By an act of Legislature of Michigan, approved March 11, 1837; the west half of the county of Ingham was set off and organized as a separate township by the name of Aurelius, and the first town-meeting was ordered to be held at the house of Elijah Woodworth, who lived in what is not the township of Leslie. From the territory originally included in Aurelius have since been organized the townships of Onondaga, Leslie, Vevay, Delhi, Alaiedon, Lansing, and Meridian, and Aurelius now includes only townsip 2 north, in range 2 west, -- a single congressional township in place of eight, of which it was at first composed. The first township-meeting was held in the early part of April, 1837, and the following account of it is taken from the township records:
"At a meeting of the electors of the town of Aurelius, at the house of Elijah Woodworth, Ezekiel T. Critchett was chosen Moderator, Amos E. Steele, Clerk, pro tem., and Peter Cranson, Benjamin Davis, and Sidney O. Russel, Inspectors of Election.
"There were given for Benjamin Davis, as Supervisor, 24 votes; and there were 26 votes given for Ezekiel T. Crichett, as Township Clerk; 24 votes for Peter Cranson, 23 votes for Henry Meeker, 24 votes for Peter Linderman, and 24 votes for James Royston, as Justices of the Peace; and 24 votes for A. E. Steele, 24 votes for Benjamin Rolfe, 20 votes for James Royston, and 10 votes were given for Josephus Tuttle, as Assessors; and 23 votes for S. O. Russell, 23 for Orris Cranson, and 23 for Hiram Austin, as Commissioners of Highways; and twelve votes were given for A. E. Steele, 12 for Nathan Rolfe, and 12 for James Royston, as Inspectors of Common Schools; and 20 votes were given for Benjamin Meeker, 19 for Peter Cranson, and 20 for Peter Linderman, as Directors of the Poor; and Jeduthun Fry was elected as Collector; an Jeduthun Fry, Jacob Armstrong, and Pliny Rolfe were elected Constables.
"Resolved, That the Justices of the Peace be empowered to appoint Road Masters, and that the said Road Masters be Fence-Viewers.
"Resolved, Seven dollars and fifty cents be the bounty per head for the killing of wolves by actual settlers in the town of Aurelius.
"Resolved, That the next annual town-meeting be held at the house of Sidney O. Russell.

" E. T. Critchett, Moderator.
" A. E. Steele, Clerk.

At a special meeting, held April 24, 1837, Jacob Armstrong was chosen collector, and Stephen Kirby and Henry A. Hawley constables. At another speical meeting, held Aug. 19, 1837 (convened at the house of E. B. Danforth, and adjourned to that of James Blain), Jacob Lewis was elected constable. In 1838 it was
" Resolved, That five dollars shall be paid for each schelp of the woolf that is caught and kiled in this town."

In 1840 it was voted to appropriate $150 towards building a bridge over Grand River, at the county-line, at or near Columbia, provided a like amount should be raised for the purpose in the town or county of Eaton. The bridge was built, and cost the township of Aurelius $145.25. The following have been the principal officers of the township since 1838:

SUPERVISORS.

1838-40, John Barnes; 1841, John M. French; 1842, Minos McRobert; 1843, Jonathon Snyder; 1844, Zaccheus Barnes; 1845-46, John M. French; 1847-48, Reuben R. Bullen; 1849, David Potter; 1850, Charles Jennings; 1851, Orlando M. Barnes; 1852, Charles Jennings; 1853-54, John M. French; 1855, Barney Davis; 1856, Reuben R. Bullen; 1857-60, Barney G. Davis; 1861, J. G. Bump; 1862, Barney G. Davis; 1863, Enos Blanchard; 1864, Barney G. Davis; 1865, Charles Jennings; 1866, Alfred J. Holley; 1867, Charles Jennings; 1868, Alfred J. Holley; 1869, Wilson Davis; 1870, Micajah Vaughn; 1871, Barney G. Davis; 1872, Richard J. Bullen; 1873, Wilson Davis; 1874-75, Richard J. Bullen; 1876, Wilson Davis; 1877-79, Richard J. Bullen.

TOWNSHIP CLERKS.

