  chase county (county code cs) is a county located in the u.s. state of kansas. as of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,790. its county seat and most populous city is cottonwood falls. the county has been the subject of a book by william least heat-moon. notre dame coach knute rockne died in a 1931 plane crash in the county. the tallgrass prairie national preserve was established in the county in 1996. the center of population of kansas is located in chase county, about four miles north of strong city. ==history== ===early history===  for many millennia, the great plains of north america was inhabited by nomadic native americans. from the 16th century to 18th century, the kingdom of france claimed ownership of large parts of north america. in 1762, after the french and indian war, france secretly ceded new france to spain, per the treaty of fontainebleau. in 1802, spain returned most of the land to france, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. in 1803, most of the land for modern day kansas was acquired by the united states from france as part of the 828,000 square mile louisiana purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. in 1848, after the mexican-american war, the treaty of guadalupe hidalgo with spain brought into the united states all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest kansas. in 1854, the kansas territory was organized, then in 1861 kansas became the 34th u.s. state. ===19th century=== thumb|200px|left|1893 railroad map. in 1806, zebulon pike led the pike expedition westward from st louis, missouri, of which part of their journe
1859_establishments_in_the_United_States Chase_County,_Kansas Emporia,_Kansas_micropolitan_area Kansas_counties