Taken from the West Point Republican, 1897
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This is the extreme northwestern subdivision of Cuming County. It compromises all of township 24, range 4, east, and derives its name in honor of the late great American statesman, James G. Blaine. It is bound by Wayne on the north; Grant township on the east; Wisner Township on the south; Stanton county on the west. The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad runs through the southwestern sections. In 1890, the U.S. Census placed its population at five hundred and forty-eight. Sand Creek in the southwestern portion of this township is the chief stream. David Bright, of the northwest quarter of section 29, squatted at that point in the autumn of 1865. He was the first person to settle in what is now Blaine townships. He came from Minnesota. About a year later he moved to his homestead on section 32. His place was the northwest of the northwest quarter of that section. He moved to section 29, where he improved a farm, remained until 1882 and then moved to Texas.
In August, 1866, came R.A. Thompson, who entered government land on sections 33 and 34, but took a homestead on section 4 of Wisner township. William Farley, who had served as a soldier during the Civil War, came to the township in 1867 and homesteaded in the east half of the southeast quarter of section 32; also forty acres of the southeast of the same section as well as forty acres of the southeast of the southwest of section 32. His father took a homestead over the line in Wisner township about the same time.
A. Parody took a homestead in 1868, on section 31.
Prior to 1870, came H. Brundick to the northwest of section 7. H. Luhrman homesteaded on Section 7; William Woehler on section 6; William Thies on the northwest of section 5; C.J. Kuckock on the southwest of section 2. He was an old Mexican soldier. A.K. Anderson came to the west half of the southeast of section 9.
John Hanson settled on section 9, in 1869; Mathew Thompson homesteaded on section 33 in 1868-69. He was a jeweler by trade. Hugh McGill Jr., located in 1870 on section 3. Later settlers were Joseph Smith, Christopher Handke, Albert R. Stuart and Robert McGuire. John A. Lucas homesteaded the southwest of section 17. Charles Herzberg claimed a part of section 15. Theodore and Fritz Laase settled on sections 14 and 13 about the same date - 1870, also H. Krause of section 24.
THE FIRST ELECTION was held in the school house, in what was then known as Elmont precinct. One of the first DEATHS was that of a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Whiteman in the early 1870s. The FIRST MARRIAGE was William Farley and Eliza Cole in February, 1869.
The FIRST HOUSE was the prairie dugout of pioneer Bright. THE FIRST LOG HOUSE was built by R.A. Thompson, while the earliest FRAME BUILDING was erected by A. Parody in 1868 on section 34.
The grasshoppers made their first appearance in Blaine township in 1868 and destroyed much of the corn crop. They kept on their work of destruction until late in the 1870s.
The FIRST TERM of SCHOOL was taught by Miss Jane Williams in 1868 in a rude dugout. A schoolhouse was provided the following year, in which a Miss Hamilton taught the first term.
There are no churches (1897) in Blaine township, the worshippers live near the village of Wisner. The cemeteries of Blaine are on section 29 and a Scandinavian burying ground on section 35, near Wisner.
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