Richland Township is situated in the south and eastern portion of the county, comprising all of congressional township 79, range 17 west, hence is six miles square and contains thirty-six sections of choice land. Its chief stream is the Skunk River, which courses through the territory from north to south, with a heavy body of natural timber growing in the south part of the township. In the east part is Sugar Creek, a small stream.

Richland is situated south of Rock Creek, west of Poweshiek County, north of Lynn Grove Township and east of Buena Vista Township. The correction line runs on the southern boundary of Richland Township.

Richland was organized in 1860. The population of this township in 1905 was placed by state reports as being seven hundred and thirty-nine.

The property valuation, personal and real, in 1877 was $244,569, on which the taxes amounted to $4,816. The assessed valuation of all personal property in 1878 was $43,141, inclusive of 537 head of horses, 40 head of mules and 1,108 head of taxable cattle. See table of various townships for 1910, in the chapter on County Government.

At this date there are laid out and well improved highways on almost every section line in this township. The chief business of the people in this section of Jasper County being agriculture, the lands are well tilled and farmers are in a prosperous condition. There are no towns within Richland Township, but the modern advantages of both telephones and free rural mail delivery makes farming a pleasant task instead of a humdrum life as it was in the fifties, sixties and seventies.

Richland has its full quota of well-conducted public schools, which are mentioned in the Educational Chapter of this volume.