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Cherokee County Courthouse, Columbus, Kansas. Photo by Susan Howell.
 Cherokee County Courthouse

Cherokee County

 Location of Cherokee County
 
 
County Seat: Columbus 
Founded: 1866 
Population:
    · 22,605  (2000)
    · 21,374  (1990)
    · 42,694  (1900)
Area: 590 Square Miles 
Standard Abbreviation: CK 

 

History

Map of Cherokee County, KS in 1899
Organized in 1866.  County seat Columbus.  First named McGee in 1855, for E. McGee of Missouri, who was a member of the Territorial Legislature.  In 1866 the name Cherokee was adopted, from the fact that a large portion of the "Cherokee neutral lands," reservation of that tribe of Indians, was included in the geopgraphical area of the county.
 
Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)
 
William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Cherokee County.
 
There is a section on Cherokee County in the book Kansas: a Cyclopedia Of State History by Frank Blackmar (1912).
 
The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Cherokee County towns: Scammon, Empire City, Baxter Springs, & Columbus.
 
The Kansas State Historical Society also has more historical data for Cherokee County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Cherokee County

                 2000
  Year  Elev  Population Name              ZIP
  ====  ====  ========== ================ =====
         880             Badger
         935             Barrett (historical)
         830             Baxter Junction
         835       4,602 Baxter Springs   66713
         914             Carona           66773
         935             Coal Valley (historical)
         895             Cokedale
  1868   910       3,396 Columbus         66725
         894             Commonwealth
         898             Cravensville
         870             Crestline        66728
         942             Daisy Hill
         915             Dutch Hollow (historical)
         970             East Galena
         904             East Mineral (historical)
         950             Empire City
         823             Faulkner
  1877   941       3,287 Galena           66739
         840             Hallowell
         875             Hamilton Camp (historical)
         826             Hoag
         849             Keelville
         910             Kniveton
         900             Lawton           66781
         850             Lowell
         885             Riverton         66770
         925         101 Roseland
         900         496 Scammon          66773
         902             Sherman
         840             Sherwin
         913             Skidmore
         960             South Galena
         927             Stippville
         915             Stone City (historical)
         840         149 Treece           66778
         930             Turck
         920         780 Weir             66781
         900         243 West Mineral     66782
Census Bureau Profile & Map

Special Places in Cherokee County

  • The main square in Columbus has many ornate 1880s buildings.
  • Columbus has a working 1919 Seth Thomas clock on the courthouse grounds.
  • Big Brutus, the world's second largest electric mining shovel, is "retired" and on display(for a fee) at West Mineral.

Special Events in Cherokee County

  • Columbus has a Hot Air Balloon Regatta as part of its Columbus Day Festival in October.

Libraries

  • Johnston Public Library (620) 856-5591
    210 W. 10th St., Box 420 / Baxter Springs, KS 66713-0420
  • Columbus Public Library (620) 429-2086
    205 N. Kansas / Columbus, KS 66725-1297
  • Galena Public Library
    Municipal Bldg, 315 W. Seventh / Galena, KS 66739-5132
  • Weir City Library (620) 396-8472
    612 S. Jefferson, Box 346 / Weir, KS 66781-0346

Museums

  • Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum   620-856-2385
    8th & East Avenue / Baxter Springs, KS 66713
    The Oct. 6, 1863 Baxter Springs Battle between Quantrill and Union General Blunt's troops • a log cabin • Civil War artifacts • Native American Display • Route 66 display
  • Big Brutus (620) 827-6177 - 16 story electric mining shovel
    West Mineral: 7 miles N. of Columbus, 6 miles W. on K102
  • Columbus Museum (620) 429-2160
    100 S. Tennessee / Columbus, KS 66725
  • Galena Mining & Historical Museum (620) 783-2192
    319 W. 7th, Galena, KS

Cherokee County School Systems

Hospitals

  • Columbus Hospital (620-429-2545)
    220 N Pennsylvania Ave. / Columbus, KS 66725-1110
  • Maude Norton Memorial City Hospital (620) 429-2435
    220 N. Pennsylvania / Columbus, KS 66725

Newspapers

  • Baxter Springs Citizen   (620) 856-5613
    123 W. 12th St., Baxter Springs, KS 66713
  • Baxter Springs News   (620) 856-4081   FAX: (620) 856-4051
    1242 Military Avenue, Baxter Springs, KS 66713
  • Columbus Daily Advocate (620) 429-2773
    215 S. Kansas, Columbus, KS 66725
  • Galena Sentinel-Times (620) 783-5034
    511 S. Main, Galena, KS 66739

More Data About Cherokee County

Economic Development
  • Kansas County Profile Reports
    Statistical data from The Institute for Policy and Social Research, the University of Kansas
Health Data

Genealogy

References

  • WPA The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas ( Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. 1984 )

Cherokee County Offices

For more about Cherokee County contact:

Last updated on November 29, 2009 by COUNTIES@KSLIB.INFO
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Graphics by John Howell,
photos by Susan Howell,
used by permission.