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Kansas Counties

Washington County, Kansas (old) [defunct]

Date Established: August 30, 1855
Date Organized:
Date Defunct: February 20, 1857
Location: Kansas map showing location of Washington County
Boundaries: "Commencing at the southern boundary of the territory of Kansas, 15 miles west of a due south course from the mouth of Walnut creek, on the Arkansas river, and running from thence north 100 miles, thence west to the east line of Arapahoe county, thence south along said line to the place of beginning."
Origin of Name: In honor of George Washington (1732-1799), first president of the United States.
History: The legislative Act of 1855 originally created this old Washington County which included all of the unorganized territory in the south and west of the territory. It included the area of the present counties of Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearney, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, the southwest corner of Marion, the southern part of McPherson, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Russell, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, nearly all of Sumner, and Wichita.

The name of Washington was given to a northeastern county in February 1857, leaving the original territory without a name until Peketon County was established in February 1860. Old Washington County was never organized, and there is no evidence that a county seat was ever established.
Population: No Data Available.
Other Resources: Post offices in Washington County
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