Highland township is one among the finest in the County for agricultural and pastoral purposes and lies in township 82 north, range 16 west and the extreme southwest corner of the County.

J. B. Merritt has the honor of settling first in the township, who came here in the year 1853, from Livingston County, New York, and entered land on section 16, where he still resides.

The next settlers of this township were Samuel Clark, Jacob and John Korns, David Babb, Arthur and Quincy Mansfield, all of whom settled upon their new prairie farms and soon made comfortable homes for themselves and families, and may now be found on their old homesteads reaping the results of their early frontier labors, except David Babb who died in 1878.

The first birth was that of James Hull, second, Willie Merritt.

First marriage was Mary Babb to H. J. Reed, at the residence of David Babb.

The first death in Highland was that of Willie Merritt.

The first school in the township was taught by Miss Lucy Clark of Grinnell, in the fall of 1861 in Central school house.

The first religious meeting in the township was held in the dwelling house of Jacob Korns by Bishop Long, of Pensylvania. (sic)

This township was organized October 9th, 1860, and the first election was held at the house of James Adair, on November 5th 1860, for the purpose of choosing township officers.

The officers since its organization as shown by the clerks books were as follows.

Justices: - S. J. Aldin, A. Mansfield, C. W. Moffitt, A. N. Poyneer, E. Phillips, F. M. Clark, D. Babb, B. Crofutt, J. B. Merritt, W. Stewart, E. L. Fish, C. A. Wilson, H. J. Vosbert.

Clerks: - R. Johnson, E. M. Poyneer, F. B. Sanborn, A. H. Cowles, D. E. Wing.

Trustees - J. Korns, A. Mansfield, D. Babb, J. B. Merritt, L. T. Leach, J. G. Cronk, J. Roberts, C. W. Moffitt, F. M. Clark, E. B. Moffitt, L. Snyder, H. I. Reed, J. Ramsey, R. Johnston, J. H. Smith, H. Winders, O. Vandyke, H. J. Voxburg, V. and E. L. Fish, D. E. Wing, V. Smith.