Bennington Township, Michigan

Bennington Township is a civil township of Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 3,119. Bennington Township is the center of population of the state of Michigan.

The township was established in 1838 and was named after Bennington, Vermont, which was the former home of the first settlers in the area.

The first government land purchase was made by Samuel Nichols, Israel Parsons and Benjamin Powers in 1835. Nichols became the first settler in Bennington.

At a location called Hartwellville, the first store was opened by Giles Tucker. In 1838, Johnathon M. Hartwell, formerly of Norwich, NY, took over from Tucker.

Bennington Township was organized on March 6, 1838, with the area of township area 5 North Range 2, the future Perry Township, split off from Shiawassee Township. The first township supervisor was Lemuel Castle. Perry Township was separated off by an act on March 15, 1841. A rail station was opened at the Bennington community.

On February 11, 1841, Hartwell became the first postmaster for the Hartwell post office. On December 13, 1848, a post office was opened in Bennington village with first postmaster Benjamin Davis.

By 1878, there was a hamlet called Alton in the township. Alton was 8/10 of a mile west of Morrice Road on Grand River Trail. The hamlet later abandoned becoming a ghost town.

The Hartwell family served as postmaster until the Hartwell office closed on January 15, 1901. Later Hartwellville was abandoned. The Bennington post office was discontinued on February 28, 1958.