% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.10% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Lenawee County has been reliably Republican in national elections. Since 1884, its voters have selected the Republican Party nominee in 31 of 36 presidential elections.

United States presidential election results for Lenawee County, Michigan^[17]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	33,463	60.74%	20,787	37.73%	843	1.53%
2020	31,541	59.01%	20,918	39.13%	993	1.86%
2016	26,430	57.09%	16,750	36.18%	3,118	6.73%
2012	22,351	49.75%	21,776	48.47%	801	1.78%
2008	22,225	46.43%	24,640	51.48%	1,000	2.09%
2004	25,675	54.61%	20,787	44.22%	550	1.17%
2000	20,681	51.58%	18,365	45.81%	1,047	2.61%
1996	14,168	39.78%	16,924	47.51%	4,527	12.71%
1992	14,297	36.32%	15,399	39.12%	9,669	24.56%
1988	19,115	57.84%	13,690	41.42%	243	0.74%
1984	22,409	66.70%	11,012	32.78%	176	0.52%
1980	20,366	56.44%	12,935	35.85%	2,784	7.72%
1976	18,397	55.02%	14,610	43.70%	428	1.28%
1972	19,125	62.39%	11,018	35.94%	511	1.67%
1968	16,280	55.85%	10,552	36.20%	2,315	7.94%
1964	11,385	40.29%	16,815	59.50%	60	0.21%
1960	19,859	64.65%	10,785	35.11%	75	0.24%
1956	21,100	72.68%	7,857	27.06%	74	0.25%
1952	20,035	72.72%	7,397	26.85%	117	0.42%
1948	14,369	67.49%	6,529	30.67%	393	1.85%
1944	16,382	70.48%	6,750	29.04%	111	0.48%
1940	16,963	70.19%	7,132	29.51%	71	0.29%
1936	12,154	56.70%	8,299	38.72%	982	4.58%
1932	10,912	50.50%	10,420	48.23%	275	1.27%
1928	14,794	76.94%	4,321	22.47%	112	0.58%
1924	13,358	72.65%	3,950	21.48%	1,080	5.87%
1920	11,973	68.89%	5,095	29.32%	311	1.79%
1916	6,247	52.01%	5,519	45.95%	246	2.05%
1912	2,996	27.02%	4,239	38.23%	3,854	34.76%
1908	6,607	56.22%	4,704	40.03%	441	3.75%
1904	7,891	67.40%	3,334	28.48%	482	4.12%
1900	6,847	51.75%	5,966	45.09%	419	3.17%
1896	6,863	50.89%	6,300	46.72%	323	2.40%
1892	5,833	46.86%	5,592	44.92%	1,024	8.23%
1888	6,475	49.49%	5,671	43.35%	937	7.16%
1884	5,827	46.63%	5,572	44.59%	1,098	8.79%

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Adrian College and Siena Heights University are located within the county.

Voters in Lenawee County have supported candidates from both political parties in statewide elections, making it a swing county. Tecumseh and Adrian have tended to lean Democrat, while Dover, Madison, and Riga townships have tended to lean Republican.

Lenawee County is located in Michigan's 7th congressional district, which is represented by Tim Walberg, a resident of the county. Walberg previously served as Lenawee's state representative. The district includes all of Lenawee, Jackson, Hillsdale, Branch, and Eaton counties, as well as parts of Calhoun and Washtenaw counties. He defeated incumbent Democrat Mark Schauer. Schauer had defeated Walberg in the 2008 congressional election, after Walberg's first stint in Congress.

Most of Lenawee County is represented in the Michigan House of Representatives by Republican Dale Zorn who represents the 34th District, previously represented by Republicans Bronna Kahle and Nancy Jenkins-Arno and preceded successively by brothers Doug and Dudley Spade, both Democrats.

Lenawee is also part of the 30th and 35th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives and is represented by William Bruck and Andrew Fink respectively. Adrian is part of the 16th Senate District, represented by Joe Bellino of Monroe, Michigan

Until the 2014 state senate election, Lenawee County was part of the 16th State Senate District, represented by Republican Bruce Caswell. The district contained all of Lenawee, Hillsdale, and Branch counties.