Johnson County, Kansas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Johnson County was created on August 25, 1855 as an Original County. The County Seat is Olathe. The County was named for the Rev. Thomas Johnson (1802-1865), who established a mission to the Shawnee Indians in 1829 (Shawnee Indian Mission in present-day Fairway, Johnson Co.).

Counties adjacent to Johnson County are Wyandotte County (north), Jackson County, Missouri (east), Cass County, Missouri (southeast), Miami County (south), Franklin County (southwest), Douglas County (west), Leavenworth County (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa, Leawood, Prairie Village, Gardner, Merriam, Mission, Roeland Park, Bonner Springs, De Soto, Spring Hill, Fairway, Mission Hills, Edgerton, Westwood, Lake Quivira, Westwood Hills, Mission Woods. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Johnson County Official Government Website
Search for Local Kansas Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Kansas Researcher!
Search the Kansas USGenWeb Archives
Johnson County, Kansas History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
Search Historical Newspapers from Iowa (1814 - 1900) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
Search Kansas Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Records at the Johnson County Courthouse

Johnson County Tax Records

Johnson County Vital Records

Johnson County Census Records

Johnson County Maps & Atlases

Johnson County Military Records

Johnson County Genealogical Addresses

Johnson County Church & Cemeteries

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
Sites on USGenweb: [ Johnson County ] [ Kansas ] [ Main Page ]
Johnson County USGenweb Archives
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Kansas Family Group Sheets
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
Johnson County, Kansas Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

Transcribed from Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912.

Johnson County, located in the eastern tier, is the sixth north from Oklahoma. It is bounded on the north by Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties; on the east by the State of Missouri; on the south by Miami county, and on the west by Douglas county. Its area is 480 square miles, or 307,200 acres, and in 1910 it ranked 33d, with a population of 18,288. It was organized in 1855 and named for Rev. Thomas Johnson, missionary to the Shawnee Indians, in what is now Shawnee township in the northern part of the county. In 1855 the Kansas river constituted its entire northern boundary but in 1859 the present boundary was established. The county is divided into ten townships: Aubrey, Gardner, Lexington, McCamish, Mission, Monticello, Olathe, Oxford, Shawnee and Spring Hill.

The general surface is slightly undulating prairie, more rolling in the north and east. The valleys of rivers and creeks average from one-fourth to seven-eighths of a mile in width. The bottom lands comprise about 10 per cent. of the whole area, the remaining 90 per cent. being upland, the highest of which is in the central and southwestern portion. Timber belts average from 40 rods to one mile in width, and contain oak, hickory, elm, walnut, mulberry, redbud, locust, wild cherry and sycamore, jack-oak and hickory existing in the largest quantities. The streams are not large but sufficiently numerous. The Kansas river flowing north of east forms more than half of the northern border, and receives as tributaries Cedar, Clear, Captains, Kill, Mill and Turkey creeks. Blue and Indian creeks run eastward. The soil is from one to six feet in depth and is very productive, being adapted to corn, winter wheat, oats, flax and hay. Johnson ranks among the foremost counties in the production of Irish potatoes. It also has a large number of orchards. In 1907 there were 150,000 bearing fruit trees. Along the streams limestone is found in great abundance and is used extensively for building and as ballast for railroads. Sandstone is plentiful in the north and east, and at Edgerton gray marble is found. Coal exists in a few places, where it is mined for local use. Previous to the coming of the Shawnee Indians in 1828, but little was known by white people of what is now Johnson county. In 1829 Rev. Thomas Johnson, a Methodist Episcopal missionary, went to the Shawnee country, to establish a mission and a school for the education of the Indians. This school was located about 6 miles west of Westport, Mo., between the Kansas river and Turkey creek. When the Shawnee lands were thrown open for settlement in 1851, a large number of people rushed in to secure claims. Among the free-state men who settled in the county in 1857 were Thomas E. Mulvane, William Williams, Rynear Morgan, William Holmes, Dr. I. James, J. D. Allen, J. C. Forrest and L. F. Bancroft. Among the pro-slavery men were Dr. J. B. Morgan, Col. J. T. Quarles, T. H. Ellis, Jonathan Gore, A. Slaughter, J. H. Nounan, C. C. Catron, M. T. Wells, Dr. Shuck and A. J. Turpin. Along with those who came as settlers were a number of speculators, who examined the Indian treaties and found that an Indian having selected his head right under the treaty could sell and convey a valid title to any person by complying with the rules of the interior department of the government for the sale of Indian lands. The first sales of such lands to speculators were in Oct., 1867, to Blunt, Irvin & Co. In Dec., 1867, the government made it impossible for the Indians to sell their property.

The close proximity of Johnson county to Missouri caused it to share the disaster and distress arising from the early political difficulties. The first election held in the territory was in the fall of 1853 before the organization of the county. At this election, Rev. Thomas Johnson of the Shawnee Mission was elected delegate to Congress to urge the organization of the territory. Being chosen without the authority of the law he was not admitted to a seat as a delegate. At the election of March 20, 1855, for members of the territorial legislature, Mr. Johnson was elected to the council and made its president. One of the first acts of that legislature was the organization of the settled portions of the territory into counties. Isaac Parish was appointed sheriff of the county and William Fisher, Jr., probate judge. At this session the road passing from Kansas City, Mo., west to Santa Fe, N. M., through the center of the county was declared a territorial road; a road was located through the northern part of the county to Lawrence, Lecompton and Fort Riley, and another along the eastern line of the county from Westport, Mo., to Fort Scott.

