[7] General David White is considered the founder of Sylvania as the first pioneer settler and town supervisor, originally from Palmyra, New York.

In 1832, White was given the title of General (possibly after services rendered during the War of 1812), which allowed him to explore the western Lake Erie region.

In realizing the potential of some available land to the north of Maumee, Ohio, a notable port city at the time, he acquired a title to the land and built a log cabin at what would eventually be the corner of Summit and Monroe streets near downtown Sylvania.

[8][9][10][11] Prior to White's acquisition, the land was a part of Port Lawrence Township, Monroe County, Michigan.

Over the course of several years, White, along with his associate, Judge William Wilson, purchased a total of 1,920 acres (780 ha) of Port Lawrence and surrounding land in what would eventually become Sylvania, and 1,720 acres (700 ha) of what would become Whiteford Township, Michigan, where he also served as the first town supervisor.

Wilson presented the original plat for Sylvania in June 1836, with the town of Whiteford directly adjacent.

[12][10] Throughout the 1830s and 1840s, rail transportation saw significant expansion throughout the Great Lakes region.

[14] While the depot is no longer in operation, the original station building exists as an exhibit in the Sylvania Historical Village, still next to the railroad which remains in use.

[17] The city is built on large shale deposits, which over hundreds of years have been mined in quarries to make concrete, cement and other stone products.

[18] Silica shale from the region is renowned among paleontologists for its high-quality fossils from the early Devonian period.

They operate multiple facilities and parks, including Pacesetter, Veterans Memorial and Burnham parks, as well as a recreation center, Tam-O-Shanter, with two ice skating rinks and two indoor soccer fields.

[46] The judicial branch of the city government is run by the Sylvania Municipal Court,[47] which is presided over by the Honorable Judge Michael A.

[48] The city council has seven members, comprising eight committees: Building & Grounds, Employee & Community Relations, Finance, Parks & Forestry, Safety, Streets, Utilities & Environment, and Zoning & Annexation.

The current members of the council are Mark Frye, Patrick Richardson, Katie Cappellini, Douglas Haynam, Brian McCann, Lyndsey Stough and Mary Westphal.

The Sylvania Branch Library, located near Northview High School, was built in the 1950s, and was expanded and remodeled in 2017.