Jewell

Formed February 26, 1887 (103^rd county)

Jewell County (2,938), Mankato (841)

The stone and concrete Art Deco courthouse for Jewell County was built in 1937 to replace a classic 1880’s vintage facility.  It is sited on a square made up of Commercial, Madison, High, and Monroe streets.  United States Highway 36 is three blocks to the south of the site.  J. W. Radotinsky and John V. Metz are the building designers.  The building’s insides feature stone half walls.  The county was created on February 26, 1887 from Native American Territory as the 103^rd county with Jewell City as the first county seat.  Mankato became the county seat in 1865.  The county’s namesake is Civil War hero Lieutenant Colonel Lewis R. Jewell.  Mankato is for Mankato, Minnesota. 

Jewell County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Jewell, Cloud, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties (judicial.) The county is in northern Kansas on the border with Nebraska.  Salina, Kansas is to the southeast of the county.  The county center is 1.8 miles Southwest of Mankato.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Nebraska and Republic, Cloud, Mitchell, Osborne, and Smith counties. 

The area of the county is 909 square miles.  It is 22 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 82 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.2 persons per square mile making it 87 out of 105 in the state.  Jewell County has 55.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 36 crosses the county east to west from Republic County to Smith County.  The county is a square with Mankato located in the center of the county.  Mankato is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.6% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MAN-KAE-TOE.

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