History of Ness City, KS

Ness County, of which Ness City is the county seat, was named for Corporal Noah V. Ness who died of Civil War wounds on August 22, 1864. At
that time there were no known residents of the county.
Corporal Ness|never lived in Ness County,
the name was selected by the State.

▼Statue of Corporal Noah V. Ness

../Statue of Corporal Noah V. Ness The land that now includes Ness County was part of the area claimed by Spain as part of New Mexico by right of the exploration of Coronado. It was also a part of the Mississippi Valley which was claimed by France. These boundaries overlapped and no actual boundaries existed until the United States bought Louisiana from Napoleon in 1803.

It was Indian territory with settlers soon beginning to cross the Mississippi River and move westward on their overland route to California. The Army followed them for their traveling protection, with Fort Riley being established in 1853.

Lieutenant Bryan was sent "out west" to survey a most direct route to Colorado in the year of 1855. He selected a route which followed on the north side of Pawnee Creek, placing the route in this area. Bryan's report provides the earliest record in the existence of Ness County.

The area first became a territory in 1854 and a county in 1867, although it was not until 1880 that the county was organized and the county seat established.

Smith & Brinton's Block, Ness City

Most of the first settlers were buffalo hunters who had seen the Walnut Valley which passes through the center part of the county and came back to settle.

Among the first, if not the first was Joe Dickson who came to the county to settle in 1873 but did not file a claim until 1875.

Public School, Ness City

Ross Calhoun (father of Ness City) came in 1877 or early 1878. After a county seat fight with Sidney (about a mile south of present Ness City) Ness City was named the county seat. Calhoun deeded a block in Ness City for a courthouse and jail. It was not until 1886, however, that Ness City became an incorporated town, with George S. Redd serving as the first mayor.

Over the years as fortune smiled or frowned on the young city its growth and industry moved up and down. At one time or another Ness City had a sugar mill, a flour mill, a cheese factory, an ice-making plant, a greenhouse, a bakery, and even five banks in operation at one time.

from a brochure by the Ness City Chamber of Commerce

See Cutler's History of the State of Kansas (1883) for more history of the county.

The 1912 Blackmar's Cylcopedic History of Kansas mentions Ness City.

Historical images of Ness City are online at WSU's Ablah Library.