1838, Zaccheus Barnes;* 1839-40, Joseph L. Huntington; 1841, Joshua G. Bump; 1842, Joseph L. Huntington; 1843, Zaccheus Barnes; 1844, L. H. Fowler; 1845, Reuben R. Bullen; 1846-47, Zaccheus Barnes; 1848, Charles Jennings; 1849-50, Horace Hobart; 1851, Reuben R. Bullen; 1852, Horace Hobart; 1853-54, Charles Jennings; 1855, Josiah Fowler, Jr.; 1856-57, George W. Parks; 1858, John A. Barnes; 1859, George H. Waggoner; 1860-62, Charles M. Jennings, +1863, Ranson Sabin, Jr.; 1864, Byron H. Stark; 1865-66, Seth M. Pease, 1867-68, George H. Waggoner; 1869, Dudley N. Bateman; 1870, Charles C. Carr; 1871, Benjamin H. Rolfe; 1872, David J. Potter; 1873, Robert S. Covert; 1874-77, Jackson P. Bond; 1878, George W. Swartwout; 1879, Harrison B. Rolfe.

* Removed from town, and S. D. Morse appointed.
+ Charles Jennings appointed to fill vacancy in March, 1863.

TREASURERS.

1839, Benjamin Hazelton; 1840, Johm M. French; 1841, Darius Oaks; 1842, John M. French; 1843, John Barnes; 1844, Jonathan Snyder; 1845-46, Joseph L. Huntington; 1847, William Isham, 1848-54, Joshua F. Freeman; 1855, Zaccheus Barnes; 1856, Micajah Vaughn; 1857--60, John Wright; 1861, Andrew S. Fowler; 1862, Enos Blanchard; 1863, Andrew S. Fowler; 1864, E. W. Brown; 1865, Alfred J. Holley; 1866, Stephen Gillett; 1867, Darius Pratt; 1868, William J. Makley; 1869-70, Charles B. Fowler; 1871-73, George W. Wilson; 1874, Reuben Nelson; 1875, William Fanson; 1876-78, Silas W. Wright; 1879, William Mix.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1838, John Barnes, Robert G. Hayward, Sanford D. Morse; 1839, Benjamin Hazelton, William Hogel; 1840, R. R. Bullen, J. G. Bump, Joseph L. Huntington; 1841, John Barnes; 1842, Ransom Hazelton; 1843, Linus H. Fowler, 1844, Minos McRobert; 1845, J. S. Covert, W. Turner; 1846, A. Waggoner; 1847, Linus H. Fowler; 1848, Winslow Turner; 1849, James S. Covert, R. R. Bullen; 1850, Gardner Gates, William Webb; 1851, L. H. Fowler, Asa S. Robinson, Alexander Coles; 1852, John Wright, R. G. Hayward, J. F. Freeman; 1853, L. A. Heath, Asahel Baldwin; 1854, David Potter; 1855, Robert Hayward; 1856, Enos Blanchard; 1857, Alfred Parke; 1858, James White, Alfred J. Holley; 1859, John A. Barnes; 1860, Alfred J. Holley; 1861, Charles Jennings; 1862, James White; 1863, B. E. Sawtell, J. A. Barnes; 1864, Joseph P. Jewett; 1865, William Miller; 1866, Walter Colton; 1867, Alfred M. Parks; 1868, Micajah Vaught, Josiah Hedden, Charles Jennings; 1869, John J. Slaughter; 1870, Jacob Baker, Alfred Parker; 1871, A. W. McIntyre, Jacob Baker; 1872, Alonzo Cheney; 1873, Alfred Parker, Jay W. Freeman; 1874, Jacob Baker; 1875, David H. Waite; 1876, Alonzo Cheney; 1877, L. A. Fowler, John T. Holley; 1878, John Webb; 1879, L. Hawkins.

1880, Supervisor, Richard J. Bullen; Township Clerk, Lowell H. Saunders; Treasurer, William H. Mix; Justice of the Peace, John T. Holley; Superintendent of Schools, Chares S. Wilson; School Inspector, William M. Webb; Commissioner of Highways, Charles S. Merrylees; Drain Commissioner, Robert S. Covert; Constables, Austin J. Doolittle, Judson P. Converse, Leonard Polhemus, Edgar J. Rorabeck

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.
Page 221-222