Township 3, Rooks County, Kansas

Township 3
Township
Location in Rooks County
Coordinates: 39°28′50″N 99°19′23″W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Rooks
Township 3	1971
Elevation	1,939 ft (591 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,212
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
GNIS feature ID	472128[1]

Township 3 is a township in Rooks County, Kansas, United States. Stockton is the largest population center in Township 3.

History

Rooks County was established with four townships: Bow Creek, Lowell, Paradise and Stockton. That number increased to seven by 1878[2] and twenty three in 1925. The twenty three townships were in place until 1971 when the number was reduced to the current twelve townships.[3]

Township 3 was formed from Rooks County townships Farmington and Stockton[4] in 1971, pursuant to Kansas Statute 80-1110.[5] That statute allowed for the dissolution of townships, while assigning those territories to contiguous townships.[6]

Bow Creek flows through Township 3, then on to Kirwin Reservoir in Phillips County. Dibble Creek, labeled as Stockton Creek on early maps, flows into South Fork Solomon River.

Farmington Township

Farmington Township was established in 1878 from parts of Bow Creek and Lowell townships. Farmington was a double township until Lanark Township was created from the eastern half of Farmington Township in 1879.[7]

Farmington Township was named by Elam Bartholomew for Farmington, Illinois.[7] Elam Bartholomew moved to Farmington Township (then part of Bow Creek Township) in 1874. Bartholomew authored two books, The Fungus Flora of Kansas and North American Plant Rusts based on research he conducted while living in Farmington Township.[8] Sternberg Museum’s herbarium is named for Elam Bartholomew.[9]

Stockton Township

Stockton was one of the four original Rooks County civil townships, along with Bow Creek, Lowell and Paradise. The original Stockton Township was 12 miles north-to-south (two survey townships). The eastern border was with Lowell Township, nine miles (1-1/2 survey townships) from the Osborne County line. The western border was the Graham County line, making Stockton 21 miles (3-1/2 survey townships) in width. Stockton Township originally included territory that would become Alcona, Belmont, Hobart, Richland, Rush and the western halves of Greenfield and Iowa townships.[2]

References

1. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 13, 1978. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
2. "MAP OF ROOKS COUNTY, KANSAS, 1878". KS Gen Web. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
3. "Rooks County Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
4. "Kansas Civil Townships and Independent Cities". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
5. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, ROOKS COUNTY KANSAS (January 7, 1971). "LEGAL ADVERTISING". Plainville Times. p. 10.
6. "Chapter 80.:-TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNSHIP OFFICERS". Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
7. Hopkins Low, Winifred (April 13, 1961). "A History of Farmington Township". Plainville Times. p. 11.
8. "Elam Bartholomew". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
9. "Collections". Sternberg Museum. Retrieved February 11, 2018.