Grant Township, Dawson, Nebraska, Richardson County, its only town, is about in the center of it. This was prairie country. The only trees were along rivers and small streams, the Nemaha River being the largest one. It was natural for the pioneers to build homes where building materials were close at hand and fuel for heating their log cabins. The first family to come into this area, was the John Rothenbergers in 1853, homesteading 2 ½ miles west of where Dawson is located.

Others who came into the area in those early years were, the Honnen family, who built their cabin in the early 1850's a mile east of the Rothenbergers. Thomas Farrell and Bryan Riley with his young son, Michael, came in 1859. The father of F.P. "Bud" Page pre-empted his farm in 1959. Several members of the Draper family came 1864, Irs, 15, and John, 13, carried the mail by "pony power" between Falls City and Pawnee City in 1865. R.R. Draper was pony wrangler for them. Joshua Dawson and son Elijah came in 1867 and built both a Grist Mill and Saw Mill on the bank of the north fork, of the Nemaha River not far from the present bridge across the river south of Dawson. They also had the first Post Office for the growing town, the address being Dawson's Mills.

The need for education for the children of the pioneer families was one of the things uppermost in the minds of their parents. The first school in the area was built in 1862 on the Rothenberger land; a cabin of logs 14' by 16', one room with benches for seats and no desk for the teacher, Miss Ruth Draper (Barlow). There were 35 pupils, ages eight years to 35 years. Reading, spelling and writing were the studies taught. One bewhiskered man took only writing. A post office, named Monond, was built nearby in 1865, with Joseph Watton as postmaster.

James and Anna Wyne Deweese came from Iowa in 1863 and took up a farm near the site of Dawson. AnDerson Mc Gillis and family, John Will, Joe Asa, Lark, Qualls H., Lucinda (Triggs), and Amanda came from Kentucky in 1865 and took up land of the south bank of the Nemaha. Jeremiah Lyons brought his family of John and Mattie and Edgar to a farm he bought from Jacob Triffs in 1867. The Indians had a trail between Hiawatha, Kansas, and Pawnee City, Nebraska that passed close to the Lyons home. They were a constant worry but were never troublesome though often stopped and asked for food.

After the Mills were built by Mr. Dawson and son on the north bank of the Nemaha other businesses were built nearby. Dan Tigner opened a blacksmith shop. Knight and Lappus erected a building for groceries and other necessities. Soon James Hosford and B. S. Chittenden, brothers-in-law, bought ten acres of land from Joshua Dawson and brought in materials for an elevator and a store - (the site now used for the same purpose in 1975.) A short time later, Wm. Till bought out Knight and Lappenus. The start of the new town had begun. Earlier, the only outlet for wheat raised beyond their immediate need had to be hauled to St. Joseph, Missouri or Denver, Colorado by ox team and wagon; a long, slow trip. There was no Auburn, Verdon, Stella or Humboldt. All supplies needed for life on the prairie, that they could not raise or make themselves, had to be hauled in by the same transportation.

(This accounting of Dawson history was written and researched by the late Elma Heim Griffiths in 1975 for the Dawson Centennial in 1976.)