Named for early settler Edward Cash, the village of Cash was founded in 1851. In 1868, seven Cash residents voted to found Watertown Township to govern and serve the quickly growing area, and each man who voted held at least one township post. In 1881, Cash survived wildfires that swept across the entire county in five hours. The arrival of the railroad in nearby Watertown in 1912 ended Cash's role as an important commercial center in the region.