Excerpt from The Heritage of Blue Earth County by Julie Schrader, Topic 60, available in the Research & Genealogy Center.

“Ceresco Township is located in the south-western area of Blue Earth County. It is drained by the Watonwan River in the north and Perch Creek through its center.

“The earliest settlers arriving in the spring of 1855 were William Gray and Fellows D. Pease, who built a log cabin in Section 11, just above the mouth of Perch Creek. The two young men had come from Iowa. At their cabin, they kept goods which they used to trade with Indians. These goods consisted mostly of beads, powder, lead, a barrel of whiskey and a few bolts of cloth, which they used in trading furs.

“On July 5, 1857, townships 105 and 107 (now Lincoln and Ceresco) were under the name Ceresco. Until 1865, Lincoln (or Fox Lake as it was then called) was attached to Ceresco Township for administrative purposes. The name Ceresco was suggested by Isaac Slocum, who had come from Ceresco, Wisconsin. Isaac Slocum had intended the name Ceresco to be given to Lincoln Township, which is where he resided. The name intended for Ceresco was Fox Lake, which was suggested by John and Miles Porter who had come from Fox Lake, Wisconsin. At a meeting of the county board held on April 6, 1858, the two towns were mistakenly named and the error was never corrected. The first town election was held at the house of William Wells on May 11, 1858.”