Moses Allen fought in the War of 1812 and later served as a captain in the Michigan militia. After working on the Chicago Road survey, he settled here in April 1827, becoming the first "white settler" in present-day Hillsdale County. The area once known as Allen's Prairie later became the village of Allen. When the Allens built their cabin, their closest neighbor was fifty miles away, but more settlers soon moved to the prairie. Although Allen had claimed his tract, the U.S. government did not declare the land ready for sale until 1829. That summer he began building a log tavern, but he died in October. His widow completed the tavern that same year along the Chicago Road. The area's first school was built here in 1831, and Moses Allen is buried in Allen Township Cemetery.