Springwells Township, Michigan facts for kids

Springwells Township was a former civil township in Wayne County, Michigan. Today, all the land that was once Springwells Township is part of the cities of Detroit and Dearborn. Springwells is also famous as the birthplace of Henry Ford, who founded the Ford Motor Company.

Quick facts for kids Springwells Township, Michigan
Former civil township
Springwells Township, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Springwells Township, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Wayne
Organized	1818
Disestablished	1926
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)

History of Springwells Township

Springwells Township was officially created by the territorial governor, Lewis Cass, on January 5, 1818. However, its exact borders weren't set until 1827. The area was named "Springwells" because it had many natural springs. Earlier, French explorers had called the area "Belle-Fontaine," which means "Beautiful Fountain" in French.

In 1815, an important event happened at a "sand hill at Springwells." The Treaty of Springwells was signed there. A future U.S. President, William Henry Harrison, was present at this signing.

Later, in 1842, the U.S. Army started building Fort Wayne near the Detroit River. This fort is now a recognized historical site. Over the years, the size of Springwells Township changed many times. By the 1850s, it bordered Detroit to the east and other townships like Greenfield, Redford, Dearborn, and Ecorse.

Towns and Villages in Springwells

Several smaller communities were once part of Springwells Township before they became part of larger cities:

• Delray – This was a village in 1903. It became part of the City of Detroit in 1906.
• Fort Wayne – The area around Fort Wayne was added to the City of Detroit in 1885.
• Springwells – This community became a village in 1919, then a city in 1924. Its name was changed to Fordson in 1925. Finally, it joined with Dearborn in 1928.
• Woodmere – The Village of Woodmere existed in 1903. It was located near the large Woodmere Cemetery, which was created after the American Civil War. Woodmere was also annexed by the City of Detroit in 1906.

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows how the Springwells area developed over many years.

Early European and U.S. History

• 1603: French explorers claimed this region, calling it New France.
• July 24, 1701: Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his soldiers first arrived at what is now Detroit.
• November 29, 1760: The British took control of the area from France.
• 1783: The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War. Great Britain gave the land south of the Great Lakes to the United States. However, the British kept control of Detroit until 1797.
• 1787: The land north and west of the Ohio River was officially named the Northwest Territory.
• December 26, 1791: The Detroit area became part of Kent County, Ontario.
• 1796: Wayne County was formed. It was very large, stretching from Cleveland to Chicago.
• January 11, 1805: Michigan Territory was officially created.
• June 11, 1805: A big fire destroyed most of Detroit.
• November 15, 1815: Wayne County's borders were changed, and it was divided into 18 townships.
• January 5, 1818: Springwells Township was established by Governor Lewis Cass.
• 1827: Wayne County's borders were set to their current size.
• April 12, 1827: Springwells and Bucklin townships were formally organized.
• March 31, 1833: Greenfield Township was created from parts of Springwells Township.
• April 1, 1833: Dearborn Township was created.
• January 26, 1837: Michigan became the 26th state in the U.S.
• 1837: The Michigan Central Railroad was built through Springwells Township. A small town called Springwells grew up along the railroad.
• 1849: Detroit started to add parts of Springwells Township to its own city limits.
• February 12, 1857: Detroit annexed more of Springwells Township.
• June 20, 1884: Detroit continued to annex sections of Springwells Township.

Becoming a Village and City

• March 24, 1893: The Village of Dearborn was officially created.
• 1906: Detroit annexed another section of Springwells Township.
• 1916: Detroit annexed even more of Springwells, setting Dearborn's eastern border.
• December 9, 1919: Springwells Township officially became the Village of Springwells.
• December 27, 1923: Voters approved making Springwells a city. It officially became a city on April 7, 1924.
• December 23, 1925: The City of Springwells changed its name to the City of Fordson.
• September 14, 1926: The village of Inkster was created from parts of Nankin and Dearborn townships.

Formation of Dearborn's Historic Springwells Park Neighborhood

On February 14, 1927, residents of the Village of Dearborn voted for it to become a city. The next year, on June 12, 1928, voters approved combining the City of Dearborn, the City of Fordson, and part of Dearborn Township into one larger City of Dearborn. Clyde M. Ford was elected as Dearborn's first mayor on January 9, 1929. The Historic Springwells Park Neighborhood was built in 1939 by Edsel B. Ford (Henry Ford's son). It was designed to provide nice homes for company executives and auto workers.

Famous People from Springwells

• Eddie Cicotte – A baseball pitcher who was part of the Black Sox Scandal in the 1919 World Series.
• Henry Ford – An American industrialist who founded the Ford Motor Company.

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Springwells (Míchigan) para niños