The general history of this township is that of Silver Creek up to 1873, when it was cut out of that township. This was done by order of the board of supervisors, made October 14, 1873, and it was also ordered that the first election should be held at the schoolhouse known as the Keg Creek schoolhouse, near what is known as the Dick HARDIN farm. This is one of the sons of Davis HARDIN that came in 1838 to look after the interests of the Pottawattamies. The name HARDIN has been made very popular. One son (Mart, as he was always called) having held public offices of various kinds for years and now his son, Will, is the present assessor of the city, and has been for many years and likely to be many years more, being one of these Democrats that can always catch a lot of Republican votes.

This township was named after its principal stream. This stream derives its name from the circumstance that some early emigrants found several kegs of whiskey that had been hidden in the willows on its bank. Among the early settlers who have become prominent and contributed largely to the development of this township were: Wooster FAY, A. W. WYMAN, S. G. UNDERWOOD and Col. Wm. ORR. Of these, only Mr. UNDERWOOD is living. He has one of the finest and well stocked farms in the county.

The first officers of the township were: A. W. WYMAN, Wooster FAY, and Fredrick MILLER, trustees, and George KIRBY, justice of the peace. The first road laid out was what is known as the state road, established by Judge J. P. CASADY in 1860, and was known as the Council Bluffs and Lewis Road, and for many years it was the only road in the township.

The first school of which there is any record was taught in 1856 in an old log cabin that had been moved out of Moffat's grove to the edge of the prairie, and taught by Miss Catharine BUFFINGTON. The winter of 1856 was so cold that they did without school.

It seems but proper that we should retain and hand down the names of the sturdy, patient men that first opened up this most glorious country and we take pleasure in doing so, especially as there are few now remaining with us, and we even wonder if we have their equals with us today, and we will mention a few more that came in the early times. Thomas MOFFATT came in 1856, and a Mr. BRECKINRIDGE the same year, Mr. GRIERSON came in 1855 and Henry KAMS opened a farm at the same date. Mr. GRIERSON died in the fall of the same year that he came. Mr. McNAY and Wm. CAMPBELL also came in an early day and have been some of our best citizens.

The present township officers are: F. HEUWINKEL, H. KIRCHOFF and A. L. INGRAM, trustees; Henry HEUWINKEL, clerk; F. C. FROHARDT and F. W. BASCH, justices of the peace. No constable qualified, which leaves a vacancy, but so law-abiding are the people that the election of justices and constables in only a form.

The school board consists of R. McKINZIE, president; F. C. FROHARDT, secretary and H. F. SAAR, treasurer. The township has nine schoolhouses and according to the state census of 1905, there were two hundred and eighty eight persons of school age in the township, of which one hundred and forty-five were males and one hundred and forty-three females to fill them.

The township has two churches, that of the Methodists on section 19, and German Lutheran on section 2. No country in the world can raise better crops or people than this township.