Cass County Government

Cass County History Summary

When Cass County was created by legislative act on May 1, 1851, it became one of ten counties that existed in the Minnesota Territory. It remained as a created county and had no county officers until March 4, 1872 when it was first organized as a county, with its boundaries reduced as slices had been cut off when the following counties were established: Wright, Steams, Meeker, Todd, Morrison, Pope, Douglas, Ottertail, Wadena, Aitkin, Crow Wing, and Becker. Our county seat was located in West Brainerd, complete with a building that was used as a courthouse.

Cass County remained a part of Crow Wing County until the re-organization in 1897. Cass County was fully organized on May 6, 1897 and Governor Clough had appointed P.H. McGarry of Walker, G.H. French of Cohasset, O.T. Wilson of Ellis, James F. Middleton of Backus, and T.J. Nary of Walker as the county's first commissioners. These commissioners then met that same day and also on the 7th to appoint the officers of the county. The county board established the county seat at Walker on May 7th, and purchased a new brick building in Block 14, original plat of Walker. That building presently houses Reed's Gifts. On May 8th, the chairman of the commissioners appointed a committee to proceed to Brainerd and secure all books pertinent to our county. Construction on our present courthouse began in 1902-03 and the building was dedicated on April 5, 1907.

Cass County has 50 organized townships today, the first of which was Byron Township in 1898 and the last was Ottertail Peninsula in 1987. Cass County also has 14 unorganized townships and 15 incorporated cities.