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 05-14 edition)
Dover (Denver)
One of the townships comprising the original Gregory township had seceded until with the organization of Rose Dell the name found lodgment in the territory now known as Denver township. As the several precincts withdrew no arrangement was made for apportioning the debt of the mother township, and the last one found itself saddled with a good sized debt and not much to show for it except the name Gregory. The inhabitants of that territory asked for relief, presenting a petition, headed by Lars G. Kartrude, on July 15, 1878. The matter was referred to the county attorney at that time, and on July 24 the commissioners made provision for the reorganization of the township under the name Dover.
Dover township was organized and the first officers chosen at the home of Lars G. Kartrude on section 32 on August 12, 1878. It went under this name until January 6, 1880, when the commissioners changed the name to Denver, having been notified by the state officials that there was another Dover township in Minnesota and that law or custom forbade two precincts in the state to bear the same name. In Denver township the United States has granted land titles as follows:
Lars G. Kartrude (32), Maren Anderson (30), Gottlieb Rogge (6), Andrew Peterson (30), John Gilbertson (30), Asle A. Thorson (34), Terge Jensen (32), Tobias Simenson (34), John M. Grant (28), John Shertzer (12), Horace Goodale (10), Charles Gates (6), Anton E. Anderson (28), James E. Black (8), James B. Andrews (20), James Larkin (12), Artemus Kimball (6), Robert J. Cobban (20), Knud H. Braaten (6-18), John A. Mills (4), Kleber Wilkenson (18), Peder O. Froke (28), James Murphy, Jr. (24), Wilson Belknap (20), Marshall s. Blasdell (12), Jeremiah Tierney (26), Philo Hawes (4), Abagail Webber (2), Peter Von Levern (14), Ferdinand Lemke (4-22), Herman Lenz (22), Andrew M. Helgeson (8-32), Torkel O. Sundre (34), George G. Quailey (8), Mikkel O. Bakke (20), Stephen Dockstadter (14), Johanne Houg (26), Ingre Riste (6), James Harding (14), Henry G. Brown (34), Torkel O. Bredbaken (18), Joseph Wade (2), Edwin W. Devine (28), Lars Hauger (30), Sylvester T. Wade (2), Otter Otterson (26), John W. Anderson (6), Heirs of Frederick Lenz (22), Reuben Williams (8), James Murphy (24), Dennis S. Murphy (24), Gilbert A. Williams (2), Ole H. Ellefson (18), Heirs of Samuel K. Hovey (20), William C. Mead (10), Charles McEmery (34), George A. Maderson (10), Levi M. Grandy (14), Charles Hill (10), Thomas E. Jones (12), Thomas Gleason (22), Sam Anderson (24), Richard Streeter (26).
Denver was the last of Rock county’s twelve townships to organize. Since the new name was bestowed on that precinct all the townships have continued under local government with the same names and boundaries as described in this chapter.
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.