By an act of the Michigan Legislature on March 11, 1835, the townships of Hickory and Orange were set off from Clinton.
On April 2, 1838, the township name was changed from Hickory to "Aba" (sometimes misspelled "Alba") and was increased by the additions of sections 1 and 12.
He was soon joined by his brother Louis (the father of Michigan Governor Alex Groesbeck) and Charles Rivard.
[9] A strap iron railroad, one of the first of its kind in Michigan, connected the settlement with Utica to the north and with Detroit to the south.
[5] The Village of Warren was bound by 14 Mile Road on the north, 13 Mile Road on the south, the Michigan Central Railroad (MCRR) Bay City Branch to the east, and included the eastern half township section 5.