The town of Ida, located in the heart of Monroe County in Michigan's southeast corner, actually began as a stop along a coach trail between Monroe and Adrian, one of many stops along the trail. These roads, which usually followed old Indian trails, were notoriously bad in the early 1800's.

The roads were strewn with mud holes. Settlers along these roads took a monetary interest in the mud holes and had full rights to pull wagons and coaches out of the mud for a price. Travelers of this time period would only travel only about six miles a day along any of the trails in the region because of the harsh road conditions. An area with muddy, bumpy roads seemed like a good place to locate an inn. What traveler would not want to stay in a comfortable inn after riding the trails all day? It was around a particularly treacherous area of the trail that a small inn sprang up around the year of 1825. This inn, the Wayside Inn, was the first business in the area.

In 1837, a township measuring six square miles was formed and named Ida Township, in honor of Ida M. Taylor who had lived in the area with her family for many years. She had been active in community affairs and was among those who believed in the future for this part of Michigan.

By 1839, the Michigan Southern railroad line began running trains from Monroe, through this area, and onto points westward. Small log cabins and homesteads began to spring up around the Wayside Inn, the railroad and along the old road. As more people took advantage of the rail transportation system, more businesses located around around the inn which was near the tracks in the area now the Village of Ida.

Over the next twenty-nine years, the village grew larger, thanks to the increase in rail traffic. In 1868, Ida was platted as a village, and has survived and prospered for over 130 years.

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