On 06 October 1860, Judge James Wilson McDill signed the order separating Sand Creek township from Highland township. Judge McDill took the name from one of the many creeks in the area. He appointed R.C. Carter, J.C. Wick, Isaac Webster and Milton McVey as township trustees. On 08 May 1871, the first post office, Olivet, was granted with Joseph Wain appointed postmaster. Olivet was located near the center of Sand Creek Township, The office was disbanded on 02 March 1874.
Previous to the date of organization and until the prairie land was occupied for farms, this township had few inhabitants and those had generally settled in the northern sections, convenient to timber. Among the pioneers who settled early were R.C. Carter, J.A. Long, J.C. Wick, A. Bonfield, P.J. Long, J. Anderson, N.B. Hester, W. Sherer, T. Wright, L.B. Clark, H. Holmes, J.C. Berry, G.W, Mayhew, J.L. Syp, F. Signor, Josiah Conkle, F. Hudson, C.P. Kenney, Rev. John Clough, C.P. Camp, Burr Forbes, W.R. Wilson and C.G. Shull. Beginning in 1870, the settlements increased more rapidly, which was characteristic of southern Iowa. Among the settlers at this time was W.R. Wilson who settled on section 18 and started a herd of short horn cattle. He was also an extensive breeder of thoroughbred horses and hogs.
In 1887, the Chicago, Saint Paul, and Minneapolis Railroad came through the township. The first lots surveyed and platted were owned by D.J. Camp and George W. Delay and lay to the west side of the tracks. On these lots were built the first store and dwellings. The first postmaster of Arispe was D.W. Lutman. Nothing more was done to enlarge the town until the spring of 1897 when the Arispe Townsite Company bought fifty-five acres from H.Y. Lupher and ten acres from W.R. Wilson. This land was then added to Arispe. The following year John Reid started the newspaper, the Arispe Advocate. Arispe was incorporated in 1904 with D.W. Stevenson as mayor and M.A. Morrison selected as the clerk. Fire destroyed Arispe on 11 January 1905. With the rebuilding, the citizens moved from the west side to the east side of the tracks. Information from 1908 Union County History by George A Ide
Able Cemetery also know as Mound Cemetery is located in Sand Creek Township.
