The land within the current borders of the township has been inhabited by humans since at least ca. 200 BCE to 500 CE, earliest evidence suggests occupation by Goodall focus, a Middle WoodlandHopewellian culture. At the time of European contact, Anishinaabe-speaking peoples, the Odawa and the Potawatomi lived within the current township.[5]
The first documented European in what is now Allendale was Pierre Constant, a French fur trader who established a trading post at Charleston for John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company in 1810.[6] The first permanent European settler[7] was Richard Roberts, of Wales, who purchased one hundred and sixty acres along the Grand River, building a log cabin in 1842 that became known as the Half-way House, as it was situated roughly halfway between Grand Haven and Grandville.[7] Roberts established a sawmill, a blacksmith shop, a wheelwright and a store.
In the winter of 1848–49, a meeting was held at the home of Alexander Milne for the purpose of drafting a petition requesting to become an organized Township, to be called the Township of Isaac. Those attending the meeting, along with Milne, were James Scott, Johnson Balcom, Alexander Scott, Robert Scott, John Hanna and Henry M. Reed. James Scott drew up the township petition which was signed by all of them.[7] The petition was presented to the state legislature by state Senator Henry Pennoyer of Grand Haven. Senator Pennoyer, on his own initiative, substituted Isaac with the (misspelled) Allandale after Agnes Allen, the first name appearing on the tax roll, and the widow of Hannibal Allen, son of Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen.[8] The spelling was subsequently changed from Allandale to the current Allendale.
In 1854 the township of Blendon was organized, and set off from Allendale.
Communities
There are no incorporated municipalities within the township.
Allendale is a census-designated place consisting of the northern two-thirds of the township and the Allendale ZIP code 49401 serves most of the township except for small areas along the southern boundary.[9]
Conger was the name of a rural post office in the township from 1899 until 1907.[10]
Hudsonville is to the southeast, and the Hudsonville ZIP code serves a small area on the central part of the southern boundary of Allendale Township.[11]
Jenison is to the southeast, and the Jenison ZIP code 49428 serves a small area in the southeast corner of the Allendale Township.[12]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 32.2 square miles (83 km2), of which 31.3 square miles (81 km2) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) (2.80%) is water.
M-45 crosses east–west through the township, and crosses the Grand River in the east. Except for US-31 in Grand Haven; M-45, 68th Avenue just to the north and M-231 to the west are the only roads to cross the Grand River in Ottawa County.
Allendale receives 132 inches of measurable precipitation per year, on average 33 inches of rain and 82 inches of snowfall.[15]
There are 162 sunny days per year. The comfort index, based on humidity during the hot months, is a 51 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. The US average on the comfort index is 44.[15]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 20,708 people, 3,306 households, and 2,294 families residing in the township. The population density was 661.6 inhabitants per square mile (255.4/km2). There were 3,492 housing units at an average density of 111.6 per square mile (43.1/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 93.61% White, 2.68% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 2.88% of the population.
There were 3,306 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the township, 22.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 39.3% was from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 10.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $48,669, and the median income for a family was $58,576. Males had a median income of $40,419 versus $25,188 for females. The per capita income for the township was $15,065. About 2.8% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Cook Carillon Tower at Grand Valley State University Allendale campus
The main campus of Grand Valley State University, founded in 1960, is located in Allendale Charter Township on 1,237 acres (5.01 km2). Grand Valley State University is the fastest growing university in the United States, both in population and physical size, as the university is continually building more facilities. The university is also ranked one of the top up and coming schools in the Midwest. The university enrolls a total of just under 25,000 students on the Allendale campus and two campuses in the surrounding area, and offers over 200 areas of study, making it the largest university in the Grand Rapids region.[17]
Parks
Allendale Community Park is a 40-acre (16 ha) park situated near the township office.[18][19] It contains a Veterans Garden of Honor honoring U.S. soldiers. It contains nine statues representing veterans of U.S. wars.[20] One of the statues, installed in 1998, depicting a Confederate and Union soldier standing back-to-back with a young slave crouched between them at their feet, has been controversial for seeming to honor the Confederacy[21][22] and portraying racial dynamics in a way considered disrespectful to Black people.[23][24][25]
During the George Floyd protests in 2020, the civil war statue received heightened scrutiny from local activists. Philomena Mantella, president of Grand Valley State University, suggested that it should be moved and that its presentation should be altered to acknowledge its historical context.[23] The Allendale Township Board voted on June 30, 2020, to keep the statue in the park.[26][27] Protests on the issue continued through 2021, including the temporary erection of a billboard[28] and multiple acts of vandalism that left the statue disfigured.[29] A contentious second referendum on June 14, 2021, resulted in the statue being retained once again.[25]
Allendale Township is home to a large number of off campus student housing complexes. As of 2021 there are approximately 8,000 beds according to township assessing records.[30]
The Rapid provides bus service to the Grand Valley State University Allendale campus. The Laker Line connects the Allendale campus to Downtown Grand Rapids, and The Rapid operates additional shuttle services in Allendale, connecting to off-campus housing.[31]
