Wakarusa Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Douglas County, Kansas Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 118,785, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kansas. The county ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,318.

History

It was named for the

Wakarusa River The Wakarusa River is a tributary of the Kansas River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 30, 2011 in eastern Kansas in the United States. It drain ...

which flows through Douglas County from

Wabaunsee County Wabaunsee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Alma. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 6,877. The county was named for Chief Waubonsie of the Potawatomi Indians. History 19th century F ...

to the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a meandering river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is potentially the southwestern most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is sometimes in turn the northwesternmost portion of ...

near Eudora.

Geography

Wakarusa Township covers an area of surrounding the county seat of

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

. According to the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

, it contains one cemetery, Richland. Lake View Lake is within this township. The streams of Baldwin Creek, Burroughs Creek, Coal Creek, Washington Creek and Yankee Tank Creek run through this township.

Adjacent townships

* Rural Township, Jefferson County (northwest) * Grant Township, Douglas County (north) * Reno Township, Leavenworth County (northeast) * Eudora Township, Douglas County (east) * Palmyra Township, Douglas County (southeast) * Willow Springs Township, Douglas County (southwest) * Clinton Township, Douglas County (west) * Kanwaka Township, Douglas County (west) * Lecompton Township, Douglas County (west)

Communities

Although these towns may not be incorporated or populated, they are still placed on maps produced by the county. The city of

is considered ''governmentally independent'' and is not included on this list. *

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

, located at * Lake View, located at *

Noria A noria (, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from , ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered '' scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct, either for the purpose of irrigation or to supply water to cities and village ...

, located at * Sibleyville, located at

Transportation

Wakarusa Township is served directly by one Interstate Highway, one US Highway and one state highway: * * * Wakarusa Township is served with direct routes to one Interstate Highway, two US Highways and one state highway: * * * *

Places of interest

* Wells Overlook. A county-owned park with a watchtower that offers a scenic view of the surrounding area, including Lawrence. The overlook was used during the

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

era as a look out for pro-slavery threats. * Lake View. A natural

oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or stream pool, pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is meander cutoff, cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. The word "oxbow" can also refer to a U-shaped bend in a river or stream, whether ...

formed from the Kansas River. Lake View was once a popular lakeside resort and still has a small population today. * The Baker Wetlands are between the Lawrence city limits and the Wakarusa River along 31st Street and supports various species of plants, birds and animals. * The townsite of Franklin, along K-10, was once a pro-slavery town that competed with Lawrence. When Lawrence was burned in 1863 most of the houses were moved to help with the rebuilding.

References

External links

City-Data.com
Townships in Douglas County, Kansas Townships in Kansas {{DouglasCountyKS-geo-stub