The first entry made in Harlan Township was by Henry Maynard in 1851, but he did not come from Illinois to live on the land until 1861. George Rich also made a claim just south of Henry Maynard in
1861 and moved his family from Belvidere, Illinois. Maynard is located on parts of four sections at the center of township, sections 14, 15, 22, and 23.

In the fall of 1855 C.M. Shanklin built a log house and in the spring of 1856 moved his family from Illinois. This log cabin
came to be the favorite station for the illegal Underground Railway that ran its stealthy trail through what was known then as Long Grove. It is said that many a runaway slave were smuggled in and out by means of a load of hay or secretive sleighing party.

Up to this time the settlement was called Long Grove, for the stretch of virgin timber along this branch of the Volga River. The town was not laid out until the construction of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad was assured in the early seventies. Maynard was laid out in 1872-1873 by J.J. Berkey of West Union.

There was another Long Grove in southeastern Iowa so it was necessary to find a new name for the town. Judge Green gave it the name of "Maynard" after Henry Maynard who had donated the land as the site for the first depot.

Maynard is located in a tranquil setting of beautiful wooded area through which flows the gentle winding Volga River, which provides many recreational pleasures for young and old. Maynard is located in Fayette, County, 22 miles south of the county seat of West Union and 8 miles north of Oelwein on Highway 150. Maynard is the only town in Harlan Township.