Genesee County, Michigan: History
=== Formative period ===
Genesee County was created on March 28, 1835, from territory taken from Lapeer, Shiawassee, and Saginaw Counties. The county was attached to Oakland County for judicial purposes. The only township organized at the time was Grand Blanc, formed in 1833, consisting of additional township areas of the present Fenton, Mundy, Flint, Mount Morris, Genesee, Burton, Atlas, and Davison Townships. (Atlas and Davison Township survey areas were then in Lapeer County.) Flint Township followed in formation by the legislature on March 2, 1836, splitting away from Grand Blanc with the township areas of Burton, Genesee, and Mount Morris, plus additional township areas of the present-day Clayton, Montrose, Flushing, Thetford, and Vienna. On April 4, 1836, the county was fully organized. Organized on July 26, 1836, Argentine Township included two township survey areas, taking Fenton away from Grand Blanc Township plus the current Argentine area west of Fenton.
In the organizing act of March 11, 1837, two townships (Mundy and Vienna) were organized in the county. Mundy had an additional township area to the west. Vienna consisted of the northern tier of three township areas in the county at the time taking two areas from Flint Township. With this act just a week after Michigan's admission as a state, the county was fully covered with five township governments.
The townships of Genesee, Fenton, and Flushing were formed on March 6, 1838. Genesee and Flushing were split off from Flint Township. Fenton was split off from Argentine Township. Genesee included half the survey area to the west. While Flushing included the other half of that survey area (township 8 North range 6 East), the full township area further west (township 8 North range 5 East) then another survey area and half the row below (township 7 North range 5,6 East). Thus, Flint Township consisted of one and a half township survey areas.
Fifteen northerly sections of survey area township 7 north range No. 7 east in Flint Township plus southerly sections of Genesee Township were set off by the Michigan Legislature as Kearsley Township in 1839. On March 7, 1843, the legislature abolished this township returning the sections back to Flint and Genesee townships. Thus Flint Township consisted of approximately one and a half township survey areas.
Two new townships were formed by the state on March 9, 1842. Thetford was the eastmost survey area split off from Vienna. While Gaines was formed with the western township survey of Mundy.
The county was enlarged on March 9, 1843, by adding a column of townships on its east from Lapeer County. From north to south, the townships were Forest, Richfield, Davison and Atlas.
On March 25, 1846, an additional two townships were formed, Clayton, and Pewanagawink. Clayton split the southernmost survey area from Flushing Township. Pewanagawink took the westernmost survey area from Vienna and changed its name to Montrose by act of January 15, 1848.
Mount Morris Township was created on February 12, 1855, from a single survey township area with its two halves taken from Flushing and Genesee townships. Flint Township was split into three parts upon the formation of the City of Flint. The county board of supervisors split the remaining township survey area into two; the western area became Garland Township (this name only lasted until the Flint name was restored on February 5, 1856) and the remaining eastern survey area became Burton Township. …