Peoria Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

in Franklin County,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. As of the 2000 census, its population was 626. Peoria Township has two unincorporated towns: Peoria and Imes.

Geography

Peoria Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

, it contains three cemeteries: Davisson, Howard, and Peoria. The streams of Hickory Creek, Middle Creek, Ottawa Creek and Turkey Creek and the

Marais des Cygnes River The Marais des Cygnes River ( , ) is a principal tributary of the Osage River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 31, 2011 in eastern Kansas and western Misso ...

run through this township.

History

Up to 1857 Peoria Township belonged to the Peorias,

Wea The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...

s and

Piankeshaw The Piankeshaw, Piankashaw or Pianguichia were members of the Miami tribe who lived apart from the rest of the Miami nation, therefore they were known as Peeyankihšiaki ("splitting off" from the others, Sing.: ''Peeyankihšia'' - "Piankeshaw Pers ...

s. In April of that year the land was thrown upon the market. Previous to that time, a few settlers had entered the Township in anticipation of that event. Upon being offered, the land was nearly all immediately bought up at prices. During the year 1857, Albert Johnson settled and opened a store, and around his store gathered the nucleus of the future town of Peoria. It is beautifully situated on a promontory projecting between the valleys of Hickory Creek and that of the Marais des Cygnes. Albert Johnson was appointed first Postmaster, and also first Assessor, the latter appointment being made by the County Board. In the year 1859, a strife sprang up for the possession of the County seat. It was then at Minneola (then the state capitol and soon-to-be ghost town); Peoria and Mt. Vernon contended for it against Minneola and Ohio City, at the general election. Peoria was successful. Minneola forbade the removal, and a lawsuit followed in which Minneola was successful as elsewhere detailed. The first election in Peoria was held in the fall of 1857, at which there was cast but one Democratic vote. The first Free-state meeting in Franklin County was held at Peoria. Peoria, today, remains as a small unincorporated settlement. It is home to the historic Briles Schoolhouse, one of the best preserved one-room school houses in Franklin County.

Landmarks

Briles One-Room Schoolhouse, built in 1868 and closed in 1960. The school is now a community center and voting location for Peoria Township. The school, located at the intersection of Highway 68 and Texas Road, is Stop 8 on the Driving Tour of Northeast Franklin County.

References

USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

External links

Townships in Franklin County, Kansas Townships in Kansas {{FranklinCountyKS-geo-stub