Jewell County History
A New Centennial History of Kansas, Charles Tuttle, 1876:
Jewell County was organized in 1870, and named in honor
of a lieutenant colonel who died of wounds received in the engagement at Cane Hill in November, 1862. The area of the county
is 900 square miles, and the population in 1875 was 7,651. Males
preponderate about 600. Farming occupies about ninety per
cent, of the population. Bottom lands amount to six per cent, of
the area, and forest about three per cent. The Republican River
runs about ten miles along the northern boundary, and the other
principal streams are White Rock creek, Johns, Big Timber, Porcupine, Smith, Montana, Walnut, Burr Oak, Buffalo, Limestone, and
numerous smaller creeks and streams. Springs are numerous, and well water is found at depths varying from six to one
hundred feet; but the average is about twenty-five. Good coal
has been much sought here, but only a poor lignite discovered
about twenty inches in thickness. Magnesian limestone is found
in many places, and sandstone is also found occasionally. In the
southeast corner of the county is a salt marsh, but it has not been
developed. There are no railroads in this county. Jewell Centre, the county seat, is l00 miles northwest from Topeka; it is
built on a beautiful plain, and has a weekly paper, a large school
house, churches and nurseries. There are no water powers available, and manufacturies are represented by one steam saw mill at
White Mound township. Jewell city publishes a weekly paper.
There are no banks in the county. There are 118 districts and 44
school houses valued at $26,259. There is only one church, built
by the Methodists at a cost of $806. Jewell county suffered much,
from the locusts, as 1,500 persons were reported wanting rations.
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This website created Oct. 24, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
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