Firsts of the County by Township

(118-29 means Township. 118, north of the base line, and 29 west of the fifth principal meridian, according to the United States survey, and so of the other towns hereinafter mentioned):
118-29-Collinwood; so named by the first settlers who came from Collinwood, Canada. For a few years prior to its actual settlement it was known as New Virginia. The first permanent settlements were made in May, 1866, by Oliver Rasnick, Jacob Hutchins, Thomas Hutchins, Henry Fuller and George Fuller. Town organized May 8, 1866.

O. Rasnick was the first justice of the Peace. The first death in the town was a child of E. K. Counts.

First couple were married in 1867, John Taylor to Miss Elizabeth Hutchins, and about the same time, Alex. Ramsey to Miss Margaret Hutchins.

118-30-Ellsworth; named at the suggestion of Jesse V. Branham, jr., after the unfortunate Col. Ellsworth whose tragic end occurred at Alexandria during the war of the rebellion, first settled in 1856, by Dr. V. P. Kennedy, T. R. Webb and Dr. Russel Whiteman. Kennedy came in June and Webb in July.

The first child born to Dr. Whiteman the following year. The second were twins to Wm. H. Greenleaf, June, 1860--both dead.

The second death was a man by the name of Halstead, in 1S62. The village of Greenleaf is embraced in this township and was founded in I858, by W. H. Greenleaf, Dana E. King and Bennet M. and Judson A. Brink.

First school house built in 1859; first teacher, Miss Lydia Angier. First and only lawyer, Mark Warren. Rev. J. C. Whitney preached the first sermon at Greenleaf, (Presbyterian). There is one Indian Mound in the Township which has not been opened. This town was originally attached to Rice City in I858.-organized as a separate township September I, 1868. This township was not exempt from incidents of the Indian war in 1862.

Two weeks after the attack on Hutchinson, Caleb Sanborn having been killed at Cedar Lake the clay before, a small party, consisting of Lewis Harrington, Frank Jewett, T. R. Webb, Dave Hern, Nath. Pierce, Daniel Cross and Silas Greene came out from Hutchinson for the remains of Sanborn. When north of Cedar Lake woods, three guns were simultaneously fired by unknown hands, and Cross fell mortally wounded. Five of the party, less Webb, sprang into the double wagon and made their escape round the lake. Webb took to a small boat on the lake and paddled for Cedar Island where he was compelled to spend the night. The Indians lined the lake shore during Webb's retreat, but not till after he had reached a safe distance did he turn to the red skins and place his thumb to his nose-thus inviting them to come where he was if they wanted him.

The next morning Webb returned to Hutchinson, and as he approached town, met some fifty persons coming out to look up him and Cross.

This party recovered the remains of both San-born and Cross and took them to Hutchinson. It was afterward ascertained that there were thirteen Indians in the skirmish.

Meeker County