Excerpt from History of Hillsdale County, Michigan; Philadelphia, Everts & Abbott, 1879

Woodbridge Township

Woodbridge Township was formed on January 28, 1840 from Fayette Township, which had previously been formed from the township of Vance. The original township included territory within its boundaries that makes up the present townships of

Woodbridge, Cambria, and the western half of Amboy. The township derived its name from Gov. William Woodbridge, who was the acting Governor of the Territory of

Michigan in 1820-1821. The first settler to arrive in the area was William Saxton from

Lenawee County, Michigan. He came in the year 1834. Accompanied by his wife and four sons, he came to settle. In the last nine miles of his journey he was obliged to cut his own road for the passage of his ox team. The first Township Supervisor was Charles

Stoddard in 1842. The first Township Clerk was Burton H. Lamphere in 1842. The first

Township Treasurer was Jacob Summer the same year. The first school house was erected in 1843.

There are many interesting facts about the township in the 1874 Michigan Census.

There were 19,220 acres of taxable land in the township. Much of this land was used for farming; several acres were used for churches and schools. Livestock such as horses, cows, mules, sheep and oxen were raised. Farms also produced corn, wheat, and other grains.

Excerpt from History of Hillsdale County, Michigan; Philadelphia, Everts & Abbott,