MAYWOOD.
Maywood lies in the eastern part of the county, and has an area of 23,040 acres, of which 168 are under cultivation.
The surface is quite level and heavily timbered, mostly hardwood, with some pine in the northeast corner. The soil is a clay loam with a clay subsoil.
There are some excellent hay meadows in the northeast part, and also, quite a large acreage of cranberry marsh.
The east and west branches of the St. Francis river flow in a southerly direction through the town, and unite near the southwest corner. One of the tributaries of Bum river also crosses the northeast corner.
The first settlers in Maywood were J. W. Creath, and M. D. Campbell, who settled in the southern part in 1867. William Albright settled near them the following spring, and the same season, D. Shapanski and F. Dunnell settled in the northern part of the town.
This township was set off from Gilmanton in 1867; what is now Glendorado, detached from St. George, and the two townships organized as Maywood. It was reduced to its present limits, however, by the organization of Glendorado the following year.
The first officers were: Supervisors, M. D. Campbell, Chairman, J. W. Creath, and A. Hubbard; Clerk, M. D. Campbell; Assessor, A. Hubbard; and Treasurer, M. D. Campbell.
The first school was taught in the winter of 1868-69, by Miss Mary Campbell. The first religious service was held at the house of M. D. Campbell, soon after his arrival.
The first child born was Katie Wilt, in 1869. The first death was William Clark, in 1872. The first marriage was in 1870, the happy couple being E. Shadam and Miss Victoria Dunnell.
In 1868, M. D. Campbell and a Mr. Close erected a saw mill on section thirty-one. It run till the next March, when the boiler of the engine exploded, injuring several men, some seriously, and the engineer, fatally. He died ten days afterwards. A year later, Mr. Campbell built another mill near the old site, but this time on the St. Francis river, thus securing a water power. Some time afterwards, Ed. Allen became a partner, and
three years later, purchased Mr. Campbell's interest, and moved the mill to its present location in Glendorado township in 1876.
Maywood hail increased in population, slowly, but steadily, from the beginning, the population, in 1880, numbering 126 persons.
The products of 1880, according to the agricultural report were: wheat, 334 bushels; oats, 915 bushels; corn, 362 bushels; barley, 50 bushels; rye, 25 bushels; potatoes, 880 bushels; beans, 20 bushels; cultivated hay, 13 tons; wild hay, 341 tons; tobacco, 131 pounds; wool, 52 pounds; butter, 2,905 pounds; and honey, 50 pounds.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
John W. Creath is the oldest living settler of Maywood township; he was born in Washington county, Maine, on the 28th of February, 1818. In the spring of 1857, he came to Minnesota, locating in Clearwater, Wright county, where he remained for ten years. He then came to his present farm in section thirty-four. Being the first man to come through, he was obliged to cut roads, ford streams, and put up with all kinds of inconveniences. Mr. Creath was one of the organizers of this town, and has been its Supervisor and Treasurer nearly every year. He was married in December, 1849, to Miss Margaret Miars; they have had three children; two, Isora and Charlotte E., are living, and Etta died in Clearwater, at the age of three months.