ORIGINS AND TOWNSHIPS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA; 1885 - 1997 From various sources as cited within body of submission. Submitted to the USGenWeb Nebraska Archives December, 1997, by Brenda Busing (Brenda@navix.net). USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial researchers, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for presentation in any form by any other organization or individual. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express written permission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist. *************** "Jefferson County was first set apart by the Territorial Legislature January 26, 1856, under the name of Jones County. Thayer, the adjoining county on the west, was designated as Jefferson at the same time. In 1864 Jefferson County organized by holding its first election at Big Sandy. February 18, 1867, an "act to enlarge Jefferson County" passed the Legislature, which united Jones County to Jefferson. This gave the county 706,560 acres, which was deemed too large by the Legislature of 1870-1, and in 1871 an act passed providing for the division of Jefferson, which was effected in the fall by the election of two sets of officers, the Sixth Principal Meridian being the dividing line. The former Jones by the separation became Jefferson and the former Jefferson assumed the name of Thayer". Andreas History of Nebraska (1882) First Towns & Post Offices * Big Sandy Station P.O. * Cub Creek P.O. * East Meridian P.O. * Freeport * Jefferson P.O. * Jenkins's Mill * Lemonville * Little Sandy P.O. * Mark's Mills * Meridian (First Real Town - about 1868) * Plymouth P.O. (Old Plymouth) * Rock Creek Station P.O. Source: Pioneer Tales of the Oregon Trail and of Jefferson County (1912) 1885 Towns & Post Offices Bowers P.O. - Richland Twp. Sec. 2 Diller - Pleasant Twp. Sec. 26 & 25 Endicott - Endicott Twp. Sec. 4 Fairbury - Fairbury Twp. Sec. 14 & 15 Kesterson - Antelope Twp. Sec. 3 & 4 Meridian P.O. - Meridian Twp. Sec. 19 Plymouth P.O. - Plymouth Twp. Sec. 31 Powell - Meridian Pct. Twp. 14 & 20 Reynolds - Buckley Twp. Sec. 8 & 17 Rose Creek (Formerly Mark's Mill) - Buckley Twp. Sec. 7 Steele City - Newton Pct. Twp. 19 Source: Everts & Kirk's Official State Atlas of Nebraska 1885 1900 Towns & Post Offices Bower P.O. - Washington Twp. Sec. 35 Daykin (1887) - Eureka Twp. Sec. 10 & 15 Diller - Pleasant Twp. Sec. 25 & 26 Endicott - Endicott Twp. Sec. 4 Fairbury - Fairbury Twp. Sec. 11, 14, 15, & 23 Fitzgerald Siding (R.R. siding with an elevator) - Pleasant Twp. Sec. 29 Gladstone - Lincoln Twp. Sec. 10 Harbine - Jefferson Twp. Sec. 27 & 28 Helvey - Eureka Twp. Sec. 36 Jansen - Cub Creek Twp. Sec. 34 Kesterson (only shows depot & mill) - Antelope Twp. Sec. 3 Plymouth (1892) - Plymouth Twp. Sec. 21 Powell - Meridian Twp. Sec. 14 & 23 Reynolds - Buckley Twp. Sec. 8 & 17 Rose Creek City - Buckley Twp. Sec. 7 Steele City (P. O. Steelburg) - Newton Twp. Sec. 19 Thompson - Buckley Twp. Sec. 12 Source: Northwest Publishing Co. Plat Book of Jefferson County 1900 1917 Towns & Post Offices Bower - Washington Twp. Sec. 35 Daykin - Eureka Twp. Sec. 10 & 15 Diller - Pleasant Twp. Sec. 25 & 26 Endicott - Endicott Twp. Sec. 4 Fairbury - Fairbury Twp. Sec. 11, 14, 15, & 23 Gladstone - Lincoln Twp. Sec. 10 Harbine - Jefferson Twp. Sec. 27 & 28 Helvey - Eureka Twp. Sec. 36 Jansen - Cub Creek Twp. Sec. 34 Kesterson Station (only shows depot) - Antelope Twp. Sec. 3 Plymouth - Plymouth Twp. Sec. 21 Powell - Meridian Twp. Sec. 14 & 23 Reynolds - Buckley Twp. Sec. 8 & 17 Rose Creek City - Buckley Twp. Sec. 7 Shea (Formerly Fitzgerald Siding) - Pleasant Twp. Sec. 29 Steele City - Newton Twp. Sec. 19 Thompson - Buckley Twp. Sec. 12 Source: Geo. A. Ogle & Co. Standard Atlas of Jefferson County 1917 1997 Towns Daykin - Eureka Twp. Sec. 10 & 15 Diller - Pleasant Twp. Sec. 25 & 26 Endicott - Endicott Twp. Sec. 4 Fairbury - Fairbury Twp. Sec. 11, 14, 15, & 23 Gladstone - Lincoln Twp. Sec. 10 Harbine - Jefferson Twp. Sec. 27 & 28 Jansen - Cub Creek Twp. Sec. 34 Plymouth - Plymouth Twp. Sec. 21 Powell - Meridian Twp. Sec. 14 & 23 Reynolds - Buckley Twp. Sec. 8 & 17 Steele City - Newton Twp. Sec. 19 Thompson - Buckley Twp. Sec. 12 Townships Antelope Buckley Cub Creek Endicott Eureka Fairbury Gibson Jefferson Lincoln Meridian Newton Pleasant Plymouth Richland Rock Creek Washington