James Phillips became the first person to settle in the township in December 1836 at a location known as Alaiedon Center.

[6] In 1837 the first settlement, Jefferson City, was platted and founded at what is today the Hagadorn and Lamb intersection along Mud Creek.

It was found that the town was never formally platted, and thus did not legally exist, preventing the settlement's residents from obtaining deeds to their properties.

[5] In 1877, residents constructed a township hall on one-quarter of an acre of Ingham County's "poor farm" that served as the township hall until 1959 when a new one was constructed at 2021 West Holt Road.

In 1998,[7] 2008,[8] and 2013,[9] the township entered into PA 425 Agreements, which conditionally transferred hundreds of acres of territory in the north-central part of the township to the city of Lansing to retain and expand the headquarters of Jackson National Life Insurance.

[3] Sycamore Creek flows northward through the western part of the township.

The 2000 Census was erroneously found to have included population in the nearby city of Mason within the boundaries of the township.