Mower County, Minnesota - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 5 of those read), 1911

Organization And Boundary Lines

Mower County Included in Wabasha and Rice Counties - Mower County Created - Organized by Governor Gorman - Commissioners Meet at Frankford - Old Election Precincts - Township Boundaries.

Mower county was included in the original limits of AValiasha county (then spelled Wabashaw), which was one of the nine counties created by the first territorial legislature.

Governor Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial governor, arrived in St. Paul, May 27, 1849, and on June 1, 1849, issued his first proclamation. June 11 he issued a second proclamation, dividing the territory into three judicial districts. Mower county, then unpopulated, was included in the third judicial district, with Judge David Cooper on the bench. Court for this district was to be held at Mendota.

July 7, 1849, the governor issued a proclamation dividing the territory into seven council districts and ordering an election. Mower county was included in the seventh district.

By an act approved October 27, 1849, the territory was divided into the counties of Washington, Ramsey, Benton, Itasca, Wabashaw, Dakota, Wahnahta, Mahkahto and Pembina. Only the covinties of Washington, Ramsey and Benton were fully organized for all county purposes. The others were organized only for the purpose of appointment of justices of the peace, constables, and such other judicial and ministerial offices as might be specially provided for. They were entitled to "any number of justices of the peace and constal)les, not exceeding six in numl)er, to be appointed by the governor, and their term of office was made two years, unless sooner removed by the governor,"' and they were made conservators of the peace.

Wabashaw county, as "erected'' by tbe act of October 27, 1849, comprised practically all of the southern part of the ])n'S(Mit state of Minnesota. Its northern boundary was the parallel I'liiining through the mouth of the St. Croix and the moutli of (ln' Yellow Medicine rivers; its southern boundary was the Iowa line: its eastern the ^Mississippi, and its westci-ii the Missouri, mikI it also included the big peninsula l)etweeii the .Missouri jiikI the Hiir Sioux rivci's, ami all of wlint i.s ;it prcsciil southeast cni South

Chapter 1, Bevised Statutes of Minnesota of 1851, divides the territory in Benton, Dakota, Itasca, Cass, Pembina, Ramsey, AVashington, Chisago and Wabashaw counties and defines their l)oundaries. Under the revised statutes, all the territory west of the Mississippi river and east of a line running from jMedicine Bottle's village at Pine Bend, due south to the Iowa line, was erected into a separate county to be known as Wabashaw. This included in Wabashaw county a portion of what is now Dakota county as well as all the present counties of Goodhue, AVabasha, Dodge, Olmsted, Winona, Mower, Fillmore and Houston. The line south from Pine Bend in the Mississippi strikes practically the western boundary of Mower county, the exact line being impossible of verification as the Medicine Bottle tepee were differently located at various times, always, however, being within a few rods of the bend in the river.

Rice county was created by act of the territorial legislature, March 5, 1853. Section 7, Chapter 15, General Laws of Minnesota, 1853, gives the boundaries as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Dakota county, thence west along said county line to Lake Sakatah, thence south to the Iowa state line, thence east along said state line to the southwest corner of Fillmore coiiuty, thence along the west lines of Fillmore, Wabasha and Goodhue counties to the place of beginning.

It will thus be seen that the starting point of Rice county, as tlien constituted, was at the "southwest corner of Dakato county." The west and south lines of Dakota county are described in the act as follows: "Beginning in the Minnesota at the mouth of the Credit river, thence on a direct line to the upper l)ranch of the Cannon river, thence down said river to its loAvest fork." The upper branch of the Cannon river is the Straight river, and consequently this boundary line of Rice county started at the confluence of these rivers, at the present site of Faribault, ran southwestward to Lake Sakatah ; and thence south, crossing Waseca and Freeborn counties about on the range line between ranges twenty-two and twenty-three, to the Iowa line. Thence it ran along to the Iowa border to a little village called Granger in township 101, range eleven, Fillmore county. Thence it ran in a direct line, due northwest to the place of beginning.

the eastern boundary was altered somewhat and assumed definite lines, the line between what is now Fillmore, and that part of tlu^ then Rice county which is now Mower county, being the present boundary between ]\Iower and Fillmore counties.

February 20, 1855, the counties of Mower, Brown, Carver, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Olmsted, Renville, Steele, Stearns and AVright were created by the legislature, and some changes of name made in others. Mower county included townships, 101, 102, 103 and 104, north; ranges 14, 15. 16, 17 and 18, west of the Fifth principal meridian. In May, 1857, sections 1 to 6, inclusive, in township 104, ranges 14 and 15, were cut off and added to Olmsted county. Since then, no changes have been made in the boundary lines of the county. The county contains 453,120 acres, or 708 square miles. The congressional survey was made in 1853-54, being completed in February, 1854, sufficiently for a definite description of the coimty boundaries by the legislature.

