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Swift County was established February 18, 1870. This county was named after Henry Adoniram Swift, the governor of Minnesota in 1863. It is located in the west central part of Minnesota and consists of 757 square miles  with 3 tiers of 7 townships each. The Swift County Courthouse was built in 1897 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The City of Benson is the County seat of Swift County. The railroad tracks run through the center of the town of Benson and divide the downtown business districts with parks on each side of the tracks.

The Indians had grievances against the government including delays in sending annuities which caused near starvation several times. In August, 1862, an Indian rebellion broke out in Minnesota. The warfare reached the settlements just getting started in the northeastern part of Swift County. By the latter part of September, 1862, the Indian War was almost over but the settlers hesitated to venture back to the prairie country of Swift County until 1865 when all danger was apparently over. Scandinavians and Germans were in decided majority among the early settlers. A number of them came with the honor and privileges of Civil War veterans.

In 1869, the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad had reached Willmar and the following year it arrived in Benson. The railroad company determined the number of future trading centers (Kerkhoven, DeGraff, Benson, Randall) in the county by locating sites at intervals of approximately 8 miles.

On Line Data

Cities Appleton Benson (county seat) Clontarf Danvers De Graff Holloway Kerkhoven Murdock Unincorporated communities Fairfield Swift Falls

Townships Appleton Township Benson Township Camp Lake Township Cashel Township Clontarf Township Dublin Township Edison Township Fairfield Township Hayes Township Hegbert Township Kerkhoven Township Kildare Township Marysland Township Moyer Township Pillsbury Township Shible Township Six Mile Grove Township Swenoda Township Tara Township Torning Township West Bank Township

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