Workman Township | 24301 480th Street, McGregor, MN 55760-6010 | 218-426-3634

Welcome to the Workman Township Website

We are pleased to have this available for our township residents and others who may be interested in the activities of our township. As we go along we will be making improvements and additions to our website. We will appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Mission Statement:  The Workman Township Board is dedicated to providing safe travel to its citizens and visitors throughout the year. We invite everyone traveling to enjoy the beauty of our township including woods and wildlife, lakes and rivers.

Workman Township is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota. The township, named for a pioneer settler, borders the west side of Big Sandy Lake and the Sandy Lake flowage. Workman Township was established in 1901 and Lakeview Cemetery was established in 1903, the same year Henry Ford started Ford Motor Company.

As of the U.S. Census of 2010, the population was 207; the median age was 52; and the median income was $44,688.  Minnesota State Demographer states that the Population and Household Estimates for Workman Township for April 1, 2018 is a population estimate of 212 and household estimate of 94.  There are 213 total housing units (Households) in the township.These numbers are for residents with permanent residency in Workman Township and does not include seasonal (weekenders) in the estimate.Including seasonal and weekenders in our township population give a temporary population increase likely more than double our year-around population.

Wildlife Photos: Taken by Brenda Hadrich, area wildlfe photojournalist and contributor to McGregor Voyager Press. Go to Photos page to see more photos and larger images.

Workman Township Updates

The 2022 Memorial Day Event during the early hours was a cause of concern because of strong winds and heavy rains in the area. However, by 12:30 pm until 3 pm the weather at Lakeview Cemetery was fine.The combined VFW Posts from Palisade and McGregor along with the McGregor American Legion gave a very strong performance. Veterans from all 3 Posts presented inspirational messages to all that attended. At the end of the service the members of the three posts gathered around a sign which states that a Veteran Memorial Monument will be placed at that location on Saturday, November 12th, a Day after Veterans Day, Friday, November 11th. Funds for the monument was donated by local patriotic citizens, organizations and businesses.

DUST CONTROL This year Calcium Chloride applications will be conducted on township roads as requested by the property owner. This year the cost for 400 feet by a maximum width of 20 foot application is $210. The cost has increased by $10.00 since last year. The township will again pay 1/2 the cost, or $105 per the 400 foot by 20 foot wide application. Depending on weather conditions and contractor availability plans are to have the Calcium Chloride applied before Memorial Day. If you wish to have Calcium Chloride applied on the road in front of your property please contact Jim at 218 426-3634. Deadline for payment is May 15th.

ROAD CONDITIONS With warmer weather approaching we are monitoring the roads for soft spots, frost boils, and culvert water overflow. We will be putting warning flags at these locations. We may not be aware of a developing road condition even with frequent checking. In the event you encounter a potential road problem please call Jim at 218 426-3634 to report the condition.

BROADBAND Efforts are continuing to obtain more funding to provide broadband service to our township. At this point it is estimated that we have 60% broadband coverage or pending coverage. The remaining approximately 40% is going to be difficult and costly because of the distance between properties needing coverage.

Workman Township/Lakeview Cemetery Updates Last year work was completed to transfer the manual records to computer. Our next step was transferring the computer records to our website. During the next several weeks we should have this completed. Our website will show lots and plots available, lots and plots sold, and the locations of all interned individuals. This project entailed a lot of detail and steps but should be a vast upgrade from the hard copy records.

Weed Control Recently the State of Minnesota sent out a non-matching grant program to reduce the weeds in the township. Our township applied and we should know in approximately 60 days if we received the grant.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for Townships. This program was designed by the federal government with oversight by the state government to give assistance to townships because of the pandemic. We have received two payments, one for $10,899.16 and one for $356.92. We will also be receiving these amounts next year. There are requirements on the use of the funds and reporting forms that must be completed but nothing as difficult at the Covid -19 program of last year.

Taxable Market & Net Tax Capacity 2021/2022 Kirk Peysar, Aitkin County Auditor sent us the following: Workman Township's total taxable market valuation is $68,337,615, the net tax capacity is $681,824. The total taxable market valuation increased nearly $4,000,000 over the previous year. The net tax capacity increase over last year is nearly $40,000. For the year the township will use only 14% of our net tax capacity.