March 1, 1856, Governor Gorman, agreeable to the act of the legislature, and upon representations made to him that Mower county was sufficiently populated to warrant its being duly furnished with county government, organized the county, and appointed a temporary board of county ocmmissioners, consisting of George "White, Philip Howell and William Russell. This boara was given full power and authority such as usually devolves upon such boards, with the additional duty of locating, temporarily, the county seat.

These commissioners met April 7, 1856, iu the village of Frankford, and presumably located the county seat temporarily in that place. They appointed officers as follows: Register of deeds and clerk of the board of commissioners, Timothy M. Chapman ; treasurer, Lewis Patchin ; judge of probate, C. J. Felch ; surveyor, Moses Armstrong ; sheriff, G. AY. Sherman. These Avere the only ofKcers for which appointments were then made.

Old Precinct Boundaries

Tile early county commissioners divided the county into election precincts, road districts and school districts. The old election precincts were the parents of the present townsliips and in many cases the original names still survive.

Following is the summary of the precincts, created from the time of the meeting of the first elected board of county cominissioners, April 7, 1856, down to April 16, 1858, when the t()wnshi])s of the county were defined and given the authority to mainlaiii local government.

Waltliam, Lansing, Red Rock, Austin, Windom. Tjyle and Nevada. July 7, 1856, the boundaries of the preeinct were curtailed, and made to contain the south halves of the present towns of Lansing and Red Rock, and all of Austin, "Windom, Lyle and Nevada. April ]6, 1856, it was still further curtailed, leaving only the south halves of Lansing and Red Rock, and all of Austin and AVindom. April 16, 1858, the township assumed its present boundaries, and was duly organized May 11, of that year.

High Forest. Originally created as an election precinct, April 7, 1856. It comprised the present towns of Racine, Pleasant Valley and Sargeant.

Frankford. Originally created as an election precinct, April 7, 1856, and contained at that time the present towns of Dexter, Grand Meadow, Frankford, Marshall, Clayton, Bennington, Adams, Lodi and Le Roy. Le Roy was cvit ofif July 7, 1856. April 27, 1857, a piece was taken oft' at the north, and Adams, Lodi and Clayton were also cut off. April 6, 1858, the town was given its present name and boundary, but for purposes of local government all of the present Grand Meadow and the north halves of Clayton and Bennington were attached to it. It was on this date that Frankford lost the six sections that are included in its congressional township, but politically belong to Racine. The northern half of Bennington was cut off from Frankford in 1860, the northern half of Clayton in 1873 and Grand Meadow in 1863.

Red Rock. Originally created as an election precinct, July 7, 1856, out of what had previously been Austin. At the time of its creation it consisted of the present towns of Udolpho, Waltham and the north halves of Red Rock and Lansing. The southern part of what is now Red Rock township remained in Austin. April 27, 1857, the present town of Udolpho was cut off', under the name of Madison. By the act of the county commissioners, April 16, 1858, Red Rock assumed its present boundaries, but all of the present town of Dexter, and the southern part of Sargeant, was attached to Red Rock for purposes of township government. According to the records, Dexter was then known as Grand Meadow, and Sargeant as Beaubien. In 1866, Avhen Waltham was organized, it took in the western part of what is now Sargeant, but whether the eastern part remained attached to Red Rock the records do not state. At any rate, Dexter Avas organized in 1870 and Sargeant in 1873, thus leaving Red Rock witli its present boundaries and government.

Le Roy w;is created as an election pr(M'inrt July 7, 1856, out of Frankford, with its present boundaries. April 27, 1857, the present towns of Lodi and Adams were added to it. but later in the same day Adams was <ulded to Six I\Iile Grove, and Clayton Avas added to Le Rov, tliiis livning Li' Kov coiisisling of the iii-cs- ent towns of Le Roy, Lodi and Clayton. April KJ, IS.IS, tlic Idwii assumed its present boundaries, but Lodi, and the southern lialvcs of Clayton and Bennington, were attached to it for government purposes. Clayton was then called Providence, and Bennington was then called Audover. Bennington was cut off in 1860, Clayton in 1873 and Lodi in 187-1, leaving Le Roy with its present boundaries and government.

Six Mile Grove was created as an election precinct August 16, 1856, out of what had previously been Austin. It consisted of the present towns of Lyle and Nevada. April 27, 1857, th^- present town of Adams, which up to that day had been included in Frankford, and which a few hours earlier in the day had been added to Le Roy, was added to Six Mile Grove, while the present toM^n of Lyle was cut off and created as Cedar City election precinct. April 16, 1858, Adams and Nevada were each given their present names and boundaries, and Adams was annexed to Nevada for purposes of local government. Nevada was organized in 1858. Adams was cut off and organized 1859.

