Editing Republic County, Kansas (section)

==History==

===Early history===
{{See also|History of Kansas}}
For [[millennia]], the [[Great Plains]] of [[North America]] were inhabited by [[nomadic]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. From the 16th to 18th centuries, the [[Kingdom of France]] claimed ownership of large parts of [[North America]]. In 1762, after the [[French and Indian War]], France ceded [[New France]] to [[Spain]], by the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]].

===19th century===
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, the land that included [[History of Kansas|modern day Kansas]] was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile [[Louisiana Purchase]].

Prior to the arrival of settlers of European ancestry, the area was inhabited by Indian tribes including the Pawnee, Iowa, and Otoe.<ref name="hist 32">{{cite book|url=http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/republic/history/1901/031.html|title=A history of Republic County, Kansas: embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01|first=I. O.|last=Savage.|publisher=Jones & Chubbic |location=[[Beloit, Kansas]] |year=1901|editor=Carolyn Ward|page=32|author-link=Isaac O. Savage}}</ref> One should also consider that other nomadic Indian tribes pursuing the buffalo, including the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, and Wichita, may have made the area their home at one time or another.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/american-indians-in-kansas/17881|title = American Indians in Kansas - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society}}</ref>

In 1854, under the provisions of the [[Kansas–Nebraska Act]], the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized. In 1860, Republic County was established by the Kansas legislature. And, in 1861, [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]]. The county is named for the [[Republican River]], which enters at the northwestern corner of the county, flowing slightly east of south, and leaving the county about eight miles east of the southwest corner.<ref name="hist 32" />

Daniel and Conrad Myers were the first settlers of European ancestry, arriving in February 1861.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/republic/history/1901/031.html|title=A history of Republic County, Kansas: embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01|first=I. O.|last=Savage.|publisher=Jones & Chubbic |location=[[Beloit, Kansas]] |year=1901|editor=Carolyn Ward|page=35|author-link=Isaac O. Savage}}</ref> By 1868, Republic County was holding elections.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/republic/history/1901/031.html|title=A history of Republic County, Kansas: embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01|first=I. O.|last=Savage.|publisher=Jones & Chubbic |location=[[Beloit, Kansas]] |year=1901|editor=Carolyn Ward|page=115|author-link=Isaac O. Savage}}</ref> Daniel Myers was elected judge of the [[Probate court]] and Conrad Myers to a seat on the [[County commission]]. At the election in 1869, the permanent location of the county seat was voted on with the following result: Belleville 59 and New Scandinavia 42, with a couple of votes going to other locations.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/republic/history/1901/031.html|title=A history of Republic County, Kansas: embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01|first=I. O.|last=Savage.|publisher=Jones & Chubbic |location=[[Beloit, Kansas]] |year=1901|editor=Carolyn Ward|page=63|author-link=Isaac O. Savage}}</ref>

Following the Civil War and during the latter half of the 19th century, Belleville and the surrounding area became a destination for European immigrants, notably from [[Sweden]] and [[Bohemia]] (now [[Czech Republic]]).<ref>I. O. Savage, History of Republic County (1883), p. 68; New Scandinavia's Ninety-Three Years, 1868–1961 (Scandia, 1961), pp. 3-5.</ref><ref>Nemcova, Bozena. "People of Czech Bohemian Descent in Republic County, Kansas." Master's thesis, University of Kansas, 1950. (Reel: LM 205).</ref><ref>https://www.kshs.org/p/bohemians-czechs-and-moravians-to-kansas-a-bibliography/13535 |Kansas Historical Society, Bohemians, Czechs, Moravians Bibliography</ref>

In 1887, [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] built a branch line from [[Neva, Kansas|Neva]] (3 miles west of [[Strong City, Kansas|Strong City]]) to [[Superior, Nebraska]]. This branch line connected [[Strong City, Kansas|Strong City]], [[Neva, Kansas|Neva]], [[Rockland, Kansas|Rockland]], [[Diamond Springs, Kansas|Diamond Springs]], [[Burdick, Kansas|Burdick]], [[Lost Springs, Kansas|Lost Springs]], [[Jacobs, Kansas|Jacobs]], [[Hope, Kansas|Hope]], [[Navarre, Kansas|Navarre]], [[Enterprise, Kansas|Enterprise]], [[Abilene, Kansas|Abilene]], [[Talmage, Kansas|Talmage]], [[Manchester, Kansas|Manchester]], [[Longford, Kansas|Longford]], [[Oak Hill, Kansas|Oak Hill]], [[Miltonvale, Kansas|Miltonvale]], [[Aurora, Kansas|Aurora]], [[Huscher, Kansas|Huscher]], [[Concordia, Kansas|Concordia]], [[Kackley, Kansas|Kackley]], [[Courtland, Kansas|Courtland]], [[Webber, Kansas|Webber]], [[Superior, Nebraska|Superior]]. At some point, the line from [[Neva, Kansas|Neva]] to [[Lost Springs, Kansas|Lost Springs]] was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line".

In 1996, the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] merged with [[Burlington Northern Railroad]] and was renamed the [[BNSF Railway]], although most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".