Woodhull Township
Shiawassee County, Michigan

The first township meeting was held at the tavern of Peter Laing in 1839. Officers elected were: Supervisor, James Woodhull; Moderator, Henry Leach; Clerk, Oliver B. Wescott; Assistant Clerk, Benjiman Hewitt; Inspectors of the Election, John and Josephus Woodhull, Walter Laing, John Graham.

Woodhull Township still included what is presently Sciota Twp. The townships were separated in 1842.

The first school was built by the Woodhull brothers, along with neighbors from Clinton County and Laingsburg. The Indians that lived in the area were friendly to the whites and they lived well together.

The village of Woodhull was located west of Perry and was named after Joseph Woodhull, who with his sons, John and Josephus, became the first settlers here in 1836. The village was organized in 1838 with John Woodhull as its first supervisor.

However, John Shaft, in 1846, purchased 2380 acres on which Shaftsburg would eventually develop. David J. Tower became the first postmaster of Woodhull on Jan. 14, 1850. The office was closed on Nov. 12, 1857, but was reopened on Nov. 19, 1874. The village name was officially changed to Shaftsburg on Jan. 19, 1880.

By then, it consisted of several stores, a hotel, post office, blacksmith shop, school and churches. Many of the area residents today are descendants of the early pioneers.

Other pioneers include; Philander Maine, Patrick Cocoran, Samuel Graham, William Hammond, Reuben Place, Francis Mann, Benjiman Hewitt and Abram Schermerhorn.