Rock County will celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year. The news will be the history of Rock County, townships, and communities. The following appeared in the Rose History of Rock County, printed in 1911.
County and Township Organization — 1870-1878 (continued from 02-13-2020 edition of Star Herald)
The commissioners named by the governor met for the first time at one o’clock on the afternoon of October 17, 1870, at the home of H. A. Gregory. Daniel Wilmot was chosen chairman and P. J. Kniss clerk of the board pro tem. Election officers were chosen for the approaching election and the county was divided into three commissioner districts. This was the only meeting held by the first board of county commissioners of Rock county, it being decided to adjourn until November 9, 1870. Provision was made for holding the next session at the home of Abraham McMurphy. A complete set of county officers was chosen in November and Rock county was at last fully organized, the new board of county commissioners and other county officers taking oaths of office January 7, 1871.
Immediately following the organization, about fifty residents of the county met at the county seat and duly celebrated the event. The day’s festivities wound up with a grand dance at the home of Philo Hawes, at which Ole P. Steen and Dudley Whitehead officiated as musicians.
At the time of organization the settlement was confined almost wholly to the southern half of the county and there was no immediate call for the organization of townships in the northern part, but immediately after perfecting the county organization steps were taken to bring about township organization in some of the more thickly settled portions. Between the years 1871 and 1878 all of the townships were created and were governed by township officers. While the story of the creation of the several townships under one chapter head will break into the chronological order of events in the general history of the county, it seems best to treat the matter in this place and take up the other items following the county organization at the beginning of the next chapter. The seniority of the several townships as created by the board of county commissioners is as follows: Luverne, Grant (Clinton), Beaver Creek, Magnolia, Kanaranzi, Martin, Gregory (including the six northern townships), Vienna, Albion (Springwater), Mound, Riverside (Battle Plain), Rose Dell and Dover (Denver).
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.
You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.