The first people to live here were ancestors of today's Native Americans. There is evidence of people here back to the late Paleo-Indian or early Archaic Indian time period, or approximately 8500 - 8000 BC.
Handy Township was surveyed by Sylvestor Sibley between February and April 1825. While settlement in southeastern Livingston County began as early as 1828, the first settlers in Handy Township did not arrive until 1836, when Calvin Handy and his family moved into their new cabin on June 16. A few others joined them that year, including Ralph Fowler, who came from Livingston County, New York. Fowler is considered the founder of Fowlerville, and it's founding is dated from 1836, although it wasn't platted as a town until the 1840s.
Arguably the most famous person from the Fowlerville area was Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer, who played for the Tigers from 1924 to 1942.