- Cohoctah Township was originally known as Tuscola Township
- 1833 Settlers and speculators began purchasing land in Tuscola Township
- 1857 the name was changed to Bristol Township
- 1867 the name was changed to its present name
- It is believed that Cohoctah was the name of a former Native American chief, and means "many trees in water," although no one knows for sure
- The territory was bought by two types of purchasers; those intending to develop and settle the land and those looking to be investors.
- 1833 - First settler was a trader named Gilbert W. Prentiss, who made two claims in the NE 1/4 of section 22, totaling 120 acres.
- 1834 - Second settler and the first permanent resident, was John Sanford from New York. He began what was known as the Sanford Settlement in section 27 (Byron and Chase Lake Road), which was for some time the center of the township's population.
- 1836 - Three-quarters of the township's acreage was purchased in one year, beginning in May, average size of 146 acres per sale.
- 1836 - The first surveyor's record of the first regular highway in Cohoctah, from Howell to John Sanford's residence.
- 1846 - The first grist mill and dam were built on a 40 acre tract of land in the North part of section 36 on Bo-bish-e-nung creek, which at this point had a fall of over 13 feet. About the same time a small store was built, and soon a village began to develop. It was called Chemungville after a county in New York. The post office was called Oak Grove.
- In the late 1850's or 1860's, the area known as Sprungtown grew up around a steam sawmill near the current Cohoctah Center.
- Named after a prominent citizen, Isaac Sprung, at its peak Sprungtown contained two stores, two blacksmith shops, about a dozen homes, and a population of 50.
- It was hoped that the railroad would come to Sprungtown, but was instead built through Tuscola, which was started shortly after Sprungtown.
- 1874 - The Sprungtown post office was moved to Cohoctah. The other post office in the township remained in Oak Grove.
Sources: Mrs Chester Randles in History & Folklor of Livingston County (1969, Livingston County Extension Council) and History of Livingston County, Michigan, 1880.
Past Elected Officials in Cohoctah Township
Cohoctah Township Supervisor Mark Fosdick compiled the information after making a review of records in Cohoctah Township. The records only date back to 1911, but provide valuable information on the history of Cohoctah Township. Up until 1943 the terms of elected office were one year. Starting in 1943 the terms of elected office were two years, and later changed to four years.
Supervisors
1911 – 1913 Clarence Fuller
1914 William Trowbridge
1915 – 1916 Edwin Pratt
1917 - ? Daniel C. Richards
1932 – 1933 O.H. Holmes
1934 – 1936 John Layton
1937 – 1968 Carl Raddatz
On February 16, 1968 a special meeting was called to choose a new supervisor due to the accidential death of Carl Raddatz. Glendon Hoisington was appointed to fill the remainder of the term. Mr. Hoisington was not at the meeting, but when called he came over and was sworn in. Mr. Hoisington resigned from the zoning board.
1968 – 1984 Glendon Hoisington
1984 – 1996 Rex L. Peckens
1996 – 2000 Joseph Miesle
2000 - Mark Fosdick
Clerk
1911 – 1912 William H. Slider
1913 - William H. Trowbridge
1914 – 1915 Bruce Hadsall
1916 – ? Paul Steinacker
1932 – 1933 Earl Bohm
1934 – 1935 Harold Allbright
1936 Russel Switzer
1937 – 1938 Floyd E. Lott, Sr.
1939 – 1941 Lloyd Allbright
1942 – 1947 Mary Lott
1947 – 1948 Arthur Otts
1949 – 1959 Edward Schroeder
1959 – 1984 Ralph Peckens
1984 – 1989 Sandra Klender
1989 – 1993 Gary Campbell
1993 – 2008 Karen Thurner
2008 – Brenda Meek
Treasurer
1911 Alva Ellis, Jr.
1912 – 1913 Joseph Hibbard
1914 – 1915 Roy M. Lannen
1916 – ? Ray Carlson
1932 – 1935 E.T. Jubb
1936 – 1959 Vera Kessler
1959 – 1977 Thomas Lound
1977 – 1982 Margaret E. Holmes
1982 – 1992 Mary Ann Reneaud
1992 – 2002 Marshal Forbush
2002 – 2003 Michelle Julvezan
2003 - Tami Bock
Justice of the Peace
1911 John Fredrickson, 8 months
1911 Frank Handy, 4 years
1912 John Fredrickson, 4 years
1913 William B. Slider, 4 years
1915 Roy Carlson, 4 years
1916 John Fredrickson, 4 years
1917 William B. Reader, 4 years
1932 Dan Hendryx, 4 years
1933 George Killen, 4 years
1934 Clare Wessinger, 4 years
1935 Carl Raddatz, 4 years
1936 Dan Hendryx, 4 years
1937 George Killen, 4 years
1938 George Surtzer, 4 years
1939 Joe Brown, 4 years
1940 Dan Hendryx, 4 years
1940 Kenneth Steinacker, 1 year
1941 Kenneth Steinacker, 4 years
1942 Edwin Pratt, 4 years
1943 Eugene Pitteys, 4 years
1945 Kenneth Steinacker, 4 years
1945 Dan Hendryx, 4 years
1947 John Wrigglesworth, 4 years
1949 Vernon Praatt
1953 Kenneth Peckens, full term
1953 Kenneth Steinacker
1959 Kenneth Steinacker
Highway Commissioners
1911 William Lott
1912 William Wrigglesworth
1913 Albert S. Crawford
1914 Benjamin Knapp
1915 – 1916 Richard Wrigglesworth
1917 – ? Bradley M. Lott
1932 – 1934 William Stone
1935 – 1937 Edwin Pratt
1938 – 1945 Clair Lott
1945 – 1949 Ernest Tisch
1953 John Wrigglesworth
Overseer of Highways
1911 Greenley Elwell
1912 H. G. Elwell
1913 Benjamin Knapp
1914 Richard K. Wrigglesworth
1915 – 1916 Bradley Lott
1917 G. D. Cook
Trustee
1953 Charles Ward
Floyd Lobdell
1954 Ellmer Boillat, appointed to fill vacancy
1955 Thomas Jackson and Tom Lound, appointed to fill vacancy
1956 – 1959 Tom Lound
1956 – 1961 Thomas Jackson
1959 – 1968 Andrew Jackson
1961 – 1967 Charles Ward
1967 – 1981 Harold Lieberman
1968 – 1984 Joseph Miesle, Jr.
1981 – 1988 John A. Ishler
1984 – 1989 Gary Campbell
1984 – 1992 Marshal Forbush
1989 - William Thurner
1992 - 2008 Ron Smith
2008 - Fred Buckner
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