The town was named for Nathan Kirk, a local pioneer settler.

[4] Nathan Kirk, the first white settler in eastern Clinton County, laid out the town of Kirklin in the early 1830s, the original plat consisting a row of seven blocks on either side of the Michigan Road (Main Street).

An addition filed on October 24, 1836, added blocks to the east, west and south sides of the original plat.

Edward Miller established the first general store in a log building and William Wynkoop built the first hotel; other early businesses included Hiram Dougherty's cabinet shop, James Hollcraft's bar, John Heffner's blacksmith shop, Columbus Kemp's tannery and M. Z. Saylor (physician).

On June 8, 1876, the county commissioners declared the town of Kirklin incorporated.

[5] The Kirklin Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

[6] According to the 2010 census, Kirklin has a total area of 0.34 square miles (0.88 km2), all land.