| County Seat | Canton |
|---|---|
| Origin of County Name | The County was named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. |
| Time Zone | Central |
| Towns | Canton, Fairview, Harrisburg, Hudson, Leeville, Lennox, Norway Center, Shindler, Tea, and Worthing |
|---|---|
| Townships | This area is not yet completed. |
In about 1861, settlers were attracted by the land of Lincoln County after it had been first seen by pioneers and trappers. The county was established by an act of the legislature, which was approved on April 5, 1862. Until 1866, the county was mostly occupied by trappers, hunters, and Native American tribes. The future site of the town of Canton was first settled by L. P. Hyde and his son, Henry, who broke a few acres before returning east. In the fall of 1866, A. J. Linderman pre-empted and settled in a tract of timber land, which was to become the site of the town of Canton. On May 18, 1867, the families of Benjamin Hill, William Hill, and James Sorter settled a short distance from the mouth of Beaver Creek. During the summer and fall of 1867; the families of William Craig, J. T. Fitzgerald, Daniel McLaren, Thomas Sargent, W. S. Smith, and Josiah Weakley settled near the site of Canton.
In the fall of 1867, the Native American tribes in Lincoln County still outnumbered the settlers. A rumor circulated that the Indians were going to raid and plunder the community of settlers; and during the winter of 1867 and 1868, the Indians were reported to have supposedly threatened to massacre the community. The alarmed people assembled at the sod house of J. Q. Fitzgerald for the purpose of defending their lives. However, the alarm proved to be false; and, no bloodshed ever occurred.
In 1867, a petition for organization of the county was presented to the legislature. The act of 1867 was approved on December 30, 1867. It named the county in honor of President Lincoln and appointed the county officers. It also located the county seat at the town that was named Canton by unanimous vote of the settlers. By 1870, the boundaries of Lincoln County were satisfactorily established.
Immigration resulted in Lincoln County's rapid growth and prosperity. In the spring of 1868, twenty-five Norwegian families from Iowa settled near Canton; and, a number from the East settled in Eden Township. Other families settled in what later became Fairview Township. In July of 1879, the main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad crossed the Big Sioux and entered Lincoln County; resulting in a prosperous boom. In the fall of 1879; the Sioux City and Pembina Railroad reached Lincoln County's southern boundary and accelerated the development of county resources and resulted in a flood of immigration.
On October 11, 1867, the first recorded death in Lincoln County was that of the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Sorter. On October 13, 1867, John Hanson and Siren Louise Bille became the first couple to marry in Lincoln County. In 1870, the county's first school house was built in Canton. In 1872, the Congregational Church became the first church built in Lincoln County. The county's first hotel was a log cabin kept by Benjamin Hill.