Recently the township received a phone call from a gentleman having the last name of Workman. He was attempting to get information about his family surname and the process of our township being named Workman. Some of our oldest records have been reviewed, but no information was found. If anyone has information concerning how our township was named and information on the individual we would appreciate receiving the information.

New Homes: This winter there are two new homes being built in our township. We welcome the growth. Over the last year at least four new homes have been built in our township. These are very attractive and add much to our community. We welcome these families to our township

Board Resignations: Due to ill health and relocation the Workman the Workman Township Board had two resignations over a two-month period. The township was fortunate to find two quality replacements. Welcome to Supervisor Douglas Paris and Supervisor Michael Jaworski. We are confident that contribute much to the advancement of Workman Township.

Weed Control: Recently we applied for a state grant to eradicate weeds in our township. We were awarded the grant and will begin the weed control application in June.

Monthly Meeting Location Change: While our township has conducted our monthly and annual meetings at the Palisade Community Center/Firehall for approximately two years, a decision has been made by the board to relocate the meetings to the Minnesota National Golf Course Club House. This is in our township and is centrally located. We will be charged the same amount as we were charged by the City of Palisade.

Aitkin County Property Tax Statement - Workman Township. If you have concerns about your tax statement, the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization/Open Book will be held on Thursday, May 5th, 2022 from 9 am to 7 pm at the County Assessors Office, Government Center Room 120, Aitkin Court House, Aitkin, Mn.

Workman Township Culvert Inventory: Aitkin County Soil and Water Conservation District has prepared a book showing site, size, and culvert condition for Workman Township. Workman Township was the first one in the county to be selected for the survey. Our township has 270 culverts which includes culverts on county roads. Plans are to conduct the survey in all townships and from the information gathered develop a master plan for water flowage in the county. Thank you to Steve Hughes, head of the ACSWD and Sam Seybold, Buffer Specialist for this important work. This is something that the township would not have available funding to complete.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Junior and senior high school students living in Workman Township are eligible to compete for scholarships, including:

1) Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) Scholarship. Scholarship is for $2,000 but must apply during junior year in school. 

2) Irene Bright Scholarship sponsored by Aitkin County Association of Townships (ACAT). Scholarship is for $1,500 and students apply during senior year.

3) Palisade Fire District Scholarship. Scholarship is for $1,000 and seniors living in Workman Township qualify. Application due date is April 1st.

4) J & J Wickstrom Scholarship/ Palisade Area Lions Club. Scholarship amount is $1,000 for graduating seniors, See school counselor or contact Workman Township for application. Due date is April 1st. Scholarship may be used to attend any type of trade school, tech, or college after graduation.

5) Lake Country Power Cooperative Scholarship. January is scholarship month at Lake Country Power Cooperative. The eastern half of our township is serviced by Lake Country Power Cooperative. $4,000 scholarships for either college or technical school at $1,000 per year are available for up to 30 students. Application period is January 1 through January 31st. Please visit www.lakecountrypower.coop for additional information.

6) Marshall H. and Nellie Alworth Memorial Fund. High school seniors in Aitkin and surrounding counties are eligible for a $20,000 scholarship for students pursuing an education in mathematics or scientific fields of study. (STEM). The Memorial Fund is celebrating its 70th year of scholarships. Applications must be completed by January 15th. Visit AlworthScholarship.org to learn more about eligibility.

Each of the scholarships can be used for academic or vocational programs. Please see your high school counselor or contact Workman Township for more information or application forms.

WELCOME PHOTOJOURNALIST: Workman Township welcomes Photojournalist Brenda Hadrich as a contributor to to our website. You will be impressed with the quality of these wildlife and scenic photos. Additional photos will be added on a regular basis. Not all of these beautiful photos were taken in our township, but are indicative of what can be seen in Workman Township. You can also see Brenda's photographic artistry in the McGregor Voyager Press.
We welcome photos from all readers who have taken photos of wildlife in the area including birds, wild game animals, fish, turtles frogs, etc. as well as scenery taken in our area such as pretty autumn foliage, scenes of lakes and rivers, attractive cloud formations, lightning strikes, etc. We will display your photo credit if you wish. Please forward photos to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

WEBSITE VISITS: 6,420 in 2021; 5,889 in 2020; 7,770 in 2019; 3,182 in 2018