Townships

Aitkin County Townships

Each platbook link is for that particular township in the 1916 platbook

Click here to see a map of Aitkin County showing all the current townships and unorganized territories. Below are the 40 organized townships of Aitkin County. Move your cursor over a name (without clicking) to read about each township. For information on unorganized townships, see the Communities page.

A printable pdf of Aitkin County townships, unincorporated townships, and communities can be found here .

Aitkin Aitkin Aitkin Township, named for William Aitkin, an early fur trader with the Northwest and American Fur Companies, had one of its first trading posts where the Mississippi and Ripple rivers met in present day Aitkin. It was incorporated June 18, 1873. In 2010 its population was 856. 1916 Platbook	Ball Bluff Ball Bluff Ball Bluff Township, located on the east side of the Mississippi, was a center for river and rail shipping for early logging companies. Its original name was "Bald Bluff," due to the glacial morainic drift having a bald grassy top without trees. It was incorporated May 26, 1900. In 2010 its population was 278. 1916 Platbook	Balsam Balsam With much of its area in the Savanna State Park Forest, its name reflects the heavy areas of balsam fir and poplar. In 2010 its population was 42. 1916 Platbook	Beaver Beaver Beaver was named for beavers and their dams, found by the earliest settlers on the head streams of Split Rock river, in the south part of this township. In 2010 its population was 53. History of Rice and Beaver Townships and 1916 Platbook	Clark Clark Clark was named for early Tamarack resident, Frank Clark. It was incorporated May 27, 1902. In 2010 its population was 169. The Beginning of Tamarack 1916 Platbook
Cornish Cornish Named for Charles E. and Milo F. Cornish who came from Nobles County in southern Minnesota. Much of Cornish is part of the Savanna State Forest. It was incorporated August 6, 1906. In 2010 its population was 28. 1916 Platbook	Farm Island Farm Island Farm Island township takes it name from its lake of this name having an island of 29 acres on which the Ojibwa formerly had large cultivated fields. It was incorporated on July 9, 1894. In 2010 its population was 1,099. 1916 Platbook	Fleming Fleming Named for an early settler, Fleming was an early site of logging, sawmills and more recently, wild rice paddies and cranberry bogs, resorts and summer homes. It was incorporated September 10, 1900. In 2010 its population was 312. 1916 Platbook	Glen Glen Glen was incorporated on July 3, 1896. In 2010 its population was 450. 1916 Platbook	Haugen Haugen Named in honor of Aitkin County Sheriff Chris C. Haugen, many of Haugen's sections are part of Savanna State Forest, a prime wildlife habitat. It was incorporated on November 3, 1903. In 2010 its population was 178. 1916 Platbook
Hazelton Hazelton Hazelton Townshp is named for Cutler J Hazelton, a former countv commissioner whose homestead was on Pine lake in this township. Cutler post office on the south side of Pine Lake was also named for him. Hazelton Township was incorporated March 12, 1892. In 2010 its population was 844. 1916 Platbook South 1916 Platbook North	Hill Lake Hill Lake Named for the prominent moraine drift in Section 25, Hill City employed over 1,500 workers in its heyday. The Ojibwa Indians called this hilly area Pikwadina (or Piquadinaw), so the lumberman referred to it as Poquodenaw Mountain. Hill Lake Township was incorporated November 19, 1900. In 2010 its population was 430. 1916 Platbook	Idun Idun Idun Township was named by early settlers for a place in Sweden. It was incorporated November 29, 1901. In 2010 its population was 259. 1916 Platbook	Jevne Jevne Named for a family of early Scandinavian settlers, much of its area is in the Kimberly Wildlife Management Area. It was incorporated July 14, 1902. In 2010 its population was 322. 1916 Platbook	Kimberly Kimberly Kimberly was named for Moses C. Kimberly, a surveyor, engineer and, later, general superintendent of the Northern Pacific which was built through the township in 1870. Mr. Kimberly was born in Sandisfield, Mass., December 1, 184S; he came to Minnesota in 1870. Kimberly Township was incorporated May 9, 1892. In 2010 its population was 195. 1916 Platbook
Lakeside Lakeside Lakeside Township is on the east side of Mille Lacs Lake. It was incorporated on June 8, 1897. In 2010 its population was 463. 1916 Platbook	Lee Lee Lee Township was named for Olaf Lee, a pioneer Norwegian Farmer in Section 18. Part of the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies across the northern sections, with nearly 20 sections that are a hunter's paradise. It was incorporated July 12, 1904. In 2010 its population was 50. 1916 Platbook	Libby Libby Named for Mark Libby, a fur trader at Sandy Lake, the township is divided into East and West voting precincts that are separated by the Mississippi. It was incorporated August 11, 1903. In 2010 its population was 45. 1916 Platbook	Logan Logan Logan Township was named for the long narrow ox bow lakes formed by the Mississippi, which are locally referred to as logans. It was incorporated July 8, 1901. In 2010 its population was 184. 1916 Platbook	Macville Macville Macville Township, settled by Scottish pioneers, was named for the McIninch and McPheeters families. It was incorporated July 8, 1901. In 2010 its population was 206. 1916 Platbook
