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DEXTER AREA COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE
DEXTER: A HISTORY Dexter is a vibrant community situated along the Huron River and Mill Creek. Known for its historic downtown, beautiful parks, and excellent schools, Dexter offers visitors and residents the charm and comfort of a small town along with the advantages of close proximity to the larger city of Ann Arbor. The first officially recognized inhabitants of the area that would become Dexter were Native Americans from the Ojibwa, Ottawa, Huron, and Potawatomi tribes. These people inhabited the area for many years, using it as hunting grounds, a trade route, and a place for tribal gatherings. The water from Mill Creek and the Huron River made the area rich in natural resources. However, in the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, the United States government negotiated with prominent Native American chiefs, resulting in the U.S. government taking possession of most of the land in lower Michigan. In the 1830s and 1840s, early pioneers began to purchase the land that would eventually become Dexter and the surrounding areas. Samuel W. Dexter was a prominent early settler and founder of the village of Dexter. Using the resources and power from the Huron River and Mill Creek, in addition to rich farming land, early settlers of this area formed a growing community. An early timeline, up to the 2000s, traces some of the major developments of Dexter that forged the thriving city it has become today.
1820s
In 1824, land speculator and lawyer Samuel Dexter purchased a large parcel of land that would become the village of Dexter. The area was first called the “Mill Creek Settlement” until the name was officially changed to the village of Dexter in 1830. In 1826, when Washtenaw was officially recognized as a county, Samuel Dexter was appointed as its first chief justice. From that point on, he was known as Judge Dexter. In 1827, Judge Dexter had a sawmill built, using the power of the Huron River and Mill Creek. Judge Dexter also established the first post office in Dexter, transporting mail to and from Ann Arbor by horseback. In 1828, Judge Dexter married Millicent Bond. They went on to have eight children.
1830s
In 1830, Dexter’s first school was built on “B” street, downtown. In 1838, a woolen mill was established.
1840s
In 1841, the Michigan Central Railroad reached Dexter from Detroit. Judge Dexter encouraged the railroad company to build tracks to Dexter by donating the land for them to use. In the early 1840s, Judge Dexter’s house was built just north of the village, in the Greek Revival architecture style. It was designed by Calvin T. Fillmore, brother of President Millard Fillmore. This home is an important landmark today. He named it Gordon Hall in honor of his mother’s side of the family. Legend has it that Gordon Hall was a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1843, a second school was built, next door to the first one. In 1844, a grist mill was built.
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