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Location in Kansas pf Riley County.
 
 
County Seat: Manhattan
Founded: 1855
Population:
  · 62,843   (2000)
  · 63,505   (1990)
  · 13,828   (1900)
Area: 610 Square Miles
Standard Abbreviation: RL

    Riley County

 Riley County Courthouse in Manhattan, Kansas. Photo by Susan Howell.
Riley County Courthouse 

History

Map of Riley County, KS in 1899
Organized in 1855. County seat Manhattan. Received its name from the adjacent military post which was established in 1853, and called Fort Riley in honor of General Riley of the United States army.
 
Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)

        Fort Riley was established as Camp Center in 1853 to help defend against raiding Indians. It was renamed Fort Riley later that year in honor of Major General Bennet Riley.
 
William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Riley County.
 
The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Army City, Cleburne, Manhattan, and Winkler.
 
The Kansas State Historical Society also has more historical data for Riley County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Riley County

                      2000
     Town          Population  ZIP         Year Elevation
     ------------- ----------  ----------  ---- ---------
     Bala                                         1280
     Bluemont Hill                                1180
     Elm Hollow Corner                            1320
     Eureka Lake                                  1025
     Fairmont                                     1020
     Keats                                        1138
     Lasita                                       1430
     Leonardville         398  66449              1385
     Manhattan         44,831  66502       1855   1020
     Ogden              1,762  66517              1048
     Pillsbury Crossing                           1020
     Randolph             175  66554              1250
     Riley                886  66531       1870   1300
     Rocky Ford                                   1086
     Sunset Park                                  1080
     Walsburg                                     1301
     Winkler                                      1150
Census Bureau Profile & Map

Libraries

Museums

Riley County School Systems

Colleges, Universities & Institutes

Hospitals

Newspapers

More Data About Riley County

Economic Development Health Data

Genealogy

References

Riley County Offices

For more about Riley County contact:

 
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Last updated on May 28, 2009 by COUNTIES@KSLIB.INFO
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Graphics by John Howell,
photos by Susan Howell,
used by permission.