LYON COUNTY GENEALOGY
THE NORTHEAST PART OF LYON COUNTY
By W. T. Greaven
The first settlers in Elgin Township were C.W. Bowen, H. H. Bowen, C.A. Fisher, Job Whitehead and F. Tyler; all settling on section 26, township 100, range 43: J. H. Hatch, W. Green, A.J. Rutter and Tom Dexter on section 24, township 100, range 43, all taking homesteads. These were the only settlers for several years.
The first child born was Edith Hatch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hatch, born in the summer of 18872.
The first marriage was Nannie Fisher, daughter of C. A. Fisher to J. J. Burget, in the winter of 1875.
The first death was in the winter of 1876. Mrs. Nannie Burget died after giving birth to a son.
The first school taught in Elgin Township was in the winter of 1872-73, was taught by Mrs. Tom Dexter in her house on the southeast quarter of section 24, township 100, range 43, in a log house built by Mr. Dexter with the help of his neighbors. The logs were cut and hauled from the Big Rock River, Lyon County.
The daily attendance at this school was one child.
The first dwelling house was built in the winter of 1871-72 by J. H. Hatch, on the southwest quarter of section 24, township 100, range 43, hauling the lumber from Worthington, Minnesota. The family occupied it in the spring.
The first school house was built in 1874 by Greaves and Burget on section 25, township 100, range 43, on the same site that the Little Rock public school house now stands. It was known in those days as the “Fisher school house.” Miss Nannie Fisher taught the first term of school in the new building.
In 1877 Elgin Township was cut off from Grant Township, and the first election was called by Auditor Tolman to be held in Fisher schoolhouse, October 9, 1877. The following officers were elected: Trustees, W. Ryder, Job Whitehead, A.J. Rutter; Assessor, W. Green; Constable J. H. Hatch; Justice of the Peace C. W. Bowen. The first ballot cast was by J.W. Argo. The voters of Elgin Township cast their first ballots in Rock Rapids, Lyon County, in 1872.
In 1884 the B.C.R. & N.RR. was built through Elgin Township and the town of Little Rock started. The postoffice of Riverview, in Grant Township, with C.N. Reynolds as postmaster, was moved to Little Rock, and A.F. Ries was appointed postmaster by President Cleveland.
Webization by Kermit Kittleson - Aug. 2006