Mastodon Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Location within Iron County (red) and the administered village of Alpha (pink) | |
  Mastodon Township Location within the state of Michigan | |
| Coordinates: 46°2′2″N 88°19′4″W / 46.03389°N 88.31778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Iron |
| Area | |
| • Total | 135.3 sq mi (350.5 km2) |
| • Land | 126.6 sq mi (327.9 km2) |
| • Water | 8.7 sq mi (22.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,365 ft (416 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 576 |
| • Density | 5.3/sq mi (2.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| FIPS code | 26-52300[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626708[2] |
Mastodon Township is a civil township of Iron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 668, and by 2020 its population was 576.[3]
Mastodon was so named from the fact mastodon bones were discovered when sinking a mine shaft.[4]
Mastodon may have also been named for the size of the large, iron ore body which was struck at the mine site; as "Mastodon" at that time, being a relatively new discovery, was also being used as a slang adjective, meaning large/huge.[citation needed]
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mastodon Township, Michigan
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 100.