Owosso Township, formally named Owosso Charter Township, is a charter township of Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,765 at the 2020 census. The township borders the city of Owosso on the east, but the two are administered autonomously.
Communities
- Burton is an unincorporated community along S. Baldwin Road, which separated Owosso Township from adjacent Middlebury Township, at McBride Road. It was first established under the name Mungerville in 1864 but renamed to Burton on May 3, 1878. On January 31, 1936, the post office was closed. It is at , about 4.5 miles west of the city of Owosso.
- Five Points, also referred to as Five Points West or West Five Points, is an unincorporated community in the township at M-21, Priest Road and Smith Road.
- Smith Crossing is an unincorporated community in the township at Wilkinson and Smith roads near the Great Lakes Central Railroad crossing.
History
In 1835, the township received its first non-Native settlers, Elias Comstock, Kilburn Bedell and Lewis Findley, Bedell's father-in-law. The first building at Big Rapids was built in 1836.
The township's name sake is the American Indian Chief Wasso. Wasso and his tribe was moved from this area by the US under the 1836 treaty to a reservation.
By 1844, the spelling Owosso for the community came into use. The organizational act of March 20, 1848 formed New Haven Township, consisting of New Haven and Hazelton survey areas, from the township's territory. On March 28, 1950, Rush township was created out the township's northern township survey area leaving the township with a single survey area.
Demographics
As of the census