Osborne County, Kansas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Osborne County was created on February 26, 1867 (Organized on 1871) from Unorganized Territory. The County Seat is Osborne. The County was named for Pvt. Vincent B. Osborn[e], of Co. A, 2nd Kansas Cavalry, who lost his right leg to wounds received 17 Jan 1865 on the steamer Anna Jacobs on the Arkansas River just south of Roseville, Ark. The steamboat, carrying 200 refugees and 50 soldiers, came under fire from a Confederate artillery piece and made for shore; Osborne carried the cable ashore and was attempting to secure it when he was shot, shattering the bone just above the knee.

Counties adjacent to Osborne County are Smith County (north), Jewell County (northeast), Mitchell County (east), Lincoln County (southeast), Russell County (south), Ellis County (southwest), Rooks County (west). Cities and Towns Include Osborne, Downs, Natoma, Portis, Alton. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

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Records at the Osborne County Courthouse

Osborne County Tax Records

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Osborne County Military Records

Osborne County Genealogical Addresses

Osborne County Church & Cemeteries

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Extended History

EARLY HISTORY.

The county was settled at the time when the Indians had made up their minds to abandon this territory; hence the absence of anything startling under this head. In the fall of 1878, when the raid across the western part of the State was in progress, a stampede of the settlers on the creeks southwest of town filled Osborne, the county seat, full of terrified people. The people of the town read the daily papers, and proved that the savages were in Nebraska, and the settlers fell back and resumed their peaceful avocations.

The earliest settler was George Wolberd, who settled the northeast corner of the county in January 1870. Zara M. Hill made the third entry of land in Osborne County on the north fork of the river, between Downs and Bethany. He was then a buffalo hunter, but is now a prosperous farmer living on the land first entered.

In March 1870 two brothers named Bullock made the first permanent settlement in this county on the north side of the south fork, east of where the village of Bloomington now stands. They built a rude log cabin, half fortress, which was a place of resort for frontiersmen. These were shortly followed by James Weston and family, who located on Covert Creek. The north Solomon was settled by J. J. Wiltrout, the Crosby brothers, and Zachary T. Walrond, in the vicinity of Portis. Mr. Pennington Ray located and built a good log house on the river south of the present city of Downs, about the 20th of May 1870. William T. Kelly and Ed McCormick, settled in Corinth Township about this time, but up to July 20, when the United States census was taken, all told, the county had only thirty-three settlers, four of whom were females, viz: Mrs. Weston and daughters.

John Kaser and family were among the next settlers, and in July 1871 Mrs. Kaser gave birth to her son Albertus, to whom belongs the honor of being the third child born in the county. While engaged in the subject of first births in the county, the attention of the reader is called to the fact that several young people claim that honor, through their parents. On the 4th day of May 1871 Miss Bertha Manning was born, and the physician who attended her mother was called, on his return, to attend the birth of Miss Lilly Dewey, four hours later. This was two months previous to the arrival of Albertus Kaser.

In May following, the townsite of Osborne City, was selected by the Pennsylvania Colony composed of thirty-five men and one woman from Berks and Lancaster Counties. They all entered land in this township. Colonel William L. Bear was the President, and Dr. John P. Moore, Secretary. On the 9th of May they filed upon the present town site of Osborne, and built a log house and stockade, a half-mile south of town. The previous fall, in November, the New Haven Colony settled on Twelve Mile Creek, in the extreme northern part of the county. Smith County secured the larger part of this wealthy and every prosperous colony.

In the month of November 1870 General Hiram C. Bull founded a city, which received his name, and erected the pioneer store building. The first store in the county was kept by Calvin Reasoner, on the John Kaser farm, near the center of the county.

On July 16, 1874, Charles H. Cook, a merchant of Bull's City, killed his only child with a hatchet, and then failing in an attempt to kill his wife, committed suicide. He was a noble gentleman, well liked by everybody, and his sudden insanity could not be satisfactorily accounted for by those who knew him most intimately.

On the 12th of October, 1879, General Hiram C. Bull, of Bull's City, one of the pioneers of the valley - the first Probate Judge of the county, and its representative in the State Legislature - met with a most horrible death. Two friends and comrades, named George Nicholas and Robert Brickell, shared the same fate. Gen. Bull had been keeping several wild animals in a park at his place. A large male elk became unmanageable, and the General attempted to correct the animal, which became infuriated, rushed upon him and gored him to death inflicting forty-four wounds upon his body. Nicholas and Brickell attempted to rescue the General, and were killed upon the spot, Nicholas having sixty-four wounds, and Brickell thirty-two. William Sherman appeared on the scene to assist, and was tossed against the part fence and wounded, but escaped by flight. Over 2,000 persons attended the funerals of these men.

The county is divided into 117 school districts; 2,599 scholars are enrolled out of 3,701 pupils of school age. The average daily attendance for the year ending July 31st, is 1,655, while the expenses for the year for school purposes amount to $17,089.71. The first school in the county was taught in District No. 1, in Independence Township, by Miss Carrie Smith. Among the early schools in the county was that over Markley & Bears store, in Osborne City in 1872, taught by Miss Gates; one at Bull's City in 1872, by Miss Stockbridge. Miss Gates is now Mrs. Wintermyer, of Howard County. This county now employs 121 teachers; there are ninety-one school buildings in the county, and ninety-seven rooms.

