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In
the early development of this farming area, communities were known
by their heritage, German, Irish, Swedish, Polish, Welsh and etc.
This Welsh community was made up of people from other parts of the
state, other communities, from Wisconsin and from the Mother Land
of Wales.
Originally organized as Looking Glass Precinct, on August 5, 1873,
the name of this western-border precinct of Platte County was later
changed to Joliet Township. The first election was held at the home
of Robert Jones and the township was located on the petition of a
group headed by B.J.H.Yerion. Yerion was an early settler in that
part of the country. |
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Michael
Clark, who was born in Dublin, Ireland and came to Platte County in
1875, was another leader in the community at that time. Clark homesteaded
a claim in Joliet Township, which he continued to augment with other
property until he became the owner of 556 acres of farm land. He retired
in 1913 and moved to Cornlea, in Granville Township. He was the husband
of Miss Mary Sheedy of Columbus Township, who died in 1881. He was
later married to Miss Bridget Whalen, who died in 1917. |
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The
Welsh community grew to a record 45 population in 1910 of Welsh families
of Williams, Jones, Davies, Joseph, Parry, Evans, Hughes, James, Lewis,
Lloyd, Owens, Thomas, Roberts, Miles and Edwards.
Seven years after it was established, Joliet Township had a population
of 305. It was about that time that an inhabitant of the region wrote
a letter to a Columbus newspaper, entitled "Palestine Valley."
The actual Palestine Valley is a tributary of the Looking Glass, about
five miles long. |
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"I
know when you read the heading of this," he wrote, "you
will wipe your glasses and pull down that old reliable map of yours,
and after looking in vain will say, "Where in blazes in Palestine
Valley?" |
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The
name referred to the new post office established in township 19, range
4 west, and called Palestine Valley. Joseph E. Jacobs was the first
Postmaster. |
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The
Joliet Township is bordered by Monroe Township on the South, Burrows
on the East, St. Bernard on the North and Walker and Woodville on
the West. It has five school districts, as reported by the 1894 census; |
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District
31 - |
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District
42 - |
John
Deegan, director |
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District
51 - |
I.N.
Jones, director (Ruth E. Jones, daughter of I.N. Jones died, September
4, 1895, at the age of 1yr and is buried in the Postville Welsh Cemetery
in Joliet Township. |
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District
64 - |
Daniel
Mock, director |
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District
81 - |
Samuel
Taylor, director (Half in Joliet and half in Monroe Township) |
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Officers
elected by the township in the vote of 1887 were: |
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Supervisor- |
Hanson
S. Elliott |
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Treasurer- |
F.
Rivet |
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Clerk- |
Samuel
Mahood |
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Assessor- |
Joseph
Rivet |
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Its
area is six miles by six miles, for a total area of thirty-six square
miles. |
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The
township is divided into four equal parts, giving each of its four
school districts; 31, 42, 51 and 64, a three mile by three mile or
a total of nine square miles. |
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Map
of the Joliet Township school district locations |
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The
land in Joliet Township is about one-half rolling and about one-half
level upland. The soil is rich loam and is nicely drained by the Shell
Creek and its tributaries. This township is devoid of any trading
point. |
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Land
Surveys: |
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1860 |
Joliet
Township Land Survey |
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This
is a copy of the original land survey. The Joliet Township lines were
contracted, August 6, 1860 to Nathan P. Cook, who surveyed the area
October 1860. |
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The
subdivisions; the section and quarter section lines, were contracted
July 6, 1861 to Douglas McCarthy. The area was surveyed in Leavenworth,
KS November 15, 1861. The total number of acres recorded in Joliet
Township was 23, 018.73 |
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1884 |
Platte
County, Nebraska Land Survey |
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1899 |
Joliet
Township Land Survey |
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1914 |
Joliet
Township Land Survey |
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1923 |
Joliet
Township Land Survey |
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