Hutchinson County was created by act of the territorial legislature on May 8, 1862. Its boundaries included
 portions of present-day Davison and Hanson Counties, and part of what is presently Hutchinson County
 was within the boundaries of Jayne County. Maxwell City was established as the county seat, and it
 remained there until October 1873 when it was moved to Olivet following an election. On 13 January 1871,
 the territorial legislature established the present county boundaries and completed its governing
 organization. In two actions in January 1873, the legislature divided Hutchinson County into two counties -
 the northern half was named Armstrong County, with Milltown as the seat. However, in 1879, Armstrong
 County was dissolved and its area re-annexed into Hutchinson County.