Oshtemo Township, Michigan
township in Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Oshtemo Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2020 census recorded a population of 23,747, up from 21,705 at the 2010 census. The township was organized in 1839.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.2 km2), of which 35.9 square miles (92.9 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.37%, are water.
Oshtemo Township is located at the Kalamazoo County - Van Buren County line, adjacent to and west of the city of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo Township; adjacent to and north of Texas Charter Township and adjacent to and south of Alamo Township.
A Superfund site is located in the township at K & L Avenue Landfill.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,003 people, 7,551 households, and 4,024 families residing in the township. The population density was 472.8 inhabitants per square mile (182.5/km2). There were 7,987 housing units at an average density of 222.1 per square mile (85.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 84.97% White, 9.39% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Oshtemo Township, Michigan” as township in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as township in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7106657. VIAF identifies the subject as 142286737. The Library of Congress control number is no2008135709. Authority coordinates are 42.283, -85.682. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 2010, 1839 and 2000.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. 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 “Oshtemo Township, Michigan”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Oshtemo Township, Michigan primary sources, Oshtemo Township, Michigan archive and Oshtemo 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 “Oshtemo Township, Michigan”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Oshtemo 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.