History of the County Attorney's Office

The first election for county attorney (then called a district attorney) was in 1856. In October 1856 the name of Jesse Ayer, a 26 year old Canadian, was on the ballot. He was elected as District Attorney, but never took office. He had left in August for Monongalia County (now called Kandiyohi County). He was one of the developers of Columbia (now called Spicer). His family returned to Henderson at the time of the Indian Conflict of 1862. Because Mr. Ayer left, his office was filled by appointment of M. J. Severance.

Past County (District) Attorney's

Name
Years Served
M.J Severance
1857 to 1858
Elijah Perry
1858 to 1861
Thomas Russell
1862 to 1864
Francis Belfoy
1864
Daniel Pickit
1865 to 1868
Edmund Neff
1869 to 1872
Daniel Pickit
1873 to 1875
Samuel Fowler
1875 to 1880
Sylvester Kipp1881 to 1883
William Leeman
1883 to 1884
Sylvester Kipp
1885 to 1887
William Leeman
1887 to 1892
E.H. Huebner
1893 to 1906
Charles Quandt
1906 to 1914
A.L. Young
1914 to 1916
C.H. MacKenzie
1917 to 1922
O.S. Vesta
1923 to 1926
H.H. Bonniwell, Jr.
1927 to 1937
Charles W Quandt
1938
Everett L. Young
1939 to 1950
R.G. Williamson
1951 to 1963
William P. Scott
1963 to 1967
Raphael J. Miller
1967 to 1978
Thomas G. McCarthy
1979 to 1988
David E Schauer
1988 to 2021
Donald E Lannoye
2021 to Present