Morgan, Minnesota

Morgan township is located in the east central part of Redwood county, and embraces Congressional township 111-34. It is bounded on the north by Sherman, on the east by Brown county, on the south by Brookville. and on the west by Three Lakes. The Sleepy Eye -Redwood Falls branch of the Chicago and Northwestern crosses it diagonally from the southeast to the northwest corner. The surface is low and rolling in some places and high level prairie in others. Its only village is Morgan. There are five school houses. The predominating nationality is German.

Passage source: The History of Redwood County, Minnesota, published 1916.

Beginning with the organization of the county this township was considered a part of Redwood Falls township. Morgan township was created by the county commissioners May 11, 1880, and an election ordered held at the "Railroad Station House" on May 26, 1880. The History of the Minnesota Valley published in 1882 says: "Owing to insufficiency of notice, this meeting was not held. The county commissioners being notified of the fact, appointed the following officers: Thomas Butcher, chairman, L. C. Ketcham and William McGinnis, supervisors ; James Butcher, clerk; C. Christianson, treasurer; Peter Madsen and Ehud Peterson constables. The first settlement was made by the tenants on the farms of the large land-owners, who own over two-thirds of the town. They began to open up these farms about eight years ago, and built a number of houses for their tenants. Settlement by men on their own land began a couple of years later. The village of Morgan was laid out in August, 1878, and contains one general store, one blacksmith shop, one lumber yard, one elevator and one hotel. The postoffice was established the same year, and the present incumbent, George Knudsen, appointed postmaster." According to the transcript of the minutes made by F. W. Zaske, the town clerk, the first town meeting was held at Morgan Station on March 8, 1881. Ten votes were cast, and officers were elected as follows: Supervisors, C. R. Kundall (chairman), William McGinnis and G. M. Kurd ; clerk, James Butcher ; treasurer, George Knudsen ; justices, F. S. Hollan and C. Christianson ; constable, W. Behnkie.

Passage source: The History of Redwood County, Minnesota, published 1916.

In 1881 George Knudson, of Sleepy Eye, built the first store in Morgan, and was appointed postmaster. The store occupied the present site of the new creamery. He stocked it with a general line of merchandise. In September, 1883, he sold out to Louis Gerstman, who continued the store until his death. His son, Otto, continued the business for a while as administrator. Some years later, the son, Frank, after graduating in pharmacy, put in a stock of drugs and moved the store to Vernon avenue. He is now occupying the new Arcade. The store thus has a continuous history back to 1881.

Passage source: The History of Redwood County, Minnesota, published 1916.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Morgan Township - it names this place 21 more 21 times.