Meeker County, Minnesota - Chapter 14: Darwin Township, 1888

Chapter 14: Darwin Township

^HE town that bears the name of Darwin was called after one of the prominent men connected with the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad, and embraces all of Congressional township 119, north of range 30 west, and contains 23,002.26 acres, 20,552.86 of which are land and 2,949.1:0 acres covered with the water of the lakes. The soil is a rich, dark, sandy loam, capable of high cultivation and wonderfullv productive. As to surface this is one of tlie finest townships in the county, being nearly all level or gently rolling pi'airie, well drained, and, with the growing crops, handsome and tasty houses and barns surrounded by natural or artificial groves, presents to the eye one of the loveliest of pictures.

The first to make a settlement in this township was Patrick Casey, who came here from Pennsylvania in tlie spring of 1856, and on the 18th of June of that year, made his claim on section 33, on the shores of beautiful Lake Casey, where he now lives.

Following him shortly were John Peiffer, Peter Stierens, Gottlieb Reef, Patrick Condon, Joim Doyle, John Dougherty and Timothy Dunn. These all took claims and made homes here in the same year, 1856.

They were joined during the year 1857 by the following named settlers, who here found, in the wilderness, the place for the homes they had set out to find in Minnesota : William and Michael O'Brien, Bryan McXulty, William Cunningham, John McRaith, James Shelley, Jacob Reef, James Murphy, S. W. Ryan, Willard Keats, Richard Poole, Henry Bierman, John Curran, J. Powell, J. E. Bill,

Like all otlier sections of the county tlie little settlement received but few accessions the next few years, the financial crisis of 1857 having paralyzed all inimigration and business. Among the ])rominent people who made settlements in 1859 were John S. Shields, Edwin and Lance Chapin, and Sylvester Stevens. In IStiO the following named made tiieir iippearance, and, taking up land, became identified with the development of the town : James Dearey, Michael Ilaggerty, Michael Nash, Michael Gallahue, Samuel Charlton, and "Colonel'' Andrews.

The town of Darwin held its first election in 1857, at which time it was known as the town of Rice City, Capt. James Llayden, from Dubuque, Iowa, having laid out and platted a city of that name, where the farm of John S. Shields is now located. The township, however, was not organized until April 5, 1858, when the proper election was held, and the town properly commenced its existence. After the coming of the railroad, in 1869, and the laying out of the village of Darwin, within it limits, the name of the town was changed to its present one.

The officers in the town for the year 1888, are as follows: John Lenhardt, chairman; John Peiffer, second, and W. V. Passenger, supervisors; G. W. Harding, clerk; Ole Benson, treasurer ; William Lenhardt, assessor; D. H. Hull, and Tiiley McGannon, justices ; and Thomas Hughes and Henry Segar, constables.

the house of Pr^'an McNult}'^, in 1861, Ilev. Father Alexis, from St. Cloud, celebrating mass of the Catholic church. This was in 1860 or 1861.

Darwin Village

Tlie village of Darwin was laid out and ]ilatted by John Curran and Martin IMcKenney, and the St. Paul & Pacific llailroad Company, and the papers were filed for record with the register of deeds, October 11, 1869. The site of the village lies upon the south half of section 23, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 30.

The next was J. F. Low, who opened a store shortly after, and finallj' failed, and the stock was closed out. A man by the name of Moran opened a store, but afterward sold it out to James Curran. The latter ran it until his death, when he was succeeded by Erown Bros. They finally sold out the store and moved away.

The Minnesota and Dakota elevator was built by C. D. Brown in the fall of 1870, but was ]n'eceded by one erected by the Davidson Elevator Company, in 1869. This latter was burned down about 1880. The Cargill Bros." elevator was put up bj^ F. J. Chevre, in 1887, and passed into the hands of the present owners in the spring of 1888.

Mrs. ]\L A. Paquet runs the only store in the place now, and thus the elevators and the temperance pool-room of Patrick McKinney constitute the business of the place.