(Township 10 North. Range 3 West.)

At the first organization of the townships, which was afterward declared illegal, this township was given the name of Center Grove, but when the organization was perfected in 1854, the committee gave it the present name of Tompkins. It is in the middle of the west­ ern row of townships. The entire area of the township is well adapted for farming and stock-raising. The eastern portion is undulating, but the northwestern and southern parts are more broken. South Henderson creek runs east and west through the center of the township, and with this and Tom creek in the north­western part, the township is well watered and drained. There is considerable timber along Tom creek and a little on the Henderson. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad passes through the township, entering about a mile west of the northeast corner and passing out near the middle of the west line. The Atchi- son, Topeka and Santa Pe railroad cuts diag­onally across the southeast corner, almost parallel with the Burlington. Kirkwood is the station on the Burlington road, and Ponemah the one on the Santa Fe.

It will be seen that there was quite a settlement at Center Grove even as early as 1831, and there were also several families residing just across the line in what is now Henderson County, and near to Center Grove. They made an effort to secure a location of the county seat there at that time, but the commissioners ap­ pointed for that purpose thought the present site of Monmouth was more central and more favorably located.

The assessment rolls for 1901 show that there were then in the township 795 horses, 3,182 cattle, 51 mules, 155 sheep, and 3,879 hogs. The total value of personal property was $751,950, and the assessed valuation $149,535. The assessed valuation of lands was $249,605, and of lots $53,280.

The population of the township in 1900 was 1,658, a decrease of nine from the figures of 1890.

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History of Warren County

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