# History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/3/Counties/Humboldt

​ HUMBOLDT COUNTY, as first created in 1851, embraced sixteen townships, including the four northern townships of Webster. In 1855 the General Assembly apportioned the territory constituting Humboldt, equally between Kossuth and Webster, and on the 1st of July following, Humboldt County became extinct. On the 26th of February, 1857, the county was again established with its original boundaries. Through some unexplained manipulation of the bill for the restoration of the county it was discovered, that, after this passage and before it reached the Governor for his approval, the south tier of townships had been erased from the act. The next Legislature attempted to correct the error but in the meantime the new Constitution had been adopted which provided that county boundaries could not be changed without the consent of a majority of the electors of each county affected. The ​legality of the act for the correction of the error was attacked in the courts and at the December term of the Supreme Court in 1860 it was decided that the act for correction was in conflict with the Constitution and void. This left Humboldt County with but twelve townships.
The county lies in the second tier south of the Minnesota line, in the fifth east of the Missouri River and contains four hundred thirty-two square miles. It was named for Baron Alexander von Humboldt the German scientist. The east and west forks of the Des Moines River flow through the county from the north and unite near its southern boundary and the Boone River crosses its northeast corner, all affording excellent water power.
The first white man to build a cabin within the limits of the county was the desperado Henry Lott, who in 1852, located on the stream which has been named Lott’s Creek. The first permanent settlers were Edward McKnight, Charles Bergk, Soloman Hand, Newton Dowling and E. Hackman who settled on the east fork of the Des Moines River about three miles above the junction of the two branches, in the year 1854. The following year they were joined by J. C. Cusey, George W. and Fletcher Hand, Eber Stone and William Miller with their families. Dakota City was laid out by Edward McKnight in 1856 and in 1857 was made the county-seat. A mill was built on the river by Bergk and McKnight and a post-office established with Charles Bergk as postmaster. The Methodists organized a society in 1856.
The county government was established in 1857. The following were the first officers chosen at the August election in 1857: Jonathan Hutchison, judge; J. F. Williams, clerk; Alexander McLane, treasurer; D. H. Nivers, sheriff, and J. S. Ellis, prosecuting attorney. In August, 1860, A. S. White and Charles Bergk issued the first number of a newspaper named the Humboldt County Independent. In 1863 Rev. S. H. Taft arrived with a colony of some forty persons from central New York, who
WEST FORK OF THE DES MOINES RIVER, In Humboldt County
​ on the east fork of the Des Moines River about three miles above the junction of the two branches, in the year 1854. The following year they were joined by J. C. Cusey, George W. and Fletcher Hand, Eber Stone and William Miller with their families. Dakota City was laid out by Edward McKnight in 1856 and in 1857 was made the county-seat. A mill was built on the river by Bergk and McKnight and a post-office established with Charles Bergk as postmaster. The Methodists organized a society in 1856.
The county government was established in 1857. The following were the first officers chosen at the August election in 1857: Jonathan Hutchison, judge; J. F. Williams, clerk; Alexander McLane, treasurer; D. H. Nivers, sheriff, and J. S. Ellis, prosecuting attorney. In August, 1860, A. S. White and Charles Bergk issued the first number of a newspaper named the Humboldt County Independent. In 1863 Rev. S. H. Taft arrived with a colony of some forty persons from central New York, who settled upon ten sections of land lying along the west fork of the Des Moines River west of Dakota City. Here they laid out a town named Springdale, built a dam across the river, erecting a sawmill and a flouring-mill. Mr. Taft also founded Humboldt College which was established in a large stone building erected for that purpose. The town made a rapid growth and in time the name was changed to Humboldt. The Northwestern and the Minneapolis railroads run through the county.