Editing Beloit, Kansas (section)

== History ==
On permanent organization of the county in 1870, Beloit was selected as the county seat of [[Mitchell County, Kansas]], and is located northeast of the center of the county on the [[Solomon River]]. In 1873, an iron bridge was built across the river, costing $10,000, {{Inflation|US|10000|1873|2023|fmt=eq}}.<ref name="beloit history"/> The town site of Beloit was first settled by A.A. Bell in 1868 with the idea of improving the water power and for some time was known as Willow Springs.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C | title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. | publisher=Standard Publishing Company | author=Blackmar, Frank Wilson | year=1912 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C/page/n167 171]}}</ref> The town was renamed to Beloit by Tim Hersey, one of the original founders and the first mayor, and is named after his hometown, [[Beloit, Wisconsin]].<ref name="early history"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hwy24.org/uploads/2/6/1/8/26189167/28_town_names.pdf | title=Origin of Town Names | publisher=Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance | access-date=9 April 2018 | pages=2 | archive-date=April 9, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409110315/http://www.hwy24.org/uploads/2/6/1/8/26189167/28_town_names.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref> A.A. Bell was appointed postmaster in 1870, and the first school was built in 1871.<ref name="beloit history"/> By 1898, the population was around 2500.<ref name="beloit history">{{cite news |title=Mitchell County And The Old Settler's Reunion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-beloit-weekly-times-beloit-history/156240347/ |work=The Beloit Weekly Times |volume=4 |issue=13 |date=November 10, 1898 |page=1}}</ref>  Beloit sits at the junction of the Union Pacific and the Missouri Pacific Railroads. Local legend has it that the local Indians advised Bell to locate the town at a certain bend of the Solomon river to protect the town from tornadoes. As of 2022, downtown Beloit has been hit with a tornado only once, in November 1922.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Storm |work=The Beloit Daily Call |date=November 6, 1922 |volume=22 |issue=10 |page=1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-beloit-daily-call-the-storm/156239704/}}</ref>

The town of Beloit was platted March 26, 1872, and the original description as found in the recorder's office covers all of Section 9, and the south half of the southeast quarter and south half of the southwest quarter of Section 4, Town 7 and Range 7 west. The proprietors of the town were T.F. Hersey, A.A. Bell, George Campbell, Alexander Campbell, C.H. Morrill, Edward Valentine, W.C. Ingram, Daniel Kepler and Vinton Whitehurst. The town grew very rapidly, and in July 1872, was incorporated as a city of the third class. On March 10, 1879, Gov. John P. St. John proclaimed Beloit a city of the second class.<ref name="beloit history"/><ref name="early history">{{cite news |author1=Mrs. W. E. Hockett |title=Early History Of Beloit |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-beloit-daily-call-beloit-history-o/123513653/ |work=The Beloit Daily Call |date=November 14, 1921 |page=4}}</ref>

Beloit was home to the [[Kansas Industrial School for Girls|Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility]] of the [[Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority]].<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091024/ap_on_re_us/us_incorrigible_girls;_ylt=AnJkZ9yZXIRv3wNAX_v9YbJa24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTJvZmhiNTVuBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMDI0L3VzX2luY29ycmlnaWJsZV9naXJscwRjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNzaHV0dGVyZWRnaXI- Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20091027051055/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091024/ap_on_re_us/us_incorrigible_girls;_ylt=AnJkZ9yZXIRv3wNAX_v9YbJa24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTJvZmhiNTVuBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMDI0L3VzX2luY29ycmlnaWJsZV9naXJscwRjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNzaHV0dGVyZWRnaXI- |date=October 27, 2009 }}</ref>