Recognizing county government

April is National County Government month celebrating the theme “Counties Matter.” It’s a time to recognize the important work that counties do and raise awareness of the services provided in our community. For me, it’s a time to reflect on the past year and the resilient nature of people working through difficult situations.

The very first counties or “shires” were established in 1634 in Virginia. The first Minnesota counties date back to 1849 when nine counties including, Benton, Dahkotah, Itasca, Ramsey, Mahkahta, Pembina, Wabasha, Washington and Wahnata were established. Aitkin County was created several years later in 1857. Some counties changed names several times before arriving at the final list of 87 we know today.

Click here to read full article from Aitkin Age.