Malmo Malmo Malmo township is named for the large city of Malmo in southern Sweden, on the sound opposite to Copenhagen. Beginning with the discovery of Indian burial mounds and village sites in 1899, archeologists have protected this area which is entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Some of the artifacts identified predate the Sioux and Chippewa Indians, perhaps going as far back as 1180 BC. It was incorporated on September 16, 1895. In 2010 its population was 337. 1916 Platbook	McGregor McGregor McGregor Township was named for the village and railroad station. Much of its area is in the Grayling Marsh Wildlife Management Area. It was incorporated October 7, 1895. In 2010 its population was 105. 1916 Platbook	Millward Millward Millward Township, named for an early settler, is part of the Solana State Forest. It was incorporated February 28, 1902, unorganized July 8, 1933 and reincorporated May 19, 1997. In 2010 its population was 72. 1916 Platbook	Morrison Morrison Morrison Township was named for Edward Morrison, one of its pioneer farmers. The Mississippi River created rich farmland in its flood plain and many cultivated wild rice paddies and cranberry bogs are well established in Morrison. It was incorporated April 6, 1896. In 2010 its population was 200. 1916 Platbook	Nordland Nordland Nordland Township bears the name of a large district in northern Norway. It was incorporated on March 21, 1885. In 2010 its population was 972. 1916 Platbook
Pliny Pliny Pliny Township bears the name of an ancient naturalist. Between 1882 and 1917, early settlers cleared roads with horses and by using dynamite to blow stumps and ditches at wages of 30 cents per hour. It was incorporated on July 14, 1902. In 2010 its population was 109. 1916 Platbook	Rice River Rice River The Rice River flows through the township on its way to Rice Lake, both named for the many local wild rice beds harvested by the Indians as a valuable food supply. It was incorporated May 26, 1900. In 2010 its population was 136. History of Rice and Beaver Townships 1916 Platbook	Salo Salo Salo Township was organized by Finnish settlers who named it for a town in southwest Finland. The Salo Wildlife Management Area comprises much of its area. It was incorporated November 20, 1901. In 2010 its population was 102. 1916 Platbook	Seavey Seavey Seavey Township is possibly named after Frank Seavey who was an early Aitkin County official. The post office was called the Boston Post Office from 1899 to 1904. In 1904 it became the Seavey Post Office and was discontinued in 1938. Seavey Township was incorporated on January 7, 1902. In 2010 its population was 61. 1916 Platbook	Shamrock Shamrock Shamrock Township was founded by Irish settlers who named it for their national emblem. Lake Minnewawa and most of Big Sandy Lake are within the township, making tourism and recreational development two of its most important features. It was incorporated July 13, 1903. In 2010 its population was 1,272. 1916 Platbook
Spalding Spalding Spalding Township was named for John L. Spalding, a former Aitkin County Treasurer. It is on the east border of the Rice Lake National Game Refuge. The Chippewa Tribe holds several land tracts. It was incorporated August 20, 1901. In 2010 its population was 329. 1916 Platbook	Spencer Spencer Spencer Township was named for William Spencer, an Aitkin druggist. It was incorporated September 16, 1895. In 2010 its population was 518. 1916 Platbook	Turner Turner Named for a former county commissioner L.E. Turner, it lies on the north shore of Big Sandy Lake with much land within the Savanna State Forest and an area owned by the Sandy Lake Indian Reservation. It was incorporated December 9, 1914. In 2010 its population was 208. 1916 Platbook	Verdon Verdon Verdon Township, named after Verdon Wells, son of local postmaster, E.B. Wells, contains portions of the Savanna State Forest. It was incorporated January 6, 1903. In 2010 its population was 45. 1916 Platbook	Wagner Wagner Homesteaders found fertile land in the Wagner Township area, but faced great hardship due to the isolated location and the lack of good roads. Abundant supplies of pine and hardwood lured loggers, which eased the difficulty of life. It was incorporated on September 22, 1903. In 2010 its population was 332. 1916 Platbook
Waukenabo Waukenabo Waukenabo Township's name of Indian derivation translates to either "broth of fish milt" or "broth of moss growing on rocks or trees" lake, which the Indians utilized to stave off starvation. It was incorporated December 25, 1899. In 2010 its population was 316. 1916 Platbook	Wealthwood Wealthwood Dan Knox purchased land at Mille Lacs Lake and stocked it with what is thought to be the first purebred herd of cattle in Aitkin County. This place he named Wealthwood. It was incorporated on July 8, 1901. In 2010 its population was 268. 1916 Platbook	White Pine White Pine It was incorporated July 19, 1920. In 2010 its population was 34. 1916 Platbook	Williams Williams It was incorporated February 18, 1904. In 2010 its population was 144. 1916 Platbook	Workman Workman Workman Township, named for a pioneer settler, borders the west side of Big Sandy Lake and the Sandy Lake Flowage. It was incorporated November 29, 1910. In 2010 its population was 207. 1916 Platbook

Aitkin County Townships

Aitkin

Ball Bluff

Balsam

Beaver

Clark

Cornish

Farm Island

Fleming

Glen

Haugen

Hazelton

Hill Lake

Idun

Jevne

Kimberly

Lakeside

Lee

Libby

Logan

Macville

Malmo

McGregor

Millward

Morrison

Nordland

Pliny

Rice River

Salo

Seavey

Shamrock

Spalding

Spencer

Turner

Verdon

Wagner

Waukenabo

Wealthwood

White Pine

Williams

Workman