Weston township is settled mostly by Brown county settlers from Columbia and Groton, who came in early in the spring of 1883. The surface is somewhat undulating. There are two large depressions in southeast part, of about 500 acres, which yield an abundance of good hay. Originally included the south half of Stena township, and was known as Norwich. In the spring of ’85 was reorganized and named Weston. Now has three fine school-houses built last year.
About October 1, 1882, H. H. Snow, from Clear Lake, Minn., settled on sec. 17. He was the first settler in the township and the only one that wintered here the following winter. The second winter, 1883-4, Mrs. Snow died. Mr. Snow is an inventive genius, having patented a windmill and fixed up a mill known as the Weston Giant Mills. Mr. Snow, being absent when we called, we did not learn the horse-power of his windmill nor the capacity of the mill.
In February, 1883, when the township came in market, Mr. Edward Rock, from Ionia, Mich., settled on sec. 30, and afterwards on section 29, where he now resides. Dr. Geo. Z. Valleau, from Carson City, Mich., located on sec. 26. Dr. Valleau was born in Hastings Co., Ontario, Canada. In 1867 graduated in the Queen’s Medical University, Kingston. Practiced medicine fifteen years at Carson City, Mich. Has now retired from practice and devotes his whole attention to farming. Silas Gould, from Osceola, Iowa, on sec. 28. Hiram and G. Huvey, from Rockford, Mich., on sections 21 and 22 in ’84. Wm. Young and brother Albert, formerly from Iowa, came here from Columbia. Wm. Young was one of the first three settlers in Brown county, where he located on the Jim in 1877. They located here on sections 10 and 11. R. M. Hilson, from Rockford, Mich., located on sec. 22. Fred Brash from Wabasha, Minn., sec. 15. Bryant Dockray, from Rockford, Mich., sec 22. Lincoln Evans, from Lincoln Co., Neb., sec. 15. Andrew Franks came with the Binghams from Missouri and settled on sec. 14. Francis Jewell and son Henry came here from Fayetteville, N. Y., and located. The former on sec. 28 and the latter on sec. 13. Francis Jewell was elected Probate Judge of our county in 1885. John Dobson, from Erie county, Pennsylvania, settled on sec. 33, and Asa S. Robinson, from the same place, located on sec. 29. Richard W. Barker, from Rockford, Mich., sec. 28. Mr. Brownel, from Kalamazoo, Mich., sec. 19. Geo. Rogers, from Detroit, Mich., came here in ’84 and bought Mr. Dingman’s claim on sec. 85. Chas. H. Goldthrite, from Carson City, Mich., sec. 34. Chas. Rogers, from Grand Rapids, Mich., sec. 19; and D. V. Wait, on same section, came from Rockford, Mich. Paul Otto, a brother to the Ottos in Hickman township, settled sec. 30. Chas. Bash, from Rockford, Mich., sec. 31; and Geo. Steele, from the same place, on sec. 30. Reuben Fraser, from Michigan, on sec. 32. E. McKenney, from Iowa, sec. 29. R. F. Emmerson and Archie Magee, from Canada, located on sec. 12. Fredd and Frank Ford, from Canada, on sections 12 and 13. Joseph Castle, from Montcalm county, Mich., sec. 24. Barnard Jackson and son John, from Lowell, Mich., sec. 25. John Smith, from Missouri, sec. 24. Chas. C. Witham, from Greenville, Mich., section 26. Mrs. Goolthrite, from Carson City, Mich., sec. 34. Chas. Clayson, from New York, sec. 32. R. O. Rusco, from West Bend, Wis., sec. 10. Robt. Bingham and son Malcolm, from Dent county, Missouri, located on sections 3 and 10. Albert and Will Anderson, from Illinois, settled on sections 2 and 11 in 1884. B. F. Parker, from Rochelle, Lee county, Ill., settled on his present home, sec. 9, and is one of the most extensive farmers in the township. H. E. Dickson, from New York, sec. 11. Frank and Stacy Wolverton, from Michigan, located on sections 3 and 4. Hiram Taylor, from Pine Island, Minn., sec. 9; Geo. West, sec. 9; John and Chas. West on sec. 4 are all from Pine Island. N. Brayton, from Sterling, Ill., sec. 8; Peter Berkman, from St. Peter, Minn., same section. Geo. Collins, from Rockford, sec. 18. Dan Farley, from Minnesota, came here from Brown county, near Columbia, sec. 6. Jacob Gruber, from Ohio, sec. 4; and Wm. Briggs came here from Kansas, sec. 5. Spencer Purdy and Burt Beech, from Rockford, Mich., sec. 18. Lafayette Shaw, front Rockford, Mich., sec. 20; C. A. Haner, from same place, sec. 20. Noah Ashley, from Grand Rapids, Mich., sec. 20.
Source: Hickman, George; History of Marshall County, Dakota: Its Topography and Natural History, and Sketches of Pioneer Settlers, with the Names of Actual Settlers where They are From, and where They Live; Also, the Military and Sisseton Reservations; J.W. Banbury, 1886.