Early history

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1887, Jewell County was established and named for Lieutenant Colonel Lewis R. Jewell of the 6th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.^[3]

In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current BNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".

Adjacent counties

• Nuckolls County, Nebraska (northeast)
• Republic County (east)
• Cloud County (southeast)
• Mitchell County (south)
• Osborne County (southwest)
• Smith County (west)
• Webster County, Nebraska (northwest)

Presidential elections

Like all of Kansas outside the eastern cities, Jewell County is overwhelmingly Republican. The only Democratic presidential candidates to win a majority in the county have been Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and William Jennings Bryan in 1896, and the last Democrat to win a plurality was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Since 1940 only Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and Jimmy Carter in 1976 have exceeded 31 percent of the county's vote, a devotion to the GOP comparable to famous Appalachia Unionist strongholds like Avery County, North Carolina or Grant County, West Virginia.

Laws

Although the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Jewell County restaurants serve only 3.2 beer and no hard alcohol.^[12][13]

Unified school districts

• Rock Hills USD 107

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

• Dentonia

Townships

Jewell County is divided into twenty-five townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.