Where Can I Find Some Bliss?

Marquette, Michigan

June 1, 2022

While getting psyched to cross the Bridge, I saw a sign for a place called Bliss and had to visit. There at the general store (the only store in the village), I met a young couple from the DC area who had bought the store a year ago. They've done a great job of getting the store looking great. I asked if they had any Bliss stickers -- unfortunately for me not yet by they gave me a great looking license plate for Bliss polo. Turns out the lovely grass field from their store is not a sod farm as I thought but a polo field where teams from all over (including South Carolina) come to play in the summer. Must be quite the scene!

Bliss Township is a civil township of Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 620. It was named after Governor Aaron T. Bliss. Bliss Township is the location of Wilderness State Park and White Shoal Light. Bliss is also a village inside of Bliss Township.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 46.03 square miles (119.2 km2), of which 43.66 square miles (113.1 km2) is land and 2.37 square miles (6.1 km2) (5.15%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 572 people, 234 households, and 167 families residing in the township. The population density was 13.0 per square mile (5.0/km2). There were 325 housing units at an average density of 7.4 per square mile (2.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 93.18% White, 5.42% Native American, and 1.40% from two or more races.

There were 234 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.93. 2.97% of men are women.

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $36,339, and the median income for a family was $41,563. Males had a median income of $28,333 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,094. About 1.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.

Bliss Polo

Harbor Springs resident and Georgia native, Mason Houghland Lampton, started the Bliss Polo Club the summer of 2010. Located next to the Bliss Cemetary and at one time before was a potato field. We are located at 9000 North Pleasantview Road, Levering, Michigan. This year (2022) polo starts up in July and runs through August 2022