Romness Township was so named by Peter Mathison, a government surveyor, after his wife's birthplace in Romness, Norway. Originally organized in May 1883, as Greenwood Township measuring 9 X 12 miles, it was divided into three Townships:
Romness, Lenora and Pilot Mound in 1904. Romness, being left somewhat short of the six-mile square required for a Congressional Township, received its full quota by additions of parts of Greenwood and Pleasant, both of which had land to spare.
Romness is an especially well-favored Township as it has the Sheyenne River crossing it diagonally. The river reaches its widest point in this area. The second highest point in the county is found there, too. Mount Franklin is located on land now used for pasture by Hugh (Pat) Hoglund and Trygve Thompson. From the top of this hill, seven towns can be seen:
Cooperstown, Binford, Finley, McVille, Aneta, Sharon and Kloten.
The Romness School District #9 was created from Greenwood Township at a meeting of the county commissioners and Superintendent Kerr, held in Cooperstown May 26, 1886. According to the school clerk's report on June 30, 1887, Romness had one un-graded school, which was taught 45 days with 17 pupils enrolled. Families represented were:
Skramstad, Prambus, Hogenson, Thomas, Sterner, Vestern, Voll and Johnson. The teacher was J. H. Thomas, whose salary was $35 a month. Receipts for the year were $810.97 and expenses, $798.51. The school building and furniture were valued at $723.00, including site and furniture.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1883 in Section 14 on a quarter of land owned by E. O. Lie. The second was built during the year 1900-1901, and the third in 1903. In 1888 the pupils in school ranged in age from six to thirty-two years. These rural schools continued until 1957, when reorganization took place, and some of them had had more than forty teachers by that time. Salaries for teachers ranged from $35 in 1887 to $235 in 1957.
The earliest Township records that are still available were for March 3, 1891. The officers at that time were:
Andrew Anderson, chairman, and other members Thomas Gimblett and B. B. Olson, with John Hoganson as clerk
H. H. Skramstad as treasurer
Gilbert Olson as Assessor
John M. Dahl and Joseph Allen, Justices of the Peace
Hans Voll and Hans Monsen, Constables. Salaries were $3.00, not to exceed $30 for the assessor and supervisor. (This applied only to days spent on strictly Township business.) The clerk was paid only $2.00 a day (for meeting days only?). In 1922, road overseers were paid 40 cents an hour. Other items of interest in the old books include the purchase of a piece of oak 2X4 16 feet long for $1.30. In 1928, 2 4x4 culverts and two bands were purchased for $21.69. The budget for one of the early years was $250.00.
Various other organizations were set up from time to time, among them the Romness Farmers Alliance, the Romness Mutual Telephone Company, with rules for proper courtesy and language that seem quite beyond belief in these days of individual freedom. Though a fair and equitable schedule for members to share in expenses and services, it was difficult at times to obtain the required repairs and service, so in 1971, a special meeting was held in regard to joining the Griggs County Telephone system with Willis Nilson to connect all paid-up members to the new line. In May 1973, the cash balance was divided evenly between the 24 members.
The Romness Band directed by Oscar Overby was one of their special achievements, and the many picnics that were held at a particularly beautiful spot south of Horse Hill were made even more enjoyable when the band gathered to entertain the crowd. The Township ball diamond was located on Edwin Anderson's "40." Some of the players were:
Andrew and Jule Kastet
Olaf Olson
Peter, Oscar and Alph Overby, and Gilbert Olson, to name only a few of them.