Bangor Township was created with the first United States survey of Van Buren County as township No. 2 south, range No. 16 west. The Township, originally part of the old Township of South Haven, and was officially approved by the Michigan legislature in March 1837. On March 11, 1853 the Van Buren Township Board of Supervisors established township No. 2 south, range No. 16 west as the new Township of Marion and five days later officially established the name of Bangor for the Township. Township government was organized in 1837 and the first election held on April 3, 1854 with election of Mansel M. Briggs as Township Supervisor and Charles U. Cross as Clerk. The first school was organized in 1839 but did not open until 1845.

Charles U. Cross was the first settler in the Township and settled in the northeast quarter section of Section 12 in March of 1837. Mr. Cross eventually organized the Village of Bangor and became it's first President. Mr. Cross was a farmer and logger and built a saw mill in 1846. He also was instrumental in bringing the railroad to the Township.

There were a total of eight homesteads in the Township between the years 1838 and 1839. By 1840 the number of homesteads increased to twenty-two and by 1856 the number of homesteads increase to almost 100.