2500 28th Street - PO Box 57 - Slayton, MN 56172

Shetek

Shetek Township Board

Meeting Date: 1st Monday
Meeting Time: 7:30 P.M.
Meeting Location: Ron Robbins’ Home

Shetek Township History

T108N R40W
Organized July 3, 1873

Shetek Township is located in the upper eastern tier of Murray County. Lyon County and Redwood County border on the north, Holly Township on the east, Murray Township on the south, and Lake Sarah Township on the west. This township was named “Lake Shetek” for its largest lake, but it was then shortened to only “Shetek”. Shetek is a Sioux name, “mderba-ageurs“, meaning pelican.  This township was recognized at an early date as a place for hunting, fishing, boating, and relaxing. Besides Lake Shetek, there is Round Lake, Fox Lake, Bloody Lake, and Lake Fremont in this township.

Lake Fremont was named after John C. Fremont. He was with Joseph N. Nicollet in 1838, doing preliminary surveying for the government.  He named some of the lakes; the smallest one, he named after himself.

In 1859, the first settlement of Murray County took place and by 1862 there were twelve families located on the north and west shores of Lake Shetek.

On the 20th of August 1862, the Dakota Conflict burst with terrific fury in western Minnesota, and the settlement of Lake Shetek was raided.  A monument was erected in memory of the Shetek settlement, in the Lake Shetek State Park, August 1925.