Monguagon Township, Michigan

Mongaugon Township, is a former township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Quarries here were worked by the French before 1749.[1] American forces defeated British and Indian forces at the Battle of Monguagon during the War of 1812. It was first settled in 1812.[2]

The 1835 Tourist's Pocket Map Of Michigan by S. Augustus Mitchell shows Mongaugon Township circa 1834.

On January 15, 1818, a proclamation by Lewis Cass, Governor of Michigan Territory, established Mongaugon, along with townships of Hamtramck, Huron, St. Clair, and Springwells as townships of Wayne County. These townships were formed under authority initially granted by the Court of General Sessions for the Northwest Territory on November 6, 1790. Under this system, townships were governed by a commissioner.[3]

On April 12, 1827, Cass signed an act that abolished the office of township commissioner, and also established in Wayne County the townships of Brownstown, Bucklin, Detroit, Ecorse, Hamtramck, Huron, Mongaugon, Plymouth and Springwells.[3]

Township government in Mongaugon was organized on May 25, 1827, with the election of Colonel Abram Caleb Truax as supervisor, with several persons elected to other offices. Truax is credited as the founder of Trenton for laying out the village of Truaxton, which became Trenton.[4]

The township created by the act of 1827 consisted of survey township 4 south of range 11 east of the Michigan Meridian and included all of Grosse Ile. By a legislative act of February 16, 1842, the portion of Brownstown Township east of a north-south line through the center of sections 2, 11, 14, 23, and 26 were added to Monguagon Township.[5][6] Grosse Ile Township was part of Monguagon until 1914 when it organized as a separate township.[7] The cities of Trenton and Riverview incorporated from the township.

Mongaugon was located at approximately 42°9′N 83°11′W / 42.150°N 83.183°W / 42.150; -83.183 (Monguagon Township)Coordinates: 42°9′N 83°11′W / 42.150°N 83.183°W / 42.150; -83.183 (Monguagon Township) and was bounded on the north by Ecorse Township (what is now the southern boundary of the cities of Southgate and Wyandotte. On the west and south, it was bounded by Brownstown Township.[2][8]

The name Mongaugon is that of a Pottawatomi chief who lived along the Detroit River circa 1755.[1][8]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Romig, s.v. Monguan
  2. 1 2 Burton, p. 1579
  3. 1 2 Catlin, p. 101
  4. ↑ Catlin, p. 107
  5. ↑ Farmer, Vol. II, p. 1247
  6. ↑ Farmer, Vol. II, p. 1321
  7. ↑ Catlin, p. 104
  8. 1 2 Farmer Vol I, p. 128

References

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