Grant County’s Sesquicentennial -
150 Years of History!
Grant County is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2023! In 1868, the state Legislature passed an act establishing Grant County and naming it after General U.S. Grant. Several attempts were made to formally organize the county, but it was not until February 28, 1873, that the Legislature passed “An act to provide for the organization of Grant County.” Following that, commissioners were elected who then appointed county officers of justices of the peace, constables, auditor, treasurer, attorney, register of deeds, sheriff, surveyor, judge of probate, coroner, and superintendent of schools. A location for a county seat was chosen, in Section 8, Township 129, Range 42, which is the site of Elbow Lake.
An article about the Grant County Courthouse has been added to the website. This gives many of the details about the choosing of the site, the planning and construction and the later renovations.
The GCHS newsletter has been featuring the townships. Here on our website under Grant County Townships are outline maps of each township with icons showing the early schools and the cemeteries. Each page also notes the date of organization and lists first generation settlers.
Photos and Family Stories – If you have pictures or stories of these early settlers or of the early schools, please send a copy either by regular mail or scan it and send as an attachment to webmaster@gchsmn.org. As you can, note names of people, relationship to early settlers, location of homes on the township map, School District number and date of picture. These will be posted on that Township’s page and will include the submitter’s name.
Last Man Standing John Parson, the last Civil War Veteran from Grant County, was recently memorialized by a service at his gravesite in Union Cemetery. John was the father of Dr. Lester Parson. Dr. Lester Parson and his wife, Dr. Lillian Parson, were the doctors for Grant County from 1924 through the 1960s. To read more about John Parson, there is a new article about him under the Veterans Memorial Hall.
Sources:
Carlis, Rynda. Minnesota Genealogy Society Cemetery Project – Grant County. 2003.
1914 Atlas and Farmer’s Directory of Grant County. The Farmer, St. Paul.
1931 Plat Book of Grant County. Compiled and published by Horace Dunaway. Elbow Lake, Minnesota.
Farm and Home Publishers, Ltd. Belmond, Iowa (township outline maps)
Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota, V1 and V2., B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. 1916
Illustrated Album of Biography of the Famous Valley of the Red River of the North and the Park Regions. Alden, Ogle & Company, Chicago. 1889.
Upham, Warren. Minnesota Place Names, 3rd Edition. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, Minnesota 200
