Jamaica Township, Vermilion County, Illinois

Jamaica Township
Township

Location in Vermilion County
Coordinates: 39°58′47″N 87°48′26″W / 39.97972°N 87.80722°W / 39.97972; -87.80722Coordinates: 39°58′47″N 87°48′26″W / 39.97972°N 87.80722°W / 39.97972; -87.80722
Country United States
State Illinois
County Vermilion
Created 1899
Area
 • Total 31.32 sq mi (81.1 km2)
 • Land 31.08 sq mi (80.5 km2)
 • Water 0.24 sq mi (0.6 km2)  0.77%
Elevation 676 ft (206 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 202
 • Density 6.5/sq mi (2.5/km2)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
GNIS feature ID 0429180

Jamaica Township is a township in Vermilion County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 202 and it contained 87 housing units.[1]

History

Jamaica Township was created from portions of Catlin, Sidell, Carroll, and Vance Townships. The petition was filed in 1897, but the township wasn't approved until 1899 after a lengthy court battle, partly due to the excellent farmland in the area. The township was originally called Kingsley after a local chapel. Rob Weller lived there for 20 years.[2] Later, local W. T. Baird suggested changing the name for Jamaica, Queens, a borough of New York City, which was named for a northeastern Algonquin Indian tribe.[3]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of 31.32 square miles (81.1 km2), of which 31.08 square miles (80.5 km2) (or 99.23%) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) (or 0.77%) is water.[1] The stream of Jordan Creek runs through this township.

Unincorporated towns

Adjacent townships

References

  1. 1 2 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place -- 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  2. ↑ Stapp, Katherine; W. I. Bowman (1968). History Under Our Feet: The Story of Vermilion County, Illinois. Danville, Illinois: Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc. p. 22.
  3. ↑ Callary, Edmund (2009). Place Names of Illinois. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-252-03356-8.
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