From the beginning Johnson county was the scene of many conflicts between the free-state and pro-slavery parties. The first ones were slight and unimportant owing to the fact the land was not open to settlement and the few early residents were practically of one mind. As the controversy waxed more intense, the conflicts became more cruel and insolent. The elections held were farces and were for the greater part managed by pro-slavery men. The methods used is evidenced by the election of October 5, 1857, for members of the legislature. (See Walker's Administration.) The continuous interference of Missouri border ruffians in Kansas affairs on the eastern tier of counties aroused the greatest feeling of animosity among the free-state men which resulted in the border wars, of varying degrees of importance. A battle growing out of politics was that called by some "the first battle of Bull Run," because it was fought on Bull creek, in the year 1858, when Gen. Lane, commander of the free-state men, met the pro-slavery forces of Gen. Reid. A few shots were excanged[sic] and Reid retreated into Missouri. No blood was shed.

On Sept. 6, 1862, Quantrill made his well known raid upon Olathe, which was in a defenseless condition. With a band of about 140 men he entered the town, invaded and plundered houses and stores, and corralled the citizens in the public square. Hiram Blanchard of Spring Hill, Philip Wiggins and Josiah Skinner were killed in an effort to protect property. (See Guerrillas.)

In Johnson county 500 men were enrolled in the Thirteenth regiment, of which Thomas M. Bowen was commissioned colonel; J. B. Wheeler, lieutenant-colonel; William Roy, adjutant, and during the four years of war Johnson county furnished its full share of soldiers. In about three weeks after the first call for troops, a company of 50 men enlisted and organized, with S. F. Hill captain. This company was assigned to the Second Kansas infantry as Company C. Upon the second call for volunteers a second company was organized with J. E. Hayes as captain. For some time this company belonged to the Fourth regiment but in the spring of 1862 it became Company A of the Tenth regiment. Nearly an entire company was raised in the county for the Eighth Kansas infantry, and was assigned as Company F of that regiment, with J. M. Hadley as second lieutenant. In the late summer of 1862, William Pellet of Olathe was commissioned to raise another company of infantry. As Company H of the Twelfth regiment it performed garrison duty at Forts Leavenworth, Riley and Larned. Also for the Twelfth regiment a company was raised in the vicinity of Gardner and Spring Hill, with John T. Gordon as captain. After the Lawrence massacre, the Fifteenth regiment of cavalry was raised. Johnson county furnished one entire company. This regiment distinguished itself in 1864, fighting Gen. Price's army on its notorious raid.

The county was organized in 1855 but there was not a full corps of officers until March, 1857, when Gov. Walker appointed the following: Commissioners, John P. Ector, John Evans and William Fisher, Jr.; probate judge, John B. Campbell; treasurer, John T. Barton; sheriff, Pat Cosgrove. In March, 1858, the first county election was held with the following results: Commissioners, John P. Ector, John J. Evans and William Fisher, Jr.; register of deeds, J. B. Blake; clerk of the board of commissioners, James Rich; sheriff, Pat Cosgrove; county attorney, Jonathan Gore.

On Nov. 7, 1865, an election was held on the question of issuing $100,000 in bonds to the Kansas City & Neosho Valley railroad. The bonds were voted, the road was commenced in the summer of 1867, completed to Olathe on Nov. 19, and to the south line of the county in 1869. On April 6, 1869, another election was held on the question of issuing $100,000 in bonds as aid for each of two railroads—the St. Louis, Lawrence and Denver, and the Kansas City & Santa Fe. The bonds were voted. The Kansas City & Santa Fe was completed to Ottawa in 1870 and the St. Louis, Lawrence & Denver was built from Lawrence to Pleasant Hill in 1871. In 1910 a line from Holliday southwest through Olathe into Franklin county crossed the extreme northern part east and west along the Kansas river; a line of the St. Louis & San Francisco enters in the extreme northeast, crosses southwest to Olathe, thence south into Miami county; another line of the same road crosses from the eastern border to Olathe; the Missouri, Kansas & Texas operates its trains from Kansas City over the tracks of the St. Louis & San Francisco through the county, and a line of the Missouri Pacific crosses the southeastern corner. There are 93.75 miles of railroad, main track, in the county.

At the organization of the county, the county seat was located where Shawnee now stands, which place was then called Gum Springs. Early in the summer of 1858 parties interested in the development of Olathe had an election held to change the county seat to that town. Under the territorial laws both elections had to be ordered by the governor, who had not heard of the desire to change the county seat, hence the election was illegal. Gov. Denver ordered it back to Gum Springs but in October of the same year at another election Olathe became the county seat.

The first school in Johnson county was the Shawnee mission school, 1 mile from the Missouri line and 7 miles south of Kansas City. Connected with the mission was a carpenter shop, blacksmith shop, shoemaker's shop, a steam grist mill and a saw mill. In 1834 the Friends established a mission on the Shawnee reservation. The few white children of the communities attended the Indian schools. The first schools for white children were established in 1857. The schools of Johnson county have developed into thoroughly equipped institutions of learning. In 1907 there were 95 organized school districts and a school population of 5,428. The first churches for Johnson county were the mission meeting houses. Churches for white people were organized from 1859 to 1870. The first newspaper published was the Olathe Herald, the first issue of which appeared Aug. 29, 1859.

County Courthouse

Johnson County, Kansas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Johnson County Courthouse

See Also Kansas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Johnson County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Johnson County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Kansas

Johnson County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Kansas

Johnson County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Johnson County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Kansas

Johnson County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Kansas Genealogical Addresses

Johnson County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kansas

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Johnson County, Kansas History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Johnson County Courthouse

See Also Kansas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Johnson County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Johnson County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Kansas

Johnson County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Kansas

Johnson County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Johnson County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Kansas

Johnson County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Kansas Genealogical Addresses

Johnson County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kansas

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Johnson County, Kansas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy