Wellington township embraces township 113-32. It is bounded on the north by Martinsburg township, on the east by Sibley county, on the south by Cairo township, and on the west by Bandon township.

The first settler in Wellington township was William Chalk, who came in 1868 and settled in the south half of the southwest quarter of section 32. Mr. Chalk was born in Ireland, had served in the Civil war and came here from Iowa, bringing his family. After living here some twenty years he went to Nebraska, where he died.

The next settlers were John Garrahy and Dennis Cready, brothers-in-law, who arrived in July, 1868. Garrahy settled in the north half of the southeast quarter of section 32. His family did not come until the next year. Cready brought his wife. He settled in the northeast quarter of section 30.

Garrahy and Cready were natives of Ireland. They had come to Massachusetts in 1865, and there Garrahy left his wife and children. The two men, with Cready's wife, then came to Waseca county in this state, and while working on the railroad secured a tract of eighty acres of timber land. Coming from a country where the poor people owned no land, this seemed to them like great possessions, but after they had lived here for a while they found that they could not make a living on eighty acres of timber. So they traded their interest in the eighty acres for a yoke of oxen, and in the spring of 1868 started for Yellow Medicine county. Upon reaching the vicinity of Waverly in Wright county, they secured employment for a while. They soon began to realize, however, that if they were to locate on a claim for the winter, they must do so soon in order to gather winter hay for their oxen. So they started out to the westward. It is interesting to note that after reaching Renville county they camped in the timbers of what is now the village of Bird Island. They had no intention of locating in Renville county, but the pioneers whom they met pursuaded them to take up their home in Wellington township. They lived in a dugout on Cready's land, and Garrahy occupied a part of his time in constructing a dugout on his own land ready to welcome his family in the spring. Grady is now in the St. Alexander Hospital in New Ulm. Garrahy died January 13, 1905.

John Garrahy, a pioneer, was born in Ireland, and came to Massachusetts in 1865. There he left his wife and children, and in 1867 came to Waseca county, this state. From there, with his brother-in-law, Dennis Grady, he came to Wellington township, stopping awhile in the vicinity of Waverly in Wright county. By his wife, Bridget Kearn, whom he married in England, where as a young man he spent eight years, he had four children: Kate, is the widow of John Smith of Nicollet county; James died many years ago; Mary is Mrs. Alois Kachelmeier of Nez Perc, Idaho; and P. W. lives on the home farm.

The first birth in Wellington township was that of John Chalk, July 3, 1870. The first death was that of Mrs. Margaret Murphy, July 3, 1870. A daughter of John Fahey was killed by the cyclone of July 15, 1881. The first school was taught in 1877 by Solomon Demmings.

Wellington township was organized June 4, 1873, and an election held June 17, at William Carson's house. William Carson was elected Chairman and Henry J. Barton clerk. The early records are lost. The present records date back to March 8, 1881. The officers now are: Supervisors, Herman Schmechel, Michael Ruddy and E. A. Fritz; town clerk, Henry Clobes; treasurer, Anton Garey; assessor, Ernest Ludtke. The town hall was built about 1893. It is located in the center of the township. The town is named from the Duke of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo.

The first real estate assessment of Wellington, 113-32, was made in 1874. Those assessed were: Dennis Cready, section 30; Wm. Chalk, section 32; Willis W. Countryman, section. 32; F. J. McCanna, section 32; Gust Grams, section 36. (Danford N. Barney is given as owning about 16 or 18 sections in this township.) In 1875, there were added to this list: Marschall Blodgett, section 2; Wm. Fahey, section 18; John Garrahy, section 32. In 1876 there was added to this list: John Murphy, section 34. In 1877 there were added to this list: John Hurst, section 4; Michael Murphy, section 28; Ellen Malone, section 30. In 1878 there were added to this list: Patrick White, aection 34; James Larkin, section 28; Edward Hanna, section 6.

The first personal property assessment of Wellington township, 113-32, was made in 1874. Those assessed were: Aug. Borth, Henry Barton, Wm. Borth, Michael Coleman, Dennis Cready, Wm. Carson, Aug. Fritz, Wm. Fahey, Pat Fahey, John Fahey, Gus Grams, Ferdinand Herman, Ed. Hanna, James Hanna, Wm. Hawkins, Albert Ricker, Julius Ricker, Aug. Lindorf, James McKanna, Fred Schwarz, Julius Sell, Emil Rassel, James Ruddy, James Smith, Thos. Smith, Jas. Tompkins, John Tompkins, Patrick White, Martin Walsh, Charles Wyland, John Burgerson, John Blodgett, Frank Blodgett, John Garrahy, John Hurt, James Larkins, Patrick Lovell, John Murphy, Wm. Murray, Michael Murphy.