Wheatland Township, Rice County, Minnesota
Wheatland Township is a township located in the northwest corner of Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,358 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Veseli and Wheatland are both located within Wheatland Township. The city of Lonsdale is located within the township geographically but is a separate entity. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.7 square miles (89.7 km), of which 33.8 square miles (87.5 km) is land and 0.9 square mile (2.3 km) (2.51%) is water. Communities The city of Lonsdale is located at the southeast corner of the township but is a separate entity. Lonsdale was platted by the railroad when it was constructed in 1902. Originally, the railroad was supposed to go through the community of Veseli, named after a town in the Czech Republic, and spelled Wessely in the early years, but the route was changed at the last minute. Veseli did not have a paved road to the community until 1970, but has had an amateur baseball team, the Veseli Warriors, since the 1940s. The township was originally populated by a small French Canadian group that was replaced by immigrants from southern