Harbor Beach, Michigan
Location of Harbor Beach, Michigan
Coordinates: 43°50′41″N 82°39′05″W / 43.84472, -82.65139
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Huron
Government
- Mayor	Robert J. Swartz
Area
- Total	1.9 sq mi (4.8 km²)
- Land	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km²)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
Elevation	600 ft (183 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	1,837
- Density	1,036.3/sq mi (400.1/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	48441
Area code(s)	989
FIPS code	26-36460[1]
GNIS feature ID	0627752[2]

Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census. The 2006 population estimate for Harbor Beach city, Michigan is 1,689.^[3]

Geography

• According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (4.32%) is water.
• The world's largest man-made fresh water harbor offers a harbor of refuge to ships traveling between Port Huron and Pointe Aux Barques.^[4]
• It is considered to be part of the Thumb of Michigan, which in turn is a subregion of the Flint/Tri-Cities.
• The two main state highways are (M-25) and (M-142).

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 1,837 people, 774 households, and 503 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,036.3 per square mile (400.7/km²). There were 928 housing units at an average density of 523.5/sq mi (202.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.35% White, 0.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 774 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,469, and the median income for a family was $35,263. Males had a median income of $29,938 versus $18,864 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,917. About 11.2% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

The earliest settlers to this area arrived in 1837 and established a sawmill for processing lumber. The settlement eventually was named Barnettsville in 1855, as the settlement continued to grow, the town was renamed Sand Beach. In 1899, the village of Sand Beach changed its name to Harbor Beach, because of the impression that the area has nothing but sand. In 1910, it was officially incorporated into a city.

Located on western shore of Lake Huron in the Thumb of Michigan, Harbor Beach is known as having the world's largest man-made fresh water harbor and boasts a fishing pier that is handicap accessible. The municipal marina provides transient services and shuttle services into the downtown area which has retained its old town charm.

The Murphy Museum and the Grice House Museum feature history of the area. Wagener County Park, just south on M-25, and North Park Campgrounds, across from the marina, offer complete camping facilities and groomed hiking and cross country ski trails.

Notable People

• Frank Murphy - an historically important Detroit mayor, Recorder's Court Judge, Michigan governor, United States Attorney General, and United States Supreme Court Associate Justice. He was a resident of Harbor Beach and followed in his father's footsteps, practicing law there. His office is the Frank Murphy Memorial Museum in the downtown, as is his home.^[5] He is also memorialized there with an official Michigan Historical Marker^[6] and a plaque from the State Bar of Michigan for "Michigan Legal Milestones", namely, his dissenting opinion in Korematsu v. United States, protesting the decision to uphold exclusion orders imposed upon persons of Japanese descent during World War II. The plaque was dedicated and placed in front of the Frank Murphy home in Harbor Beach on August 16, 1996.^[7] His remains are interred at Our Lady of Lake Huron Cemetery.^[8]

Government

The government of Harbor Beach is organized under the City Charter of 1965 and operates under a Mayor/Council form of government. The City Council consists of the Mayor, who is elected every two years, and four Council members, who are elected for four-year terms.

• Mayor Robert Swartz
• Mayor Pro-Tem Al Kleinknecht
• Councilmember Tony Burkhard
• Councilmember Leonard Goniewicha
• Councilmember Tom Wood

City of Harbor Beach City Hall is located at 766 State St., Harbor Beach, MI 48441 Phone (989) 479-3363 Fax (989) 479-3343^[9]

• Harbor Beach has a sister city in Canada:

- Kincardine, Ontario, Canada

Attractions

• The Harbor Beach Light is a located at the end of the north breakwater entrance to the harbor of refuge, created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, protecting the harbor of Harbor Beach, Michigan.

• The Harbor Beach Community House is located at the main intersection in Harbor Beach. On the west face of the building is a mural, that depicts local historical scenes and figures, including representations of agriculture, Frank Murphy, shipwrecks, locomotives, and much more.

• The Grice House Museum offers a glimpse at live in the past, while preserving history for future generation.

• Frank Murphy Memorial Museum and home. The birthplace of Frank Murphy and law office of Murphy's father.

Education

Harbor Beach Elementary School 402 S. Fifth Street Harbor Beach, MI 48441 (989) 479-3261

Harbor Beach Middle School 402 S. Fifth Street Harbor Beach, MI 48441 (989) 479-3261

Harbor Beach Community High School 402 S. 5th Street Harbor Beach, MI 48441 (989) 479-3261

Our Lady Of Lake Huron School 222 Court Street Harbor Beach, MI (989) 479-3427

Zion Lutheran School 299 Garden Street Harbor Beach, MI (989) 479-3615

Media

Harbor Beach is served by a weekly newspaper, the Harbor Beach Times.^[10]

Registered Historic Places

Notes

See also

• Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm

External links

• Harbor Beach Chamber of Commerce.
• City of Harbor Beach website.
• Michigan DNR on Harbor Beach Harbor
• Harbor Beach Times
• Harbor Beach webcam, calendar and events
• Zion Lutheran School
• Our Lady of Lake Huron School

Coordinates: 43°50′41″N, 82°39′05″W

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Huron County, Michigan
County seat: Bad Axe
Cities	Bad Axe | Harbor Beach
Villages	Caseville | Elkton | Kinde | Owendale | Pigeon | Port Austin | Port Hope | Sebewaing | Ubly
Townships	Bingham | Bloomfield | Brookfield | Caseville | Chandler | Colfax | Dwight | Fairhaven | Gore | Grant | Hume | Huron | Lake | Lincoln | McKinley | Meade | Oliver | Paris | Pointe Aux Barques | Port Austin | Rubicon | Sand Beach | Sebewaing | Sheridan | Sherman | Sigel | Verona | Winsor
Unincorporated communities	Bach | Bay Port | Filion | Grindstone City | Huron City | Lewisville | Parisville | Pinnebog | Popple | Ruth | Rapson | White Rock