Mastodon Township, Michigan

Mastodon Township, Michigan
Location within Iron County (red) and the administered village of Alpha (pink)
Location within Iron County (red) and the administered village of Alpha (pink)
Mastodon Township is located in Michigan
Mastodon Township
Mastodon Township
Location within the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 46°2′2″N 88°19′4″W / 46.03389°N 88.31778°W / 46.03389; -88.31778
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyIron
Area
 • Total135.3 sq mi (350.5 km2)
 • Land126.6 sq mi (327.9 km2)
 • Water8.7 sq mi (22.7 km2)
Elevation
1,365 ft (416 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total576
 • Density5.3/sq mi (2.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code26-52300[1]
GNIS feature ID1626708[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]

  1. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mastodon Township, Michigan
  3. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  4. ^ 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.