The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-02-03
COUNTY NAMEs.
How they Originated

correspondent gives the following as
the origin OF the names of some OF the
counties in this State:
Many years ago the Pawnee Indians al
lotted the valley OF the principal tributary
OF the Kansas river to powerful division
of their tribe, which gave TO their posses
sions the name OF "Pawnee Republic: -
hence the name OF the river, and county of
Republic.
Marshall CO unity WIS named for General
| Frank }. Marshall, vino established ferry
| on the Big Blue, 1T the crossing of the
California trail in 1919, within the present
limits Of the county.
Brown county was named in honor OF
| Albert u. BrowE, Senator from Mississippi
at the ne OF the passage oil the Kansas
| Nebraska act, and not, as has been fire.
queliiy stalled, 10 perpetuate the name Of
". IL. Brown, meIE Der OF the bogus legis-
| lature, and willing tool OF the Border
Euiiians.
The territory Included in Jackson conn
y was, up TO 1883, called Calhoun, when
the legislature concluded old Candle Box"
| was not worthy OF so much honor and ac-
cordingiy changed the name.
Osborne county was named N honor u
Vincent z. Osborne, private in Co. \,
Sec nd Kansas Llg-..ry, who lost 4 ie. al
joys ford on the Arkansas river.
Mitchell county was not named for "oid
star" but for Captain William ID. Mitch
| eli, company X, Secord Kansas, killed at
MOnroes Crossroads, North Carolina.
johnson county was named in honor of
Thomas John on, who established Meth
oc.st mission for the Shawnee Indians, in
1929, within the present limits OF tie
county.
WaDa Insee Tas named alter tie celebra-
ted chief OF the Pottawattaliies.
The philanth-opic services Of Miss Clara
f. Barton, OF Massachusetts,, in the santa
ry department of the army during the re-
bellion, have been recognized by our Kan
sas So.ons In naming a county tor her.
Barbour was named Tor a Free State
martyr OF $50, who f,l in Douglas county
near Lawrence.
Butler was not named for "Old Ber, f" but
for Andrew +. Butler, a Senator from North
Carolina for twelve years, and who was
zealousiy In favor OF a slave State
Montgomery was named in honor OF ten.
Richard Montgomery, OF revolutionary war
lame, who fell at the attack on Quebec, in
l775, and not, as has been popularity sup
posed, for Col. James Montgomery, the Kan
sas abolit:onist.
Cowley was named for Lieut.. Matthew
Cowley, of the Ninth Kansas cavalry, who
died at Little Rock, in 1864.
Harvey was named for Capt. James NJ.
Harvey, of the Sixth Kansas, who after
ward became Governor of the State.
Miller was changed TO Usage in 1859;
Lykens to Miami in 1861; breckenridge to
Lyon in 1862, and Wise TO Morris in the
same year. McGee was changed 10 Chero-
kee in lS6S, and HOwa-l to Chautauqua
and Elk in 1879. An effort was maze in
1859 TO change the name of Douglas county |
to Lincoln. but it was very fortunately de- |
feated- In $50 part OF the northwest |
vas organized into new county and named |
Lincoln.
There are sixty-nine organized and about |
thirty-five unorganized counties in the
State. A bill Is pending in the House at
the present time to annul the organizations
of several that have not citizens enough for
county officers.