The Assessors of Jewell County, in their returns for 1882, give the following statistics, which fairly exhibit its wealth and prosperity: Acres of taxable land under cultivation 123,379; not under cultivation, 225,147; total, 348,526 acres. Of the total valuation of all real estate and personal property ($2,048,452), $1,146,206 is in taxable land. $102,360 in town lots, $656,030 in personal property, and 142,856 in railroad lands. Acres of winter wheat, 19,515; rye, 2,634; spring wheat, 17,509; corn, 120,734; oats, 5,211; barley, 70; buckwheat, 556; potatoes 1,885; sorghum, 739; tobacco, 15; broom corn, 614; millet, 4,891; Egyptian or rice corn, 226; tons of prairie hay, 20,247. Value of garden products, $3,989; pounds of cheese, 9,004; butter, 224,384. Number of horses, 7,543; mules, 1,038; cows; 5,342; cattle, 10,397; sheep, 2,817; swine, 35,925. Value of all animals sold for slaughter, $328,285. Number of apple trees, 78,167; peach, 150,465; cherry, 12,450; pear, 2,054; plum, 1,152.
The population of Jewell County for 1882, by towns, is as follows: Jackson, 449; Sinclair, 528; Vicksburg, 644; Grant, 563; Allen, 636; Montana, 662; Richland 504; Washington, 448; Buffalo, 648; Prairie, 658; Harrison, 637; Holmwood, 593; Central, 1,114; Calvin, 444; Brown Creek, 557; Walnut, 632; Burr Oak, 960; Limestone; 550: Odessa, 456; Athens, 656; Highland, 575; White Mound, 620; Ezbon, 576; Ionia, 514; Erving, 502. Total, 15,068.
Railroads. – The main line of the Central Branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, built by the Union Pacific, extends along the southern boundary of the county, a branch of which runs up the valley of the Buffalo to Burr Oak, on White Rock Creek. This line will soon be extended to Salem, and on to some connecting point on the Burlington & Missouri Railroad in Nebraska. It was built in 1878 and 1879, and has been of incalculable value to the county. At present there are no encouraging prospects of any part of the county’s receiving better railroad facilities. The northern part of the county has the benefit of the Burlington & Missouri in Nebraska, the eastern part of the Scandia Branch of the Missouri Pacific, and the southern part of the main line of the Missouri Pacific. This county is not, however, so dependent upon close railroad communications, as it ships more hogs and cattle than any other county in the State, and consequently has a correspondingly less amount of grain to freight to market.
Source: Jewell County, Cutlers History of Kansas, 1883