Madison was created as an election precinct April 16, 1858, and consisted of the present town of Udolpho. It was created out of a part of Red Rock, which precinct had, in turn, been originally a part of the precinct of Austin. April 16, 1858, the name of Madison was changed to Udolpho, and that townslup assumed its present boundaries. "Waltham and the northern pi.'.rt of Beaubien, now Sargeant, were attached to Udolpho for purposes of local government. The present boundaries and goAernment have remained unchanged since 1866, when Waltham was organized.

Cedar City was created as an election precinct April 27, 1857, and comprised the present township of Lyle. Lyle was organized Avitli its present boundaries April 16, 1858.

Hamilton was created as an election precinct April 27, 1857, and occupied an irregular piece taken from what was then the precincts of High Forest and Frankford, and consisting of portions of what are now the towns of Pleasant Valley, Racine, -jrrand Meadow and Frankford. The name Hamilton was given lo the present town of Racine April 16, 1858, but on .May 11 of Ihat year the people changed it to Racine. May 22, 1857, the tier of six sections to the north were cut oft' and added to Olmsted 30unty, and on April 16, 1858, the six tiers to the s(nith were added to Hamilton, now Racine.

cGunty into townshij's. On May 22, 1857, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, in township 10-i, ranges IJ and 15, had been cut off and added to Olmsted county. AA''ith l]i]s exception Mower county w.'is and is a parallelogram, thirty miles by twenty-four miles, comprising congressional townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, ranges 14, 15, in, 17 and 18. AVith the exception of the tier of six sections in tlie northern part of township 103, range 14, which was attached to the township north, the townships which were created to the number of tAventy followed the congressional division, as follows: Township 101, range 14, Le Roy; 15, Lodi; 16, Adams; 17, Nevada; 18, Lyle. Township 102, range 14, Andover; 15, Providence; 16, York; 17, Brooklyn; 18, Austin. Township 103, range 14, Frankford; 15, Poplar Grove; 16, Grand Meadow; 17, Red Rock; 18, Lansing. Township 104, range 14, Hamilton, Weet; 15, Farmington; 16, Beaubien; 17, AA^altham : 18, Udolpho. It will thus be seen that the name Grand ]\Ieadow was given to Avhat is now Dexter, while the present Grand AleadoAV Avas then called Poplar Grove. Lansing, Austin and Lyle were ordered to liHA^e separate and distinct organizations for tOAv^nship purposes. The olliers Avere grouped in various Avays.

Udolpho Avas organized at once. To it Avere added AValtham and the northern part of Beaubien, now Sargeant. AValtham. then consisting of the present town of AA^altham and the Avestern half of the present toAA-n of Sargeant, Avas cut off and organized in ]866.

Waltham Avas organized in 1866 and consisted of the present toAvn of AValtham and the Avestern part of Avhat is noAV Sargeant. Sargeant Avas cut off and organized in 1874.

Sargeant, Avhich Avas originally known as Beaubien and then as Stanton, after being attached in part successively to Udolpho, AValtham and Red Rock, Avas organized in 1873.

Racine, called by the county commissioners Hamilton, or more formally Hamilton AVest, Avas ordered to liave Farmington, noAV Pleasant Valley, attaclunl to it, Init, as in the case of Pleasant A'^alley, the toAvn Avas organized separately and distinctly and Avith its present boundaries May 11, 1858.

Red Rock Avas organized in 1858, and Grand AleadoAV, now Dcxlci', and th(> southern half of Beaul)ien, noAV Sargeant, Avere ad ached to it for townshii) i)uri)OHes. AVliat Avas then Grand Alrjidow Avas organized in 1870 and is now Dexter. AVImt Avas ilieii Heaubien Avas oi'gani/ed in 1873 and is now Sargeant.

F'rankford, from whose congressional township, the northern tier of sections is detached, was organized in 1858 and to it were attached Poplar Grove, now Grand Meadow, and the northern halves of Providence and Andover, now Clayton and Bennington. Grand Meadow, formerly Poplar Grove, was organized in 1862 ; Clayton, formerly Providence, in 1873, and Bennington, formerly Andover, in 1860.

Clayton, originally called Providence, the northern half of which was originally attached to Frankford and the southern half to Le Roy, was organized in 1873.

Bennington, formerly called Andover, the northern part of which was originally annexed to Frankford and the southern half to Le Roy, was organized in 1860.

Le Roy was organized in 1858, and to it were attached the southern halves of Providence and Andover, now Clayton and Bennington, and all of Lodi. Lodi was cut oft' in 1874 ; Clay! on m 1873 and Bennington in 1860.