Jefferson County, Kansas

Jefferson County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Oskaloosa
Year Organized: 1855
Square Miles: 535

Court House:

PO Box 331
County Courthouse
Oskaloosa, KS 66066-0331

Named: In honor of Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States--author of the Declaration of Independence.

State & County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Jefferson County, one of the counties formed and organized by the first territorial legislature, is situated in the northeastern part of the state, the second county west from the Missouri river and the third south from the Nebraska line. It is bounded on the north by Atchison county, on the east by Leavenworth, on the south by the Kansas river, which separates it from Douglas county, and on the west by Shawnee and Jackson counties.

Jefferson is one of the older settled counties of the state and some of the most important events in the history of Kansas took place within its borders. The area of Jefferson county is 568 square miles or 363,520 acres.

Kansas' first settlement was established in 1827 in Jefferson County by Major Daniel M. Boone, son of the famous frontiersman. The county was heavily involved in the struggle over slavery that brought the state the name "Bleeding Kansas". The battles of Hickory Point and Slough Creek were fought here.

William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Jefferson County.

The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Ozawkie, Valley Falls, Oskaloosa, & Nortonville.

The Kansas State Historical Society also has more historical data for Jefferson County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.

Geography

The general surface is undulating prairie with a few rough places. The bottom lands along the creek beds and the Kansas river comprise about 15 per cent. of the total acreage. The Kansas river flows east along the southern border except for about 6 miles of the southeast corner. The Delaware (formerly the Grasshopper) enters on the northern border about 4 miles from the west line and flowing south joins the Kansas at Perry. This stream is large enough to furnish power for mills. Big Slough creek is the main branch of the Delaware. Muddy creek crosses the southwest corner of the county.

Neighboring Counties:

Atchison County (north)
Leavenworth County (east)
Douglas County (south)
Shawnee County (southwest)
Jackson County (northwest)

Cities:

- Delaware	township
- Jefferson	township
- Kaw	township
- Kentucky	township
- McLouth	city	Incorporated Area
- Meriden	city	Incorporated Area
- Nortonville	city	Incorporated Area
- Oskaloosa (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Ozawkie	city	Incorporated Area
- Perry	city	Incorporated Area
- Rock Creek	township
- Rural	township
- Sarcoxie	township
- Union	township
- Valley Falls	city	Incorporated Area
- Winchester	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Jefferson County - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

Penn Foster High School

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