When Joseph Wampler surveyed the territory now known as Warren and
Center Line Michigan, he found a lot of swamp occupied by a few squatters and
some Indians. The land was placed on the market, but initial
sales were slow.
The first known landowner to actually settle here
was Charles Groesbeck, in 1830. He was soon followed by his
brother Louis and Charles Rivard. Louis who settled at what
became the northwest corner of 12 Mile and mound, hosted the
organization of Hickory Township (later Aba, then Warren) in 1837, when
Michigan became a State.
Louis' grandson, Alex Groesbeck, born in 1872, on
the same property, became the 30th Governor of Michigan, noted for
"bringing Michigan out of the muck" by initiating the state's modern
system of highways. M-97, or Groesbeck Highway, is named for
him. A State historical Marker about Gov. Groesbeck is located at
the Mound Road entrance to the GM Tech Center.
Hickory Township became the Village of Warren, which
still exists today. Many efforts have been made to restore and
maintain the Villiage area, and these efforts resulted in the
designation of the Village area as a State Historic Site. A
marker at Chicago and Mound Roads explains this designation.
Warren Township remained a rural area for many years, filling slowly
with the common people fleeing hard times in Europe. They turned
the swamps into farm land. Little changed until after World War
II, when Warren became the industrial center it is today.
On October 27, 1957 Gov. G. Mennen Williams signed
the charter designating Warren as a City. Between 1960 and 1970
Warren's population doubled with new homes and shopping areas.
But much of Old Warren remains, and it is the goal of the Warren
Historical and Genealogical Society to maintain the sense of history
which we pass on to future generations.
You are invited to become a member of the Warren
Historical and Genealogical Society, to participate in our efforts to
honor those who came before and to give pride to those who come after.
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