European exploration and colonization • 1603 French lay claim to unidentified territory in this region, naming it New France. • July 24, 1701
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his soldiers first land at what is now
Detroit. • November 29, 1760 The
British take control of the area from France. • 1780 Pierre Dumais clears farm near what is today's Morningside Street in Dearborn's South End.
Early U.S. history • 1783 – By terms of the
Treaty of Paris ending the
American Revolutionary War,
Great Britain cedes territory south of the
Great Lakes to the
United States, although the British retain practical control of the Detroit area and several other settlements until 1797. • 1787 – Territory of the US north and west of the
Ohio River is officially proclaimed the
Northwest Territory. • December 26, 1791 – Detroit environs become part of
Kent County,
Ontario. • 1796 –
Wayne County is formed by proclamation of the acting governor of the Northwest Territory. Its original area is , stretching from
Cleveland,
Ohio, to
Chicago,
Illinois, and northwest to
Canada. • May 7, 1800 –
Indiana Territory, created out of part of
Northwest Territory, although the eastern half of Michigan including the Dearborn area, was not attached to Indiana Territory until
Ohio was admitted as a state in 1803. • January 11, 1805 –
Michigan Territory officially created out of a part of the
Indiana Territory. • June 11, 1805 – Fire destroys most of Detroit. • November 15, 1815 – Boundaries of Wayne County redrawn, county split into 18 townships. • January 5, 1818 – Springwells Township established by Gov.
Lewis Cass. • October 23, 1824 – Bucklin Township created by Gov. Lewis Cass. The area ran from Greenfield to approximately Haggerty and from Van Born to Eight Mile. • 1826 – Conrad Ten Eyck builds Ten Eyck Tavern at Michigan Avenue and Rouge River. • 1827 – Wayne County's boundaries changed to its current . • April 12, 1827 – Springwells and Bucklin townships formally organized and laid out by gubernatorial act. • October 29, 1829 – Bucklin Township split along what is today Inkster Road into
Nankin (west half) and
Pekin (east half) townships. • March 21, 1833 – Pekin Township renamed
Redford Township. • March 31, 1833 –
Greenfield Township created from north and west sections of Springwells Township, including what is now today east Dearborn. • April 1, 1833 – Dearborn Township created from southern half of Redford Township south of Bonaparte Avenue (Joy Road). • October 23, 1834 – Dearborn Township renamed Bucklin Township. • March 26, 1836 – Bucklin Township renamed Dearborn Township. • January 26, 1837 – Michigan admitted to the Union as the 26th state.
Stevens T. Mason is first governor. • 1837 –
Michigan Central Railroad extended through Springwells Township. Hamlet of Springwells rises along railroad. • April 5, 1838 – Village of Dearbornville incorporates. Village later unincorporated on May 11, 1846. • 1849 Detroit
annexes Springwells Township east of Brooklyn Street. • April 2, 1850 – Greenfield Township annexes another section of Springwells Township. • February 12, 1857 – Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Grand Boulevard. • March 25, 1873 – Springwells Township annexes back section of Greenfield Township south of Tireman • May 28, 1875 – Postmaster general changes name of Dearbornville post office to Dearborn post office, hence changing the city's name. • 1875 – Detroit annexes another section of Springwells Township. • June 20, 1884 – Detroit annexes Springwells Township east of Livernois.
Incorporation as village • March 24, 1893 Village of Dearborn incorporates. • 1906 Detroit annexes another section of Springwells Township. • 1916 Detroit annexes more of Springwells Township, forming Dearborn's eastern boundary. • December 9, 1919 Springwells Township incorporates as the Village of Springwells. • October 16, 1922 Springwells Township (Village?) annexes small section of Dearborn Township east of present-day Greenfield Road. • December 27, 1923 Voters approve incorporation of the City of Springwells. It officially became a city April 7, 1924. • September 9, 1924 Village of Warrendale incorporates. • April 6, 1925 Warrendale voters and residents of remaining Greenfield Township approve annexation by Detroit. • May 26, 1925 The Village of Dearborn annexes most of Dearborn Township. • December 23, 1925 The City of Springwells changes its name to the City of Fordson. • September 14, 1926 Election approves incorporation of village of
Inkster from an eastern portion of Nankin Township and a western portion of Dearborn Township, causing the unincorporated part of Dearborn Township to be separated into two unconnected sections.
Formation of Dearborn's Historic Springwells Park Neighborhood On February 14, 1927, Village of Dearborn residents voted to become a city. The following year on June 12, 1928, voters approved consolidation of the City of Dearborn (population 9,000), City of Fordson (population 33,000) and part of Dearborn Township consolidated into the City of Dearborn. On January 9, 1929, Clyde M. Ford was elected as the first mayor of Dearborn. The Historic Springwells Park Neighborhood was established in 1939 by Edsel B. Ford to provide company executives and auto workers with upscale housing accommodations. ==Notable natives==