North Star Township

North Star Township is on the west line of Brown County in township 109, range 35 west. It is bounded in the north and west by Redwood County, on the east by Burnstown Township, and on the south by Statley Township. It is six miles square, is a prairie township of wonderful fertility and is well improved with a thrifty and highly intelligent class of citizens of mixed nationality, but now thoroughly Americanized.

The population of this township since 1890 has been at the three enumeration periods as follows: In 1890 it had three hundred and sixty-six; in 1900 it had five hundred and twenty-four, and in 1910 it was placed at five hundred and two.

It has two railroad lines, both of the Chicago & North western system, traversing its territory, yet has no station within its borders. Springfield is just over the township line to the east and is really the trading and market place most frequented by the people living within North Star Township.

This township was set apart and organized into a civil sub-division of Brown County, January 9, 1873, and the first election was held at the house of Henry Hewett, who was elected chairman of the board of supervisors. The first to locate here with the intention of becoming permanent settlers were: O. G. Davis, the first settler, who came in 1858 and remained only one year; John Mc Gowan, who located in section 24, in May, 1870; Henry Hewett and John Young came the same year and commenced improvements on claims they had taken. Others who were early in the township were Ambrose Persons, of Jones County, Iowa; Matthew Ryan, from Ireland; there were many came in and soon the wild land was all taken up by actual settlers.

  Brown County |Minnesota AHGP 

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