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Benson, Minnesota: Railroads, Ox Carts and Early Automobiles.

Benson grew into the county seat and commercial heart of Swift County.

The Benson area saw settler activity during the 1860s. The community was platted for railway development in 1870, connecting prairie settlements with regional markets.

The Lathrop brothers opened an early general store, and Benson developed into a trading center for farmers, rail passengers and ox-cart traffic.

Benson incorporated as a village in 1877 and later as a city in 1908. Its early development survived grasshopper infestations, disease and a destructive fire in 1880.

County history records that J.B.A. Benoit built an early automobile in Benson in 1902. This was a transportation milestone, but not evidence of a commercial taxi company.

Today, Benson serves residents and visitors traveling to government offices, businesses, lodging, medical appointments, and regional destinations.

Appleton, Minnesota: Civil War Veterans and River Mills.

Appleton's settlement story began near the mouth of the Pomme de Terre River.

The Addison Phelps family settled in the area in 1868. Other settlers included Civil War veterans A.W. and W.V. Lathrop, who developed a flour mill in 1872.

The river supplied water power for early industry. Mills, schools, churches and agricultural businesses became important to community life.

Appleton took its name from the Wisconsin community associated with Addison Phelps. Rail transportation arrived in 1879 and Appleton incorporated in 1881.

Today, visitors travel to Appleton for business, family gatherings, outdoor recreation and regional connections. The Appleton OHV Park is a significant visitor destination.

Clontarf, Minnesota: An Irish Settlement on the Prairie.

Clontarf has a distinctive history of Irish Catholic settlement.

The first settler arrived in June 1876. The township was organized during the following year.

The community was named after Clontarf near Dublin, Ireland. Its development was connected to Bishop John Ireland's Catholic colonization program, which encouraged families to establish farms in Minnesota.

Irish and French immigrants shaped the community. Its early institutions included church life, local trades and railway connections.

Clontarf was platted in 1876 and incorporated as a village in 1881. Its immigration history sets it apart from other Swift County communities.

Danvers, Minnesota: A Small Prairie Railroad Community.

Danvers developed as a railway community in Marysland Township.

Railway survey work began in 1886 on a proposed route connecting Benson and Appleton with Watertown, South Dakota.

Construction continued in 1887. Danvers became one of the settlements established along the route. Its name came from a Massachusetts community.

An early store operated from a small 12-by-16-foot building managed by A.N. Matteison.

By 1900 Danvers had roughly 112 residents and about twenty business interests. The village incorporated that year.

A community that once depended on railway transportation now requires modern road connections for many regional trips.

De Graff, Minnesota: Railroad Settlement and the Grasshopper Plague.

De Graff was platted in 1875 and named for railroad builder Andrew De Graff.

The community developed through Bishop Ireland's Catholic colonization efforts and the establishment of farms and family homes.

Historical accounts describe seventeen houses constructed during the early settlement period, supported by large lumber shipments.

The devastating grasshopper infestation of 1876 damaged crops and threatened the livelihood of settlers throughout the region.

The village continued developing despite those conditions and incorporated in 1881.

De Graff's history combines agricultural development, rail transportation and the resilience of immigrant farming communities.

Holloway, Minnesota: The Community Once Known as Norton.

Holloway developed around railroad service and agriculture.

The village was originally known as Norton. Great Northern Railway officials later renamed it Holloway in honor of a pioneer farmer.

The post office was established in 1889. Rail transportation supported agricultural shipping, travel and local commerce.

Holloway incorporated as a village in 1903. Its location within the Moyer and Edison township area reflects the county’s settlement patterns.

Today, longer-distance transportation may be needed to reach employers, hotels, appointments or airports outside the community.

Kerkhoven, Minnesota: The Village Formerly Called Pillsbury.

Kerkhoven has an unusual history of settlement and renaming.

Historical accounts identify settlement beginning in the 1860s, followed by platting in 1870.

The village incorporated under the name Pillsbury in March 1881. In February 1883 it was renamed Kerkhoven in honor of Johannes Kerkhoven and his brother, associated with regional railroad construction.

The Great Northern Railway helped connect the town's agricultural economy to larger regional markets.

Today, the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg school region supports connections among nearby towns through education and community events.

Murdock, Minnesota: The Farmer Who Wanted a Railroad Stop.

Murdock was platted and named in 1878 by Samuel Sabin Murdock.

Murdock was a landowner who recognized that railway transportation could help farmers market crops more effectively.

Local historical accounts describe his efforts to bring a railway station to the community.

The post office opened in 1878 with general-store owner George Botham as its first postmaster.

The village incorporated in 1881 and was reincorporated in 1898. Agriculture, railroad service and education were important to the community's development.

Today, its history helps explain why rural transportation connections remain important in small communities.

Swift Falls, Minnesota: Waterfalls, Flour Mills and Local Agriculture.

Swift Falls is unincorporated, but its transportation and industrial history deserve their own exhibit.

The settlement was founded in 1866 by Jonas M. Danelz along the east branch of the Chippewa River.

He named the settlement after the local waterfall and built a flour mill in 1873. The mill was rebuilt following a fire in 1895.

Danelz also established a mercantile business. The community later supported a creamery, bank and other agricultural enterprises.

The creamery began in 1897. Later agricultural developments were connected to the enterprise that became Jennie-O.

Swift Falls Park was dedicated in 1966, preserving a public recreation setting beside the river.