Lake Byron is thought to have been named after Asher Pay's brother Byron who, in 1866, helped to deliver supplies to the Indians.  Byron's Indian  nickname, "Byo" was found carved in a tree.  The township was organized in 1884.  First settlers included the families of S.T. and F. J. Berriman, George Gaughran, Joseph Hoy, Ford Nicholl, Albert Piper, Samuel Russell, George Small and Joseph Walters.

    Bonilla was first platted in 1884 and the township organized the same year and named for Gen. Manuel Bonilla.

    The town of Broadland, platted in 1880, and the township, organized in 1884, took the name from the contour of the land.

    The town of Cavour, platted in 1879 by the Western Town Lot Company, was named for Cariello Benno - County Cavour, father railroads in Italy.

   Custer Township, named for General Custer by John McDonnell, was ortanized in 1884.

    Hitchcock was first called Clarkville, started July 1, 1881, by the Western Town Lot Company. 

•     Towns, excepting Huron, Cavour and Iroquois, did not have names at first.  Called "sidings" they were places by the railroad company at convenient places to get water for the engines, usually about 10 miles apart.  Wolsey was siding number one; Wessington, number two, and so on.