New Population Mark Continues 70-Year Upward Trend

The Hartland area is awash in history — from early pioneers and Civil War veterans to philanthropist J. Robert Crouse's Hartland Area Project that established cultural institutions such as the and the .

There is so much that I am learning new things all the time, and this week's census story was no different.

With the help of the historical census numbers and the Hartland Area Historical Society's book Hartland: Weaving the Past with the Present — which I often use to help put larger stories into historical context — I discovered some addition trends that I'd like to share about our population:

• Ninety percent of the population growth in Hartland has occurred since 1960 as Hartland transformed from a mostly farming-based area to a suburban bedroom community.
• The 33 percent jump from 2000 to 2010 is actually the seventh-largest percentage increase of the 18 decennial counts and the first count in 1837. The biggest percentage increase was from 1970 to 1980 when the population more than doubled by jumping 129.4 percent.
• Numerically, the 3,667 increase is the second-largest ever. The biggest jump was from 1990 to 2000 — 4,136.
• From 1880 to 1940, Hartland's population dropped every 10 years except in 1930. The dips are mostly attributed to changes in the agricultural economy that occurred nationwide, according to Hartland: Weaving the Past with the Present. The one increase is likely due to Crouse's efforts to enhance the community, the book said.
• When U.S. 23 was completed in 1940, Hartland's population of 733 was at its lowest point of the 20th century. The history book says the controversial rerouting the of the highway away from the traditional village led many businesses to relocate to the M-59 and U.S. 23 area.