Kalkaska, Michigan

Kalkaska is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. Kalkaska is the county seat and only incorporated community of Kalkaska County, and is considered part of Northern Michigan. Its population was 2,132 at the 2020 census, an increase from 2,020 at the 2010 census.

Kalkaska is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area, and is often considered a bedroom community of nearby Traverse City. The town is also renowned for hosting the National Trout Festival, with the first festivities being held in 1935.

History
The land on which Kalkaska sits has long been territory under the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi.

In 1872, Albert A. Abbott arrived on the land set to become the village from his hometown of Decatur. The following year, on May 12, Abbott platted his land and became its first postmaster. In 1874, Kalkaska became a station on a new Pennsylvania Railroad line from Walton to Petoskey. Today, this line is part of the Great Lakes Central Railroad.

On July 5, 1908, a fire began in the middle of the business block and burned most of the stores. Local photographer E. L. Beebe took a number of photographs of the fire; the resulting postcards were widely sold and can still be found today. Two years later, another fire started in downtown Kalkaska. Again, in 1925, downtown Kalkaska was devastated by the largest fire since the fire of 1908.

In 1916, noted author Ernest Hemingway visited and fished in Kalkaska, and later immortalized the town in his story "The Battler". A historical marker has been placed at the nearby Rugg Pond, on the Rapid River, where Hemingway reportedly fished one night from the power house.

On July 10, 1951, the Kalkaska State Bank was robbed by an armed man, who fled and later attempted to escape on foot through a nearby swampy area. After three days of what was termed the largest manhunt in Northern Michigan history, involving the FBI and local and state authorities, the gunman, Raymond J. Turcotte, who had a long string of prior convictions, including manslaughter, was captured south of the town. Turcotte confessed to the bank robbery and served 18 years in the Michigan State Prison in Jackson, including a term for escape in 1961.

Discovery of natural gas and oil in the area during the 1970s lead to significant growth for the village, but the growth has since shifted toward tourism.

In 1993, the Kalkaska schools made national headlines when a financial crisis resulted in a two-month-long closure. Subsequent funding reform improved the outlook for Kalkaska and similar small rural districts in Michigan.

In 2014, Walmart announced plans to open a store in Kalkaska. Previously, the closest store was in Traverse City, over 20 miles away. A debate in Kalkaska ensued on whether the community's small-town character could be preserved. The store was never built due to Walmart's decision to restructure growth plans.

The Record Eagle reported in 2019 that Kalkaska was poised for substantial growth due to housing shortages in the Traverse City area.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2029 acre, of which 32 acre are covered by water.

The North Branch of the Boardman River flows through the south of the village. The river continues west into neighboring Grand Traverse County, turns north, and empties into Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. Just to the north of the village, though, are the headwaters of the Little Rapid River. This stream also flows into the Grand Traverse Bay, although it is part of the Chain of Lakes watershed.

The primary constructors of Kalkaska's geographical make-up are ancient glaciers, along with most of Michigan. Glaciers scoured the surface of the state during the Ice Age, creating small hills called drumlins, along with valleys and basins and the water that currently occupies them in the process called glaciation.

Kalkaska experiences a notable amount of snowfall, as it is located in a snowbelt that receives heavy amounts of lake-effect snow from Lake Michigan.

Climate
This climatic region has large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Kalkaska has a humid continental climate, Dfb on climate maps.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, 2,020 people, 871 households, and 482 families resided in the village. The population density was 647.4 PD/sqmi. The 1,015 housing units had an average density of 325.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.6% White, 0.6% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.8% of the population.

Of the 871 households, 29.2% had children under 18 living with them, 33.4% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.7% were not families. About 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the village was 37.9 years; 23.4% of residents were under 18; 9.8% were between 18 and 24; 25.3% were 25 to 44; 24.3% were 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, 2,226 people, 881 households, and 540 families lived in the village. The population density was 890.7 PD/sqmi. The 969 housing units had an average density of 387.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 96.32% White, 0.67% African American, 1.03% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.94% of the population.

Of the 881 households, 33.7% had children under 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were not families. Around 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35, and the average family size was 2.94.

In the village, the age distribution of the population shows 26.1% under 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $27,891, and for a family was $33,651. Males had a median income of $26,901 versus $19,333 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,028. About 15.3% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.

Airport
Kalkaska is home to Kalkaska City Airport, a small, paved runway.

Major highways

 * runs north–south through the village by the name "Cedar Street". Northeast of Kalkaska, US 131 runs through Mancelona, Alba, and Walloon Lake, before ending at US 31 in Petoskey. To the southwest, US 131 passes through Fife Lake before upgrading to a freeway. The highway continues south, passing through Cadillac, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo, before ending just south of the Indiana state line.
 * also runs north–south through Kalkaska. The highway continues northeast, also as Cedar Street, into Mancelona, before turning north. The highway then runs through East Jordan before ending at US 31 in Charlevoix. To the south, M-66 runs through towns like Lake City, McBain and Marion. M-66 also eventually ends at the Indiana state line, just south of Sturgis.
 * runs east–west through Kalkaska County, entering Kalkaska itself from the west. However through the heart of the village, it primarily runs north–south, also on the Cedar Street concurrency. West of Kalkaska, M-72 runs through the Traverse City urban area, ending at Empire, on Lake Michigan. East of Kalkaska, M-72 runs through Grayling and Mio before eventually ending at a junction with US 23 in Harrisville, on Lake Huron.

Education
Schools in Kalkaska are managed by Kalkaska Public Schools. One high school is in the district, Kalkaska High School.

Kalkaska is centrally located between North Central Michigan College in Petoskey, Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Kirtland College in Grayling/Gaylord, and Baker College in Cadillac.

Travel and recreation
Tourists are attracted to the area to visit the surrounding lakes (including Torch Lake) and rivers such as the Jordan River, Rapid River, and Manistee River. Kalkaska offers two major festivals, the National Trout Festival held at the end of April to honor the opening of trout season, and the Kalkaska County Agricultural Fair, held the first week of August, to showcase local livestock from 4-H youth clubs, handicrafts from residents, and entertainment. Fall foliage color tours are also popular with visitors.

The first weekend of November brings with it the Iceman Cometh biking challenge. Kalkaska hosts the starting line for a 27.2-mile off-road biking race that runs from the western edge of the village to Traverse City along the VASA Trail. The turnout for the race very easily doubles the population within the village, numbering in the several thousands. For mountain biking enthusiasts, this is a famous race, and completing the race is an achievement in itself.

The village is home to Chalker Park and the Imagination Station. The Mill Pond Park is a small park with a pavilion.

The Kalkaska Area Recreation Transportation (KART) Trail is a nonmotorized pathway that encircles the county's governmental, educational, and recreational campuses. Expansion plans for it include connecting it with the TART Trail.

Industry
Marijuana, service, oil and gas, manufacturing, and tourism are important industries in the village and surrounding county.

The Kalkaska area is known as a fishing destination with inland lakes and the Boardman, Rapid, and Manistee Rivers. Kalkaska has held the National Trout Festival in the last week of April each year since 1933. A giant statue of a brook trout is in the town square. The New York Times featured author Jim Harrison wrote about the festival in his 1991 book Just Before Dark: Collected Non-fiction.

Notable people

 * Emil Frisk (1874–1922), professional baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Browns from 1899 to 1907
 * Renee Raudman, voice and television actress
 * Ron Ryckman Sr., member of the Kansas Senate
 * Betty Wanless (1928–1995), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
 * Ron Winter, former NCAA and NFL official