Sciota Township
Shiawassee County, Michigan

1875 County Map

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Sciota....1875

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The first township meeting was held in 1842, after the township had been defined and declared by the State of Michigan. The meeting was held at the tavern of Cyrus Miller in Laingsburg. Elected officers were: Supervisor, Mason Phelps; Clerk, Henry Smith; Treasurer, S.B. Fuller; Assessor, Levi McDaniels; Highway Commissioners, G.M. Goss, D.F. Randall; Justices of the Peace, Cyrus Miller, B.F. Childs, A. Smith; School Inspectors, A.P. Smith, Henry Smith, S.B. Fuller; Constables, A.C. Laing, L. McDaniels; Overseers of the Poor, E.M. Cross, A. Smith.

Laingsburg is located on Grand River Rd. 8 miles west of M-52. This beautiful stretch of Grand River Rd. has a unique cannopy of trees. Laingsburg is the only city in the township and was founded by Dr. Peter Laing. He came to the township in 1836 and built a log home which became a place for travelers to stay overnite and also a tavern and later became a stage stop. Henry Smith was the first postmaster in 1841. Mail was brought by pony express but later by stage coach.

The village name was changed to Nebraska on July 8, 1854, but changed back to Laingsburg on Feb. 4, 1862.

The village was not platted until 1860, when the Jackson, Lansing and Northern (now Michigan Central) Railroad came through. It was incorporated as a village in 1871 and as a city in 1951.

In the 1920's, Round Lake Casino near Laingsburg was visited several times by Al Capone.

This part of Shiawassee County has seen a building boom, as many residents work in Lansing.