The first meeting of the Lyon County Board of County Commissioners was on Aug. 12, 1870 in Lynd. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Lyon County and the anniversary date is coming up next week.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to postpone celebrating the sesquicentennial at the town celebrations and the Lyon County Fair until next year. We will continue to commemorate the anniversary the rest of this year and in 2021 with activities, events, and publications. T-shirts are available for sale at the Lyon County Museum along with a photo history book titled, Lyon County Images. An event with Visit Marshall, Shop Hop Through Lyon County, is happening this week.

A flyover with an 80 ft. banner commemorating the anniversary is planned for next Saturday. We will work with the schools in the county during the course of this school year for students to sign the banner. The banner will be displayed at the 2021 Lyon County Fair.

The following information is from the 1912 History of Lyon County by Arthur P. Rose:

“The bill for the creation of Lyon County, embracing the present counties of Lyon and Lincoln, was introduced by Senator Charles T. Brown, passed the Legislature, and was approved by Governor William R. Marshall on March 2, 1869. It provided that the act should not become operative, however, until it had been approved by a majority vote of the electors of Redwood County at the general election of November, 1869. The vote was favorable and Lyon County was ready to take up the burdens of organization. The county was named in honor of General Nathaniel Lyon, of the United States Army, who met death at the battle of Springfield in June, 1861.

Very soon after the act became operative as a result of the election, Governor Marshall appointed a few county officers and vested them with power to begin county government. It was proposed to organize in December, 1869, but owing to the absence of two of the commissioners it had to be postponed, and the machinery of government was not set in motion until Aug. 12, 1870. At that time the first meeting of the Board of County Commissioners was held at the home of Luman Ticknor in Upper Lynd.

The first entry in the journal reading as follows: State of Minnesota, County of Lyon. Be it known that at a session of the Board of County Commissioners of Lyon County, held at the house of L. Ticknor, in said county, on the twelfth day of August, 1870, the seat of said county was settled and established on the southeast quarter of section thirty-three in township one hundred and eleven of range forty-two. Signed A. W. Muzzy, Levi S. Kiel, County Commissioners. Attest: E. Lamb, Auditor.”

The photograph featured this week is the Kiel and Morgan Hotel in Lynd. This building was used as the county courthouse when the county seat was in Lynd. The county seat moved to Marshall in January of 1874, as the result of an election the year prior. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is open to tours on weekends this summer.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a non-profit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon St in Marshall. The museum is open! For hours and more information, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or check our Facebook page.