Lilley Township, Michigan
township in Newaygo County, Michigan, United States
Lilley Township is a civil township of Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 835 at the 2020 census.
The unincorporated communities of Bitely and Lilley are within the township.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.6 square miles (92 km2), of which 34.5 square miles (89 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (3.06%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 788 people, 342 households, and 228 families residing in the township. The population density was 22.9 inhabitants per square mile (8.8/km2). There were 1,024 housing units at an average density of 29.7 per square mile (11.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 94.67% White, 1.78% African American, 1.40% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 342 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lilley Township, Michigan” is township in Newaygo County, Michigan, United States. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lilley, Township and Michigan, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “township in Newaygo County, Michigan, United States” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5843612. Authority coordinates are 43.774, -85.852. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020 and 2000.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lilley Township, Michigan”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lilley Township, Michigan primary sources, Lilley Township, Michigan archive and Lilley research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lilley Township, Michigan”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lilley Township, Michigan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.