ANOKA

Anoka is a Dakota Indian word meaning "on both sides".  This town was named by

the Pioneer Town-Site company after Anoka, a town in Minnesota, in Anoka

County.  The Minnesota town is located on both side of the Run River.  The

Nebraska town, Anoka, is located along the Ponca Creek.  Villages in Indiana

and New York also have the same name.

BRISTOW

This town was named in honor of secretary of the treasury, Benjamin H. Bristow, of

President Grant's cabinet.  It was platted in 1902 by the pioneer Town-Site company.

The Postoffice was established in 1890, but was west of the present site of Bristow.

BUTTE

The name Butte was suggested for this town from the rocky upheavals of ground

just south of the town-site, called the Harvey Buttes.  There are a pair of larger

buttes, called the "Twin Buttes" along the highway, about ten miles north-west

of Butte.  Butte is the county seat of Boyd County.

GROSS

The town of Gross was named in honor of B. R. Gross.  Mr. Gross was one of the

first settlers in this neighborhood and homesteaded the land on which the town is

located.  He was the first postmaster and later engaged in business there.

LYNCH

Lynch was named for John A. Lynch, who is known as the founder of this town.

Originally a petition was signed by the citizens of Niobrara, asking the Postoffice

Department at Washington to establish a postoffice at Lynchburg, Nebraska.  In

due time the department established the postoffice and called it "Lynch."  Mr. Lynch

was the first postmaster and held that office for nine years.

MONOWI

Monowi is an Indian name as means flower.  This town was no doubt so named

because there are so many wild flowers in the vicinity.  It is also claimed that Monowi

is a word in some Indian languages for a plant with milky juice, called snow-on-the-mountain.

NAPER

This town was originally called Naperville.  It is named for Ralph Naper, who gave

forty acres of his homestead for a town-site.

SPENCER

When the town of Spencer was located and the site was selected, it was named

Spencer for an army captain of Ed Whiting's.

BAKER

Baker was once a thriving village in northern Boyd County, Ware Township, which

was named for Fred Baker, who was the first postmaster there.  Baker no longer

has a postoffice.

MANKATO

An account of Mankato's early history can be found in the history of District 8.

Mankato is the Dakota Indian word, meaning blue earth.  That may have been the

origin of the name of this almost forgotten town.

BASIN

At one time there was a postoffice at Basin, which is located about three miles

southeast of Naper.  The name originated from the characteristic low "basins"

and lakes in the township.  The township still carries that name.  District 4 is

still called Basin School.