History: 

Recorded history of the area called Plainfield Township began in 1763 when Rene' deLa Salle sailed up the Grand River attempting to find a shorter passage between the Detroit River and lower Lake Michigan. By 1826, the United States Federal Government acquired all land north of Indiana and south of the Grand River (including Grand Rapids and Kent County) in the Treaty of Dearborn. The northern part of the Township was deeded to the US in the Treaty of Washington D.C. in 1836. The land was promptly settled and was organized as Plainfield Township in 1836. It also encompassed vast areas of Northern Kent County adjoining it, which were eventually set off and organized as separate townships.

In 1840, the first sawmill and gristmill were erected on the Rogue River. A Post Office, called Austerlitz, was established on March 22, 1843. It was the first post office in Kent County north of Grand Rapids. Plainfield Village provided a landing place, a supply and service source to busy river traffic, as the Grand River above Grand Rapids was being readied for steamboat navigation. Steam boating on the upper Grand River continued from 1837 through 1857 and again by similar streamers in the late 1880's and early 1890's in passenger excursions and lifting logs of valuable hardwood lost in log drives passing through the Township.

Plainfield Township continued to grow throughout the early and mid 1900's. In 1945, Dexter Hamilton organized the Plainfield Township Volunteer Fire Department. Today, a combination full-time / part-time / paid-on-call department serves the residents of Plainfield Township, working out of two stations. In 1959, the township started its own water department and dedicated the water plant and water system in May 1964. At the time the water plant could treat 1.5 million gallons of water per day. Today that number has grown to 20 million gallons per day and serves more than 10,000 customers.