Tokna

In June, 1884 a petition was signed by G.F. Grant, E. Dunlap and others and presented by J.H. Ray, county superintendent, to the Dawson County Commissioners which created School District Seven, a large school district with its center at Tokna. The district boundary began at a point where Range 57 East crosses the Yellowstone River at Burns, thence in a northwesterly direction to the Indian reservation (now no more), east to the Newlon School District Four and followed the district line south and east to the Yellowstone River which it followed to the point of starting.

News from Tokna, April 9, 1894 states: Rev. W. D. Kemmis preached at the Excelsior schoolhouse Friday evening. A good congregation considering the bad roads and dark night. At the annual school election 14 votes were cast J.J. Golden and Lossie Dawe were elected trustees for the terms of three and two years. The area post office had been in different homes and named according to the whim of the postmaster. Mrs. Emmet Dunlap had been postmistress a few years before she died in 1888 and sent the name of her daughter, Tokua", as the name of the post office. The name "Tokua" was written so Washington, D.C. read it as "Tokna" and Mrs. Dunlap accepted the name.