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Swift County Information

Swift County

Swift county includes the following communities:Clontarf, Danvers, DeGraff, Murdock, Kerkhoven, Appleton, Swift Falls, Benson and Holloway. The county is unique having a prison and ethonal plant. Swift County also has hunting camps and rivers to canoe in.

By 1870, the railroad was completed to Benson from Willmar. For a year or more, no rails were laid further west. During this time, Benson served as a market for the territory 100 miles to the west, south and north. In 1887 the railroad connected Benson and Appleton. Appleton was organized as a village in 1872. The mill was built the same year and by 1873 the population was about 100. Kerkhoven was first settled in 1870. DeGraff was platted in 1875 and Clontarf, first called Randall, in 1877. Swift Falls received its name from the waterfall. Its founder, J.M. Danlez, detecting the presence of the waterfall, became interested in the site and purchased it from the railroad. S.S. Murdock was convinced that there was room for another trading center between Kerkhoven and DeGraff and the city of Murdock came into being. Two additional railroad towns were platted in 1886, Danvers and Holloway - first called Norton - but renamed in honor of a neighboring pioneer farmer.

Swift County was organized on February 18, 1870 and was named in honor of Henry Swift, Governor of Minnesota in 1863. It is located in the west central part of the State and consists of 757 square miles with 3 tiers of 7 townships each.

Swift County Extension Committee

Doug Anderson

Big Bend Aces 4-H Club

The Big Bend Aces meet one Sunday a month at the West Bank Town Hall.

Leaders:

Banner: Voorhees and Andrew Carruth

Big Bend Aces at their October 2008 Meeting

Busy Go Getters 4-H Club

The Busy Go Getters meet one Sunday a month at the Law Enforcement Center in Benson.

Leaders:

Treasurer: Nikki Thompson

Clontarf Haymakers at their Community Pride Project; planting flowers at the High Rise

Cool Club 4-H Club

The Cool Club meets one Sunday a month at the Benson Fire Hall

Leaders:

Reporter: Olivia Vergin

The Cool Club's Kid Day Float

Dublin Victory 4-H Club

The Dublin Victory meet one Sunday a month at the Murdock Hall.

Leaders:

Reporter: Brooke Carlson


Dublin Victory at the Community Pride project

Hayes Kildare 4-H Club

The Hayes-Kildare meet one Sunday a month at the Murdock Hall.

Leaders:

Treasurer: Logan Rozeboom


Hayes Kildare in the summer of 2005

Hegbert Winners 4-H Club

The Hegbert Winners meet at the Hegbert Town Hall in the summer and in Appleton in the fall, winter and spring.

Leaders:

Fruit Sales: Leah Bloemendaal

Lake Hazel's Share the Fun Skit

Mighty Clovers 4-H Club

The Mighty Clovers meet one Monday night a month at the LEC Meeting Room.

Leader:

Treasurer: Amanda Schmiesing

The Moyer Eagles's Community Pride project sending cookies to the troops

Swift County 4-H Federation Officers

The Swift County 4-H Federation meets the 4th Monday of September, November, January, March, and June in the Law Enforcement Center Meeting Room in Benson.

Officers:

Treasurers: Pam Mansfield and Alexis Graves

Swift County 4-H Boards and Committees

Advisory Board
Adult Members

Kate Wilts