Goodhue County History

Goodhue County received its name in honor of James M. Goodhue, the pioneer editor and printer of the state, who at the time of his early death, in 1852, had already won for himself name and fame as well as influence in the new territory. It consists of twenty-three townships, all of which are practically the same in area and name as when first constituted in 1858. They are: Welch, Burnside, Wacoota, Stanton, Cannon Falls, Vasa, Featherstone, Bay Creek, Florence, Central Point, Warsaw, Leon, Belle Creek, Goodhue, Belvidere, Holden, Wanamingo, Minneola, Zumbrota, Kenyon, Cherry Grove, Roscoe and Pine Island. Red Wing formerly had a township organization. Previous to 1858 precincts had been established, but townships were not laid out as regularly organized political divisions until that year, when, under a new ad passed by the legislature, Martin S. Chandler. William P. Tanner and Jesse McIntire, the three gentlemen selected, defined and named the townships in Goodhue County as follow. Where no note is made of subsequent changes, the township at present remains as at that time constituted.

Belle Creek, all of township 111, range 16.

Cherry Grove, all of township 109, range 17.

Central Point, all of that part of township 112, range 12, lying in Goodhue County.

Cannon Falls, all of township 112, range 17.

Featherstone, all of township 112, range 15.

Florence, all of that part of township 112, range 13, lying in Goodhue County.

Holden, all of township 110, range 18.

Hay Creek, all of township 112, range 14.

Kenyon, all of township 112, range 18.

Leon, all of township 111, range 17.

Pine Island, all of township 109, range 15.

Roscoe, all of township 109, range 16.

Red Wing (now city), the west half of township 113, range 14, fractional, and sections 13, 24, 25 and 36, township 113, range 15. Two of the sections originally placed in Red Wing were afterward set off and attached to Burnside.

Stanton, all of township 113, range IS, lying in Goodhue County.

Union, all of township 113, range 16, north of Cannon River. All of township 113, range 15, except sections 13, 24, 25 and 36, and all of township 114, ranges 15 and 16, fractional. This was afterward changed to Milton and then with some additions to Burnside.

Vasa, all of township 112, range 16, and all of township 113, range 16, south of the Cannon river.

Wanamingo, all of township 110, range 17.

Warsaw, all of township 111, range 18.

Wacoota, all of township 113, range 13, in Goodhue County, and the east half of township 113, range 14, fractional. York, all of township 111, ranges 14 and 15. This was changed first to Elmira, then to Belvidere, and a half of the latter was later set off as Lime, later known as Goodhue.

Zumbrota, all of township 110, ranges 15 and 16. This was afterward divided and a part set off as Minneola.

The board was notified that three of the names, those of Stanton, York and Union, would have to be changed. The board then changed Union to Milton. Stanton to Lillian, and York to Elmira. Stanton later assumed its original name. Later the committee was notified that the name of Elmira would have to be changed. A committee of three, Messrs. Stearns, White and Stone, to whom this matter was referred, reported in favor of substituting Belvidere for Palmira, and the change was accordingly made.

Goodhue organized September 13, 1859, in answer to a petition, when township 111, range 15, was erected into a separate township called Lime, the latter name being changed to Goodhue in January, 1860. The township was originally a part of Belvidere.

Burnside was the name applied to Milton, at the request of the state auditor, March 25, 1862. In March, 1864, when the legislature amended the city charter of Red Wing, sections 13 and 24, township 113, range 15, were set off from Red Wing and attached to Burnside.

Welch was organized March 23, 1864, when the board of commissioners divided Burnside by setting off the east fractional half of township 114, north, range 16, west, and all of township 113, north, range 16, west, lying north of Cannon River, into a separate township, and called it Grant, which on January 3, 1872, was changed to Welch, in honor of the late Major Abram Edwards Welch, of Red Wing.

  Goodhue County |Minnesota AHGP 

Source: History of Goodhue County Minnesota, Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, H. C. Cooper Jr, & Company, Chicago, 1909.