Where did that name come from?

What’s in a name? The name of a place can often tell you a great deal about the people, time, and geographical location of an area. The townships of Meeker County are no exception.

Meeker County Township map, 1913

Acton Township was named by the Ritchie family who came from Acton, Canada in 1857.

Cedar Mills Township’s name comes from Cedar Lake and its many red cedars trees. The lake “was designated on the old map as Ren-ti-tia-wita, the Indian for Red Cedar Island Lake.”

Collinwood Township was originally New Virginia. It was renamed in 1866 when the first settlers arrived from Collinwood, Canada.

Cosmos Township was named by “an eccentric gentleman,” early settler Daniel Hoyt. He was the township’s first clerk and froze to death in the winter of 1872 while trying to get to the Minnesota River.

Danielson Township was originally part of Acton Township and was organized in 1872. It was named after Nels Danielson who settled in the area in 1861.

Darwin Township was first named Rice City in honor of Hon. Edmund Rice of St. Paul. When the railroad arrived in 1869 the town was re-named after E. Darwin Litchfield, a major stockholder in the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

Dassel Township was called named Swan Lake Township after Big Swan Lake. In 1871, its name was changed to match the Dassel village which was named after Bernard Dassel, the secretary of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

Ellsworth Township was the suggestion of Jesse V. Branham Jr. after Col. Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth, the first Union officer to die in the Civil War.  

Forest City Township was chosen by Thomas H. Skinner, one of the first settlers in the area who first ventured there in 1855.

Forest Prairie Township “was named Forest Prairie for the same reason that the boy named his pony ‘Snow Ball’ because he was black as jet.” In other words, there was not one inch of prairie in the township.

Greenleaf Township’s name comes from the Hon. William H. Greenleaf. He made many improvements in the township including a mill dam and a flour and sawmill on the site of the village that also bears his name.

Harvey Township was named in honor of James Harvey who settled the area in 1860.

Kingston Township was suggested by George A. Nourse, Esq. a lawyer from St. Anthony.

Litchfield Township was originally Ripley Township after Dr. Noah Ripley and later changed to Ness after Ole Halvorson Ness. In 1869, the village of Litchfield was named after E. Darwin Litchfield and family and the township followed suit.

Manannah Township was laid out by J.W. Walker and Ziba Caswell. They searched Scottish history and found the name Manannah, which was given to the township.

Swede Grove Township was chosen by N.E. Hanson and Nels Elofson, because the area was first settled by Swedes.

Union Grove Township was given its name by a Utopian society that settled there in 1856.

This article was adapted from an article originally published by the Museum in 1991.