Bancroft, Michigan is a small incorporated village in the southeastern section of Shiawassee Township in lower central Shiawassee County.
Surrounded by the township, the major routes through the village are East Lansing Road and Grand River Road, which intersect in the northwestern part of the village, with Grand River Road connecting with I-69 just north of Bancroft.
The city of Flint is about twenty-five miles northeast of the village, while Lansing is about thirty miles southwest. Nearer by, the city of Durand is 5.8 miles northeast, Corunna is 9.5 miles north, Perry is 9.7 miles southwest, Owosso is 12.2 miles north-northwest, and Laingsburg is 15.8 miles west of Bancroft. These cities serve as service centers for the village, while many village residents are employed in Flint or Lansing.
The village of Vernon is 5.5 miles north-northeast, Morrice is 7.5 miles southwest, and Byron is 8.0 miles southeast.
The Shiawassee River is northeast of the village, and the Scribner Drain is south of Bancroft. Hemingway Lake is just west of the central village.
Bancroft was founded on land that had been owned by N.G. Phillips and W.M. Warren. Although the village had been platted earlier, the original plat was never file, while a second plat was filed in 1877, the year in which the Chicago & Lake Huron Railroad established a station there, with H.M. Billings as the station agent. A post office was opened in Bancroft on June 28, 1877, with John L. Simonson as its first postmaster. Bancroft was incorporated as a village in 1883.
In 1890, Bancroft had a population of 642, and its peak population was 724 in 1970, after which it declined through the 1980s and 1990s. While the 2000 census indicated a slight rebound, the village's population decreased by more than eleven percent in the 2000s.
The decline in population is attributed to an out-migration of households from industrial regions in Michigan since the early 1980s, due to the recession that affected several of the state's industries, particularly in the automotive fields. There was also a trend toward smaller families, and Bancroft is experiencing an aging population, which have led to declining populations in several of the state's small communities.
The focus of this guide is on the village of Bancroft. Websites representing the village government or services are appropriate for this category, as are those of businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, and events within the village.
Recommended Resources
Founded in Durand, Michigan in 1953, Coffield Oil is currently located along East Lansing Road, just north of Bancroft, from where it offers bulk oil delivery services to residential, farm, and commercial customers, as well as offering heating oil, furnace repair services, and installation, air conditioning services, motor oil, lubes, and baler twine. Its products and services are featured here, along with an introduction to its staff, and online ordering and payments.
http://www.coffieldoil.com/
Located in the village of Bancroft, Michigan, the farm is available for tours during regular business hours, May through December, including group tours by reservation. Special interest groups may arrange for teas or luncheons in the facility’s vintage tearoom. Custom designed floral arrangements, botanical wreaths, arrangements, and various specialty items may be available for purchase. Through two gift shops, several items may be available for purchase.
http://www.grandoakherbfarm.com/
A fifty-year veteran educator, school administrator, and author, Sally Labadie has written several books, many of which are children’s books, as well as a record of events as a teacher, and memoirs from thirteen years of post-retirement, and a pictorial history of the village of Bancroft, Michigan, where she has lived for forty years. Her books are highlighted here, and some are available for purchase from Amazon, while others, including her local history book, may be ordered from the author.
http://sallylabadie.com/
Situated on a 165-acre campus, the historic barn wedding venue in Bancroft, Michigan offers full access to the historic farmhouse, which includes 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, as well as access to 7,300 square feet of barn space adjacent to the house, and access for photographs on the farm, where guests can choose from various outdoor ceremony sites, ponds, and landscape sites. Photos of the house, barn, and wedding venue are presented, with pricing, and contacts.
https://stonehousefarmeventvenue.com/
The official municipal website posts notices of special meetings, township board agendas and minutes, a calendar of events, ordinances and resolutions, zoning maps and fee schedules, and a guide to local police, water, garbage, and other services. The township’s master plan, a citizen guide, and the names, contacts, and information about the township’s parks and recreation committee, employee relations committee, finance committee, infrastructure committee, and ordinance committee.
http://www.villageofbancroftmi.org/
