The first is the story of the " cussing canoeist", the man who received a ticket under a century-old law for shouting a long stream of expletives in the presence of a woman and her two young children after he fell out of a canoe on the Rifle River. Omer, until recently known as Michigan's smallest city (edged out recently by Lake Angelus, Michigan), received international attention on two recent but separate occasions. Winter also brings snowmobilers and ice fisherman to the surrounding area, though not typically the city proper. Hunting is such a popular sport that the local school in Twining, Michigan closes for the opening day of deer season rather than face the 50% or more absentee rate that would otherwise occur. There are also miles of unspoiled forests surrounding the city that bring in deer hunters from around the country in the fall. Up unil the late 80's, Omer held an annual Sucker Festival, but it was eventually ended presumably due to lack of funds.ĭuring the summer, Omer is a popular weekend getaway for those looking to unwind by canoeing or tubing down the scenic river. Folks from all over the midwest and Canada line the shores and engage in the sport of sucker fishing in the spring. The Rifle River that intersects the city attracts thousands per year during the sucker season. Like many small towns in northern mid-Michigan, the height of activity in Omer centers around an influx of people during the spring and summer. Omer was incorporated as a city following the lumber boom of 1903. However, he found a post office in another town called Homer, Michigan and simply dropped the leading H, producing the final name. The town was originally named Rifle River Mills, but Carscallen, the first postmaster, wanted to rename the town Homer. Omer was founded by George Gorie and George Carscallen, who set up a sawmill along the Rifle River in the mid- 1860's. Out of the total population, 15.8% of those under the age of 18 and 16.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. 15.2% of the population and 12.4% of families are below the poverty line. The per capita income for the city is $16,755. Males have a median income of $26,607 versus $21,250 for females. The median income for a household in the city is $28,125, and the median income for a family is $33,250. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.2 males. For every 100 females there are 97.1 males. In the city the population is spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who are 65 years of age or older.
The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 2.82. 24.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. There are 143 households out of which 26.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% are non-families. 1.78% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The racial makeup of the city is 95.85% White, 0.00% African American, 1.19% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. There are 163 housing units at an average density of 50.8/km² (131.7/mi²). 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.Īs of the census 2 of 2000, there are 337 people, 143 households, and 98 families residing in the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²).