Includes township 33 and the twelve south sections of township 34, range 23. Its surface is partially prairie land, and is dotted with small lakes. The first settlers were Quakers, with the exception of Rice, Price, O. Evans and Robert Minard, who came in 1855. Bethel post office is located at what is known as Bethel Corners. The town was organized in 1858. The first supervisors were O. Evans, W. Dickens and R. Price.
BLAINE,
Named in honor of James G. Blaine, embraces township 31, range 23. It was originally included in Anoka, but was set off and organized in 1877. The first supervisors were Moses Ripley, George Tisdale and Richard de Long. The records have not been kept with sufficient accuracy to enable us to determine who were the first settlers. It appears, however, that the first comers abandoned their claims. Green Chambers is the first settler recorded. He came in 1865.
BURNS
Includes township 33, range 25, and is in the northwestern part of the county. The soil is clay loam, and in the western part are many lakes. Of these Twin lakes are ninety feet in depth. The first settler was John Derigan, who was also one of the first settlers of Elk River township, in Sherburne county. The town was organized in 1869. The supervisors were John D. Keen, John A. Mussey and W. D. Le Clair. A German Lutheran church was built in 1878.
CENTREVILLE
Includes township 31, range 22. It is the oldest settlement in the county, Alphonse Jarvis having located here in 1840. Frank Lamott settled here in 1849. The first considerable settlement was made on Rice lake, in 1850, by F. W. Traverse and other German families. A French colony settled in the eastern part of the town in 1852. Prominent among these colonists were Francis X. Levalle and brother, Oliver and Frank Dupre, Francis Lamott and Oliver Peltier. The town was organized in 1857, with the following commissioners: Oliver Peltier, chairman; Francis Lamott, treasurer, and Stephen Ward. The town was originally a timbered and meadow district. It has a good black loam soil, and is well watered by Rice lake and numerous small streams. It contains a number of ancient mounds. Its nearest railroad station is Centreville, on the St. Paul & Duluth road, an Washington county.
CENTREVILLE VILLAGE
Was platted in 1853, by Peltier, Lavalle & Lamott. It contains a substantial brick church known as the Church of St. Genevieve of Paris, built in 1859. The congregation numbers about four hundred.