
The township was named after New York because most of the settlers in the region came from that state during its initial growth in the 1820s and up through incorporation. The township began to grow quickly as droves of settlers moved in from the 13 original colonies and the surrounding regions. In 1831 York Township began stabilizing with the construction of its first schoolhouse and in 1834, the township was incorporated at the convening of the Territorial Legislature in Detroit. In 1824 the township was officially recognized but was not allowed to incorporate because it lacked major staples of a self-sustaining town.

One of the hottest Realty Markets in the Ann Arbor Saline area and a commuters dream, the area made up of York Township real estate in Washtenaw County in Michigan attracted settlers as early as 1752, but it was not until 1789, when Chief Okemos of the Chippewa Native Americans signed an agreement allowing white people on Indian lands, that settlements became more permanent.
