1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

676 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
a petition circulated among the residents of that region. The petition
was dated May 7, 1903, and signed by C. J. Keenan and others. Its
object was to bring about the division of the then township of Kelsey
into three, as follows: congressional townships 53-18 and 53-19 to
form the Township of Meadowlands ; township 54-17 to form the
Township of Cotton; and townships 54-18 and 54-19 to remain as,
and to constitute the Township of Kelsey,
The petition came before the county commissioners for consideration
at the board meeting of June 8, 1903. Hearing of remonstrances
were set for the next monthly meeting of commissioners, and
no opposition of consequence then arising the commissioners resolved
to divide the five congressional townships as asked by petitioners,
and ofdered notices of election to be posted.
Election was held on July 31, 1903, at the Miller Trunk Schoolhouse,
Jacob Weingast being elected "moderator" of that first town
meeting of Cotton. The balloting brought the following named resi-
dents into office, to constitute the original administrative officials of
the new Town of Cotton : Jacob Weingast, chairman ;
N. M. Nelson, supervisors; Ole Mark, treasurer; W. T. Jenkins,
clerk ; P. A. Johnson, justice ; Hy Moberg, constable.
On November 5th of that year the boundaries of the township
were enlarged, to include the adjoining township, 54-16, which up
to that time had been unorganized territory. The action of the county
commissioners followed petition of residents of township 54-16, said
petition being filed in the County Court House on September 17, 1903.
Cotton Township assessed valuation in 1903 was $88,734, and the
tax levy, for all purposes, $971.29. In 1919, the valuation for the
two congressional townships of Cotton totalled to $124,436, and the
tax levy $7,702.12.
In 1910, the population of Cotton Township was 325 and there
has only been a slight increase in ten years, the 1920 census re-
cording only 376.
The township officials in 1920 were :
William
N. Salin and
Soderlund, chair-
man; O. A. Hoag and L. J. Larson, supervisors; W. T. Jenkins,
clerk; W. Wickstrom, assessor; and E. A. Nelson, treasurer.
Part of Cotton Township is, for educational purposes, in School
District No. 49. That district has two schoolhouses, of frame, valued
at $2,100. The enrollment in the year 1919-20 was 25 scholars. Each
school is directed by one teacher, female, and the average monthly
salary is $82.00.
The school board and officials are: Chauncey White, Cotton,
clerk ; Olaus Lorentzsen, treasurer ; M. E. Nordstrand, chairman of
directors.
Culver.—The Township of Culver, which borders on the Fond
du Lac Indian Reservation, was established from unorganized territory
in 1893, following the presenting of petition by Edward J.
Featherstone and twenty-six other freeholders of the thirty legal
voters of congressional township 51 north, range 18 west.
The petition was filed with the county auditor in 1893, and was
considered by the county commissioners at their September meeting
of that year. They ordered notices to be posted, calling upon voters
of that township to gather at the house of Isaac Reano, east half,
northeast quarter of section 12, on October 3d in order to elect
township officers. That was done, and the township has since held
the territory then brought under its jurisdiction.