Template:Wp-Flint Township, Michigan-History

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Flint Township was organized on March 2, 1836, and included the township areas of Burton, Clayton, Flushing, Mt. Morris, Genesee, Thetford, Vienna and Montrose.^[1] Jesse Torrey and his family, the second settlers, move to section 24 starting the Torrey Settlement in 1836. That same year, William N. Stanard founded the Stanard Settlement on section 35.^[2]

On March 11, 1837, Vienna Township was organized to include the future townships of Montrose and Thetford.^[1] James W. Cronk in 1837 settled on sections 7 and 8 lending his name to the settlement there.^[2]

Genesee and Flushing Townships where split off on March 6, 1838.^[1] In 1838 the first schoolhouse was built in Flint Township in Section 23 on the bank of Swartz Creek.^[2] As many as ten school districts were created. within the township,^[2]

On April 19, 1839, Kearsley Township was split off from Flint Township^[1] until March 7, 1843 when it was merged back into Flint Township. The Crockersville post office under its name sake postmaster George Crocker on August 21, 1843.

In 1855, Burton Township on October 12 separated from the Township^[1] and the City of Flint was incorporated, thus splitting its area from the Township. The Township was then temporarily known as Garland Township after Burton was split off on October 12, 1855 to February 5, 1856.^[3]

The unincorporated village of Otterburn was given a station on the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1882 then a Post Office on August 27, 1887. On January 9, 1862, the Crockersville post office was closed down.^[4]

In 1950s, GM executive started a "New Flint" regional/metropolitan government plan to incorporate the metropolitan area into Flint. In 1953, the Township began incorporation discussions as the City of Westhaven, but that possibility was later defeated. The metro government proposal was released in 1957 and petition began circulating the next year. Township supervisor John R. Dickenson condemn the plan.^[5]

Area residents were fearful of the New Flint would take the Otterburn plant into its borders. While New Flint proponents indicated that that would not be the case, Swartz Creek area residents campaigned against New Flint while moving to incorporate the area. The Township lost the Otterburn area to the City of Swartz Creek upon its incorporation^[5] in 1959.

After the City of Flint annexed the GM Van Slyke plant and the city's Bishop Airport in the 1970s, the Township place on the ballot an incorporation question that would have made it the City of Grandview Heights. Another item on the ballot was the election of a mayor for the new city. The incorporation question failed, while the then Township Supervisor Tom Mansour won the mayoral election. In August 1970, Genesee Valley Center opened at Miller and Linden Roads.