Rapid River, Michigan
Rapid River is an unincorporated community in Masonville Township, Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[1]
Rapid River, Michigan | |
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Rapid River along U.S. Route 2 | |
Rapid River Location within the state of Michigan Rapid River Rapid River (the United States) | |
Coordinates: 45°55′35″N 86°58′01″W | |
Country | United States |
State | Michigan |
County | Delta |
Township | Masonville |
Elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code(s) | 49878 |
Area code(s) | 906 |
GNIS feature ID | 1621342[1] |
It is situated on the northern end of the Little Bay de Noc between the mouths of the Tacoosh and Rapid rivers with the mouth of the Whitefish River just to the east. U.S. Highway 2 passes through Rapid River and joins with U.S. Highway 41 just west of town; the two then run concurrently from Rapid River south to Escanaba. The Rapid River ZIP code is 49878 and also serves areas in the nearby townships in Delta County of Baldwin, Bay de Noc, Brampton, Ensign, Garden, Maple Ridge, Masonville, and Nahma. It also serves a small area in Mathias Township in Alger County[2]
The community was first named Rapid Siding as a stop on the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, and subsequently renamed for the nearby river.[3] The name was recorded as Rapid River when the community was platted in 1887. The community never incorporated as a village.
One scene from the 2001 film Escanaba in da Moonlight was shot in the Swallow Inn, a bar in Rapid River.[4]
Public schools in Rapid River are administered by the Rapid River Schools, the area's school district.[5] The high school's athletic teams are known as the "Rockets".[6][7] The school's 8-man varsity football team won Division 2 of the Michigan State Championship in 2018.[8]
Fire coverage is provided by the Masonville Township Volunteer Fire Department and Ensign Township Volunteer Fire Department.[9] Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Masonville Township Volunteer EMS service which provide non-transport Basic Life Support services.
Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between St. Ignace and Ironwood, Michigan.[10]
References
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rapid River, Michigan
- 49878 5-Digit ZCTA, 498 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census
- Romig, Walter (1986). Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Wayne State University Press. pp. 466–467. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.
- "Actor shows loyalty to his home state". Escabana the Movie. Purple Rose Films. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- "Rapid River Schools". Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- "Rapid River can't catch up at Cedarville". TheDailyPress. October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- "Rapid River (MI) High School Sports - Football, Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, and more". MaxPreps. CBS Sports. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- "2018 Finals | Football | MHSAA Sports". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- "Rapid River, MI Fire Departments". FireDepartment.net. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- "ST. IGNACE-SAULT STE. MARIE-IRONWOOD" (PDF). Indian Trails. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2014. Retrieved 2013-02-28.