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Tecumseh Township

Corner of Occidental Hwy and Gady Road
517-423-2284

History:

For those of you that are new to our area & even those of you who are long time residents the following is a brief history of the beginnings & progress of Tecumseh Township. In 1805 the "Michigan Territory" was established; with government report noting this territory to be "swamps & sand hills". Due to the energetic campaigning of Governor Lewis Cass, Easterners began to look at Michigan with new interest at the land available. In a Proclamation by Gov. Cass dated Sept. 10, 1822, the boundaries of Lenawee County, with the Townships of Tecumseh, Adrian & Blissfield were defined. This definition was approved by Legislative Acton April 12, 1827. The name Lenawee is said to be from a Shawnee word meaning "Indian".

It was thru the pioneering spirit & hard work of Musgrove Evans and His wife Abi, her brother Joseph W. Brown, and others that the first settlement was established in 1824 along the upper Raisin River and Named Tecumseh. The first Township meeting was held in the home of Joseph W. Brown. The location of the first house in this new settlement is presently marked by a large boulder & plaque on the East side of North Evans St. and just North of the river.

By 1837 the population had grown to 2,462. In 1869 a conflict occurred which resulted in the equal split of the lands of the township; the North half becoming Clinton Twp. and the South half remaining as Tecumseh Twp. At the time of the split population in Tecumseh Twp. dropped to 544 with the village having 2,039 residents. In 1954 once again the physical size & population of the Township decreased when the village incorporated and became a city.

The main industry continues to be Agriculture with an increasing popularity of people wishing to live in a 'country setting'. As of the 2010 census our population now numbers 1972 residents. We cover slightly over 13 square miles with our borders being Allen Rd. to the North, M-52/N. Adrian Hwy. to the West, West Russell Rd. & Shull Rd. to the South, & Hendershot Hwy. to the East.