Brown County, Minnesota

 

Township Organization

Townships are classed as congressional and civil town ships. The former are the six-mile-square tracts as shown by government survey, while the latter are sub-divisions in the county, and may or may not, conform to the six-mile square tract of land included in the government surveyed township, and are termed "towns," or "civil townships." Brown County has sixteen civil townships, with the territory included in the city of New Ulm, which really constitutes another civil sub-division of the county. These civil townships are: Albin, Bashaw, Burnstown, Cottonwood, Eden, Home, Lake Hanska, Leavenworth, Linden, Milford, Mulligan, North Star, Prairieville, Sigel, Stark and Stately townships.

Albin Bashaw Burnstown Cottonwood
Eden Home Lake Hanska Leavenworth
Linden Milford Mulligan North Star
Prairieville Sigel Stark Stately

Townships Organized

At a meeting of the county commissioners held on April 12, 1858, the matter of township organization came up, as required by on Act of the Legislature, and it was resolved that "Whereas, Minnesota has not been admitted to the Union as a state, and the said Legislature had acted under the authority of the state of Minnesota, which not being in existence yet, and, whereas, the organization of townships as proposed is very expensive for a new country, the following resolution was adopted by the board:

'Not to take any steps in regard to the township organization until Minnesota is admitted as a state and the benefit of Brown County will require it.' "

On June 28, 1858, notwithstanding the above resolution, a session was held for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the township organization act. There were only two of the commissioners present, Jacob Brust and P. Roebbecke. It was resolved "that the board has now a legal right to organize the county into towns, whereas Minnesota is admitted into the union as a state." The following towns were established, which shows that Brown County township history has all been within and under the state and not under the territorial form of government, as many Minnesota counties were. The civil townships formed by the board at the last named meeting were: New Ulm, Ludwigs, Lower Sioux Agency, Yellow Medicine, Leavenworth and Cottonwood. The remaining portion of this county was attached to Leavenworth. Elections were ordered held the second Tuesday in July, 1858. The clerk was ordered to make out a record of the proceedings of the board concerning the township organization and to give notice to the different townships, and also to cause the proceedings to be published in the New Ulm Pioneer.

The elections were duly held and the first meeting of the board of what was then known as the county super visors was held on November 8, 1858. Those present were Jacob Barbier, representing New Ulm; Jacob Brust, Cottonwood; John Doster, Milford; John Armstrong; Linden; Mr. Rutledge, Medelia; the other townships had not yet been perfected, but the board went ahead and commenced the business of the county, electing Jacob Brust as their chairman. The original townships have all changed in form and size and many in name.

  Brown County |Minnesota AHGP 

Source: History of Brown County, Minnesota, L. A. Fritsche, M.D., Editor, Volume I, 1916.

 

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