In Volume A (page 250) of Commissioner's Proceedings there appears the following under date of November 19, 1888:
Commissioner Nels Hemmingsen made the motion that Township 144-60 be organized as a CIVIL Township known as Bartley, and Commissioner DeForest Conant seconded the motion. The commissioners ordered that a meeting be held to elect the officers at the Fortney Schoolhouse on December 8, 1888. Since the Township petitioners had not suggested a name, it was County Commissioner Charles Mosely who suggested the name of Bartley for BARTLEY BROWN called by pioneer Erick Heyerdahl "the outlaw of the Township who never paid taxes. - So Bartley was off to an illustrious start!
The Township clerk's minutes for March 26, 1889 report the following as first officers of the Township:
Nicolai Swenson, chairman of the board of supervisors, Peter Margach and Andrew Fortney, supervisors, Isaac Isaacson (also known as Dobbedal), clerk, Peter C. Nelson, treasurer, Ole L. Fogderud, assessor, Andrew Hanson, and Richard H. Larson, constables, Donald Campbell, road overseer north half, Erick Heyerdahl, road overseer, south half, H. M. Hanson, justice of the peace.
On February 1, 1890 the board of supervisors met to select a list of 12 people qualified to serve as jurors at the term of circuit court to be held in Griggs County for the year 1890. Those drawn were Andrew Fortney, Donald Campbell, Ole Fogderud, E. C. Evenson, Andrew Hanson, Rasmus Larson, Nicolai Swenson, P. C. Nelson, J. B. Armstrong, Erick Heyerdahl, Isaac Isaacson, and Andrew Sonju.
The cost of materials and labor were brought out in some of the minutes such as on March 25, 1890. Nicolai Swenson, chairman of the board was instructed to buy and haul materials for a pound yard. The material cost was $14.75 and on June 23, 1890 Halvor Mikkelson was paid $1.50 for erecting it. In 1894 Knut Quisel and Halvor Mikkelson were paid $3.00 to move the pound yard to Section 26.
Prior to 1891 all Township meetings were held in the office of the Township clerk. Beginning March 3, 1891 and for sometime after all annual meetings were held in the Fortney School. In 1890 the board of supervisors was made up of Nicolai Swenson, Peter Margach and Andrew Fortney and they estimated the valuations of the Township at about $67,000 and felt a 3 mill levy would bring in enough revenue to cover expenses for a year's time. Total revenue would be about $201.
In the year 1893 Bartley was divided into 4 road districts. Knut Furaas was the overseer for the NE quarter, District No. 1, Richard Larson, the NW quarter, District No. 2, Rasmus Larson, SW quarter, District No. 3, and Knut Quisel, SE quarter, District No. 4. Mention was made in some of the early minutes as to cost of labor and materials such as the year February 25, 1890. Peter Margach and Nicolai Swenson were paid $2.25 each for 11/2 days labor which was performed in the fall of 1889. On July 5, 1890 a road scraper was purchased for $9.50. February 28, 1892, two scrapers were purchased from T. M. Roberts for a total of $11.00. At the same time, Peter C. Nelson was paid $15.22 for 51/4 days of roadwork, which at this time was figured from $1.50 to $2.00 per day.
Andrew H. Sonju was Township clerk from March 1891 to March 1893. Isaac Isaacson was then reelected, but resigned in December 1893 and Andrew Sonju was appointed to fill out that term and was elected each time thereafter to serve a total of 8 years. Some of the past Township officers and their length of services are:
1. John B. Armstrong, supervisor 44 years, Swen Swenson 28 years, Andrew Wahl 26 years. Peter C. Nelson, Township treasurer for 36 years, Gustav C. Sonju, treasurer, 35 years, William Margach, clerk, 30 years, Marcus Palm clerk 16 years, Herbert Sonju, clerk, 17 years.
On August 12, 1899 the town board met to consider bids on the grade west of Walum between Sections 23 and 26. The bids of Peter Mossing and George Gunderson were accepted at 7 ¾¢ per yard. In the year 1900 on the 11th day of September a special meeting was called regarding the construction of a grade across the big slough between Sections 9 and 16. The 400 feet on the east side was estimated at 673 yards and was let to the Hedlock Brothers for 6¾¢ per yard. The 700 feet on the west side was estimated at 1009 yards and was let to Andrew Sonju for 7¼¢ per yard. On July 27, 1910 a special meeting was held to let the contract for reconstruction of the grade across the Big Slough. The contract was let to Albert Sletten and Anton Peterson at 23½¢ per yard, the grade to be finished by Oct 15, 1910. In 1905 Nicolai Swenson, Donald Campbell and W. J. Sinclair made up a Drainage Commission for the Township and the drainage ditch crossing Sections 22 and 23 was built.
A Lutheran Church called the LYSTER (FORTNEY) CHURCH once stood on Section 12. It was likely built in the late 1890's by the early settlers in the area. They named it after their church in Norway and it stood on land owned by Andrew Fortney. During a bad storm in 1935 it was picked up and set down in the middle of the road after which it was torn down. Its only known pastor was N. NJUST. The cemetery remains in Section 12.
Township officers in 1975 are:
Russell Wahl, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Donald J. Larson and Charles Heyerdahl, supervisors, Walden Sonju, treasurer and Kenneth Lunn, clerk.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 213