McLean County Towns

McLean County Townships

The first white man to set foot on the land that is now known as McLean County, were Louis and Clark. They spent the winter weather in 1804-1805 and built a fort named "Fort Mandan". On their return trip in 1806, they found it burned down by the Sioux Indians. The Fort was rebuilt and is now a Historical Site. There is also a stone monument sitting on a hill on the Swanson land. It has a map of Lewis and Clark's expedition with a story of their travels. From there you can almost see the Missouri River.

If you have any information on these townships, please email me!

Name of Township	Township	Earliest date of Establishment	Sites
Amundsville	150-88	About 1913	Amundsville has A National Wildlife Refuge
Andrews- Benedict	150-81	About 1906	Benedict was named because of the newly wed men ...newly wed men are know as "benedicts".
Aurena	149-79	About 19--
Basto- Weller	145-83	About 1883	The town Wellerville was named after Charles Weller who was a Civil War soldier that homesteaded. It is now a ghost town.
Blackwater	148-87	About 1906	The Indians had named the lake in the townhsip, Blackwater because of the darkness of the water.
Blue Hill	150-86	About 18--	Black Diamond Mine owned by John Satterlund; Coal Creek Energy Plant; Falkirk Mine
Buffalo Lake	145-82	About 18--
Buffalo Rock	145-89	About 18--	It is known for its buttes but, now much of the area is under water.
Butte Township	150-79
Byersville	149-78	About 1904	Named after J. A. Byers, an early settler.
Coal Harbor	147-84	About 1904
Conkling	144-83	About 1883
Cremerville	150-89
Deepwater	149-88
Dogden- Butte	150-78	About 1902	Dogden is a translation for the Indian words of wolf den. The Dogden buttes were a landmark used by early days travelers and expeditions
Douglas	150-85
E. Wiprud- Crooked Trail	148-80	About 1902	The township has 3 lakes: Crooked Lake, Cottenwood Lake and Nelson Lake
Economy-Max	150-83
Eblowoods	147-90	About 1891	Elbowoods was the Indian Agency headquarters but was abandoned by 1954 due to rising waters behind the Garrison Dam.
Fort Berthold Reservation	147-89		Lake Sakakawea now covers most of this area.
Fort Stevenson	147-85	About 1867	Fort Stevenson--Military Post dated back to 1863-1864
Gate	150-87
Great Stone	149-81	About 1904	Homesteaders had to move large stones before they could farm, and the township was named Gratstone.
Hackett- Emmett	148-86	About 1903	Garrison Reservoir cuts into a large portion of this township.
Heaton-Iowa	144-80	About 1904	Panted Woods Creek cuts through the township
Horseshoe Valley- Strawberry Lake	149-80	About 1891
Jeanette- Romsaas	149-86	About 1905
Koenig	145-80		Turtle Creek--a landmark for early homesteaders
Lake Nettie- Palmberg	148-81		Lake Nettie is a large lake
Lake Williams- Turtle Lake	147-80
Lewis and Clark	144-84	About 1882	Lewis and Clark made camp here in 1804; Area called Elm Point was a river boat landing
Liberty	147-86	About 18--	Part of the Fort Stevenson Reservation; Fort Berthold trail passes through and at one time the buttes along the river served as a landmark for the Missouri River men
Like- A-Fish- Hook	147-87	About 18--	Hidatsa, Mandan and Arikaras Indians started a new village here due to being harassed by the Sioux. Lake Sakakawea now covers most of this area.
Linda-Reuter	147-82	About 19--	Some towns were established due to the Garrison Dam.
Longfellow	146-83	About 18--	Communities established here due to the building of Garrison Dam.
Loquemont	149-89	About 1913
Lucky Mound	149-90	About 19--
Malcom	148-82	About 1902	Swedish settlers named the township
McGinnis	149-84	About 18--	The Smith Horse Ranch was on the trail to the north toward Fort Pembina. Many travelers and mail carriers stopped at the ranch overnight. The log portion of the ranch house is still in use.
Medicine Hill	148-79	About 1896	Well known spot when the Indians would travel, and visit the Medicine Hill
Mercer	146-79	1877	William Mercer, Civil War veteran, settled here in 1877--Mercer County is also named after him
Monntefiore- Wilton	143-80	About 1899	Washburn Lignite Coal Mine opened in 1901
Nettle Creek	143-81	About 1882	Painted Woods Lake--Painted woods is mentioned in many early military journals
New Home	146-80
Nishu	147-88	About 1894	the community center of the Arkiara tribe on the Fort Berthold Reservation..now is covered by Lake Sakakawea
N. Elbowoods	148-90		The area had Indian settlements and later to white people after the Reservation was opened to homesteaders.
N. Hancock- Riverdale	146-84	About 1886	E. T. Winton, past postman of Ft. Stevenson platted the town in 1883; Hancock was named in 1886 by the Virginia homesteaders
N. Satterlund- Sverdrup	145-81	About 18--
Otis-Ruso	150-80	About 1903	A Soo Line Railroad station was established in Ruso.
Park	145-79	About 1892
Platt	149-85	About 1903	Douglas Creek is mentioned in many old journals...It was an early landmark for the river travelers.
Poplar -Freitag	150-82	About 1904	Max is the dividing point and the trains switched cars here. Many of the early settlers worked on the railroad to earn money.
Roosevelt- Garrison	148-84	About 1903	Garrison the town founded by the Taylor brothers; The Stephen Coal Mines were located here and the waters of Lake Sakakawea have taken much of the township.
Roseglen	149-87	About 1904
Rosemont- Crystal	150-84
St. Mary- Schneider	148-85	About 18--	Part of the Fort Stevenson Military Reservations.
Shell Creek	150-90-91	About 1921	Shell Creek began as a Hidatsa community settled largely by a group of Gros Ventres who had broken away from their fellow tribesmen of Ft. Berthold Indian Reservation.
Snake Creek	149-82	About 19--	Lake Audabon cuts through and Snake Creek runs through some of the town.
S. Hancock	145-84	About 18--	The Knife River Villages now a National Historic site was mentioned in journals by earlier travelers
S. Satterlund	144-81	About 1877	One of the earlier settlers--George Rhude opened a post office and was a stopping place for travelers from Ft. Stevenson and Bismarck.
Snow	148-83	About 18--	The township has been covered by Lake Sakakawea and the Lake Audubon waters; it also had many mines.
Turtle Lake Township	147-81	About 1886	Turtle Lake which is shaped like a turtle Don Cullum's Turtle Lake Page
Ulrich-Endres	149-83	About 1904
Underwood Township	146-82	About 1884	Town site owner, Gen. W. D. Washburn, was a builder of the railroad (This Bismarck, Washburn, and Great Falls R. R.) now the Soo Line
Veeder	146-81	About 1883
Victoria- Coleharbor	147-83	About 1904	Garrison Dam boom town; Audubon National Wildlife Refuge.
Washburn	144-82	1882	Washburn is the oldest existing community and was founded by John S. Veeder and John Satterlund
White Shield	148-88	About 18--	Was built to take the place Elbowoods which was covered by Lake Sakakawea
Wise	147-79	About 1900	The township has several lakes and is a resort area

(Thanks to Kathy Camp for all her hard work in this area!)

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