Granite Rock Township

Granite Rock Township

Granite Rock township is located in the west central part of Redwood county, and embraces Congressional township 111-38. It is bounded on the north by Vesta, on the east by Vail, on the south by Johnsonville, and on the west by Westline. A branch of the Redwood river crosses it on the northern side, flowing in a northeasterly direction. The Evan-Marshall branch of the Chicago and Northwestern passes due east and west through its, center. The surface is generally rolling. Its only village is Lucan. The trading centers are Lucan, Vesta, Wabasso, and Redwood Falls. There are five school houses. The predominating nationality is German.

The original survey of this township was done by Mahlon Black, U. S. deputy surveyor, being begun January 4, 1859, and finished July 12, 1859. He described the land as generally rolling and the soil as first class, although some of the western portion of this township was of an inferior quality. There were no roads

Beginning with Sept. 4, 1866, Granite Rock was a part of Yellow Medicine township, and after Yellow Medicine county was organized March 6, 1871, was considered a part of Redwood Palls township. Granite Rock township was created by the commissioners between July, 1889, and July, 1900.

The History of the Minnesota Valley published in 1884 says: "Although settlement began in 1872, this township remains unorganized, being the only one in the county in that condition. The first settler was J. C. Vining, who came in the spring of 1871, and located in section 2, where he lived until 1876 ; W. W. Howe came the following fall, and took a claim also in section 2; his family came out in the spring of 1872, and is still living on his original claim. No other settlers came until 1874, when a few came in and took claims, but moved away after a short stay, on account of the grasshoppers. Settlers began to move in again in 1877. The first marriage in the town occurred in December, 1881. The contracting parties were Charles Noah and Sarah Comstock. The first birth was that of Abbie P. Howe, a daughter of W. W. and Sarah Howe, born July 2, 1872."

Even as late as June 2, 1885, there were only seven families in Granite Rock township. The families were those of Henry Gohrman, Angus Currie, Joseph McGeough, Alexander McLeod, W. W. Howe, Nelson Comstock, and William Comstock. The Gohrmans were from Germany, the Curries from Canada, the McGeoughs from Ireland, the McLeods from Scotland, the Howes from Michigan and the Comstocks from Iowa and New York.