Yes, there are seven Livonias in the United States. And Livonia, Michigan is the largest with a current estimated population of 97,000
Around the world there have been many Livonias over the centuries. The original Livonia in eastern Europe/western Russia dates to the twelfth century when it was a country of Finnish Livonians (Latvians) in a territory they and Baltic Germans controlled on the eastern Baltic coast. This Livonia became part of Polish-controlled Lithuania in the 16th century and by 1772 a province of Russia. After World War I, old Livonia was split between Latvia and Estonia. Only fragments of the old Livonia remain and few still speak the language.
Michigan’s Livonia began as a township within Wayne County, Michigan in 1835 when Livonia township was set off from Nankin township by the territorial legislature and vote of its residents. Before then, the area was still mostly populated by Indians of the Potawatomi tribe. There were no roads, only trails through the woods and along the rivers.
This began to change after the Indian Treaty of 1807 which opened up areas beyond Detroit for development. Some of the first settlers in what later became Livonia township included the Aldrich, Hunt, Osband, Ryder, and Simmons families. More settlers came after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 including the Blues, Briggs, McKinneys, and Shaws.
Several of these early families came from the Livonia in New York, bringing the town’s name with them.
The township of Livonia had post offices in four 19th century communities — Clarenceville, Elm, Newburgh, and Stark. The first was at Newburgh (formerly called Lima and Nankin) 1828-1902. Another, at Base Line (Eight Mile) and Grand River, was called Plank Road and later renamed Clarenceville, 1834-1907.
According to the Michigan Manual and postal records, there also was a small crossroads community called Livonia Centre, at Five Mile and Farmington Roads. It had a post office from 1849 to 1865 and a town hall just west of the present city hall.
The post office at Elm, shared by Livonia and Redford townships, operated 1858-1906. The one at Stark (first called Livonia Station) operated from 1877 to 1906.
Clarenceville straddled four townships in Wayne and Oakland County. It was the fourth stop on the Grand River Plank Road to Lansing. Some early maps include the village of Schwarzburg which actually was in Nankin township, now the city of Westland. Clarenceville, Elm, and Stark were stations on the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad (later called the Detroit, Lansing & Northern, then Pere Marquette). The township population then ranged from 1,200 to 1,500. These stations also were served by the Detroit Urban Railway railcar system (horse-drawn and later by engine cars) which operated until 1927. The fare into Detroit was a nickel.
All of Livonia township including the remaining villages were incorporated as a city in 1950. With 97,000 residents, Livonia today is one of Michigan’s ten largest cities. currently ranking ninth behind Detroit (713,000), Grand Rapids (188,000), Warren (134,000), Sterling Heights (129,000). Lansing (114,000), Ann Arbor (113,000), Flint (102,000), and Dearborn (98,000).
Now, what about those six other Livonias around the country? Let’s start with the oldest. The first Livonia established in America is the one in Louisiana, dating to possibly before 1700 when it was under French rule. How it got the name Livonia is uncertain, but there were other places in Europe named Livonia at that time.
Today, the Livonia in Louisiana has a population of 1,330. It’s located in Pointe Coupee Parish west of Baton Rouge and north of US-10.
Next oldest is the Livonia that’s just off I-390 near Rochester in New York state. It dates to 1789 and today has a population of about 1,400. Some of its first residents came from the Livonia in Lithuania, bringing the town’s name with them.
This Livonia had been larger in its 19th century heyday when thousands of families migrated through this area to the Erie Canal and west to Michigan and the Midwest. Directly east of this Livonia is a is another smaller Livonia, called Livonia Center. It dates to 1811 and has 420 residents.
The next oldest Livonia is in Indiana. It was founded in 1819 as the village of Bethel. Located is in Washington County on State Route 56 and south of Bloomington, it is a hamlet of 110 residents.
Another Livonia that may have been first settled before 1800 is the one in Pennsylvania, although its official start year is 1834. This Livonia, now a small hamlet of fewer than 50 people, is in Centre County between State College and Williamsport.
The seventh Livonia in the U.S. is in Missouri, a community of 120 in Putnam County near the Iowa border and southeast of Des Moines. It appears to have first been settled about 1857.
All seven of our nation’s Livonias were settled in the 19th century or earlier, taking their names from one of the Livonias in Europe, including the province in western Russia. In Michigan’s case, it has been assumed, correctly most likely, that our Livonia was named after the one in New York since there is no evidence that any of the city’s early settlers came from the Livonia province in Russia.
Curiously, the Livonia of the 12th century was then so named because it was not likely to ever be duplicated. Today, in addition to our seven Livonias, there is another in England and at least two Livonia townships, in Minnesota and New York. Also, many people have had the name Livonia or Lavinia, a popular early Eutropean name said to mean “gift of God.”
More information on Michigan’s Livonia and the other Livonias of the nation and the world is available in Wikipedia, World Almanacs, editions of Michigan Censuses and Manuals from 1840, Michigan State Gazetteer, and Daniel’s, MacGregor’s and Paris’ books on Livonia (Michigan) history, Burton and Farmer’s Detroit/Wayne County histories, Michigan and County Atlases, 1840-1927, Romig’s Michigan Place Names, and a host of internet websites.
Submitted by Gene Scott. Gene, a retired publicity officer and editor, was a resident of Livonia for 25 years. He has authored three books on Michigan history. He now lives in Novi, Michigan.