The territory that now constitutes Ingham County was previously a part of both Washtenaw and Wayne counties before its separatation. On October 29, 1829 the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan enacted upon and passed that the lands were outlined and "set off into a separate county, and the name thereof shall be Ingham".

On Nov. 4, 1829, Ingham County was attached to Washtenaw for judicial and other purposes and Ingham was annexed to and formed a part of the township of Dexter, in Washtenaw County.

The original county-seat of Ingham County was located about two years previous to the organization of the county. On March 8, 1836, Governor Stevens T. Mason appointed Theophilus Crawford of Livingston, Washington Wing of Washtenaw, and John Wright as commissioners to locate the county seat of Ingham County. Mr. Wright resigned and was replaced by John Bronson of Detroit.

On June 15, 1836, the commissioners made the report that the they had located the seat of the county of Ingham at the quarter-section post, between sections one and twelve, town two north, range one west. And on this date Governor Mason issued his proclamation confirming the location for the county-seat of Ingham agreeably to the report that the commissioners had made.

The land on which the county seat was now located was owned by Charles T. Thayer. Mr. Thayer laid out a village and named it Ingham. No buildings were ever erected and no business was ever transacted at the place. Due to dissatisfaction that was expressed at the location by the commissioners, petitions were drawn up soon after asking for its removal.

Ingham was very near the geographical centre of the county, but, being on neither a stream nor a great traveled road, the village of Mason soon drew business to the its centre.

Taken from:
"History of Ingham and Eaton Counties Michigan, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Their Prominent Men and Pioneers", by Samuel W. Durant.
Published by D. W. Ensign & Co., 1880.