and a company of soldiers stationed to protect the settlements in that part of the State.
The county was organized in August, 1857, and at the election the following persons were chosen for the first county officials: A. P. Thayer, judge; B. W. Sawtell, clerk; G. W. Labourvean, treasurer and recorder; S. W. Hayward, sheriff; and Carlton Corbett, prosecuting attorney. The Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad was built through the county in 1870 and in January of that year J. P. Ford issued the first number of the Cherokee Chief. The railroad was located some distance from the old town and gradually a new town grew up near the station. One of the Hospitals for the Insane has been recently located at Cherokee.
CHICKASAW COUNTY at one time a part of Fayette, was created by act of the Legislature in 1851, and named for a southern tribe of Indians. When first established Chickasaw extended three miles further north than its present boundary which was fixed in 1855. It lies in the third tier west of the Mississippi River and in the second south of Minnesota with an area of five hundred four square miles.
The first settlement within its limits was made in 1848 by Truman Merritt near Greenwood. In 1852 J. A. Bird and John Bird made claims near the junction of the Little Cedar and the Red Cedar River. They there built a cabin and during the season several other families took claims near them. In 1854 James Jared took a claim on the land where New Hampton now stands and before the close of the year settlements were made in other parts of the county in the vicinity of woodland. Chickasaw was attached to Fayette until 1853 when John Bird was authorized by the judge of Fayette County to organize the county. The first legal election was held in August at which the following officers were chosen: James Lyon, judge; S. C. Goddard, clerk; John Campbell, treasurer