Osborne County shared the general grasshopper setback of 1874. This scourge afflicted the whole northwest, until the cold wet weather of the approaching winter destroyed them. John A. Boring, in The Osborne Times of July 30th, says: "The grasshoppers made their advent into our county the latter part of last week, and are devouring everything before them. We noticed several fields of corn literally alive with them, being almost unable to see, either the corn or the ground. We hear reports of their ravages from every portion of Osborne and Rooks counties, and up to this writing they are still with us, carrying on their work of desolation and ruin among the fields of our farmers."

This variety of the curse came again in 1875, and laid their eggs in nearly all the sandy soil over the county, but the rains of the spring of 1876 totally destroyed them.

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

Osborne County, in the central part of the state east and west, is located in the second tier from the Nebraska line. It is bounded on the north by Smith and Jewell counties; on the east by Mitchell and Lincoln; on the south by Russell and Ellis, and on the west by Rooks county. It was named in honor of Vincent Osborne, a soldier of the Second Kansas cavalry, who was distinguished for his courage in the Civil war, and who in 1867 settled at Ellsworth, Ellsworth county.

The first permanent settlement was the Bullock ranch, established on the south fork of the Solomon in March, 1870, by Charles and William Bullock. Pennington Ray and James McCormick settled south of the site of Downs a little later. Their stock was driven off by the Indians that summer. Word was sent to the stockade at Waconda and the soldiers came out and drove the Indians away. During the famous raids of 1868 there were no settlers in the county. A party including Lieut. Higgins, John Owens and a third man were attacked while in camp on Oak creek in the northeast corner of the county, and two of them were killed. Owens escaped and reached the stockade at Glasco. Thirty-three people came during 1870, among them being James Weston and family, J. J. Wiltrout, Crosby brothers, Z. T. Walrond, W. T. Kelley and E. McCormick. The next year settlers came in large numbers. The first store was near the center of the county and was kept by Calvin Reasoner. In Nov., 1870, Gen. H. C. Bull founded a town, to which he gave the name of Bull's City (now Alton), and erected a store building. The first white child, Bertha Manning, was born on May 4, 1871. Osborne City was founded in May, 1871, by a colony from Pennsylvania, and the county was organized the same year. On May 27 a mass meeting of citizens at Reasoner's store took the preliminary steps, C. M. Cunningham, W. W. Bullock and A. B. Fleming being appointed as a census committee. On Sept. 12 Gov. J. M. Harvey declared the county organized and appointed the following temporary officers: Clerk, Frank Thompson; commissioners, Samuel Chatfield, C. M. Cunningham and Frank Stafford. An election was held on Nov. 7, when Osborne was chosen as the county seat and the following officers were elected: Sheriff, C. M. Cunningham; treasurer, John Joy; county clerk, C. W. Crampton; attorney, H. H. Napier; clerk of the court, C. J. Watson; register of deeds, A. B. Flemming; surveyor, F. R. Gruger; probate judge, H. C. Bull; superintendent of public instruction, J. T. Saxton; coroner, S. B. Farwell; commissioners, P. W. Kenyon, F. Stafford and J. J. Hayes; representative, W. L. Gear.

In 1880 the population of the county was returned as 12,518, that of 1890 as 12,083, 1900 as 11,844, and 1910 as 12,827. The assessed valuation of property in 1882 was $1,137,906. The valuation in 1910 was $24,743,947, which makes the wealth per capita nearly $2,000.

The first railroad to enter the county was the main line of the Missouri Pacific, which reached Downs in 1879. This road runs through the county and terminates at Stockton, in Rooks county. A branch diverges at Downs and crosses northwest into Smith county. The Union Pacific runs through the southwest corner, passing through Natoma.

The county is divided into twenty-three townships, viz: Bethany, Bloom, Corinth, Covert, Delhi, Grant, Hancock, Hawkeye, Independence, Jackson, Kill Creek, Lawrence, Liberty, Mt. Ayr, Natoma, Penn, Ross, Round Mound, Sumner, Tilden, Valley, Victor and Winfield. The postoffices are, Osborne, Alton, Bloomington, Covert, Downs, Natoma, Portis and Twin Creek.

The area of the county is 900 square miles, with an undulating surface, broken by high ridges which divide the numerous water courses. Medicine Peak, in the eastern part and Round Mound in the southwest, are the most important heights. Bottom lands average a mile in width and comprise 20 per cent. of the total area. Native timber is not abundant, but many acres of artificial forest have been planted. The two branches of the Solomon river and their tributaries form the water system. The north fork enters from Smith county and flows southeast across the northeast corner. The south fork enters in the west from Rooks county and flows east through the second tier of townships from the north. It has numerous tributaries. Limestone, sandstone, potter's clay and gypsum are found in considerable quantities.

The annual product of the farms averages nearly $4,000,000. In 1910 the total value was $3,875,000, of which winter wheat brought $1,213,000; corn, $819,000; tame grass, $272,000; animals sold for slaughter, $893,000. Other important products are, butter, eggs, poultry, milk, fruit, prairie grass, sorghum, Kafir corn, oats and Irish potatoes. There are more than 150,000 bearing fruit trees. The live stock on hand in 1910 was worth $3,130,593. A great deal of this is thoroughbred. The aggregate number of head of horses, mules, asses, cattle, swine and sheep was 77,681.

County Courthouse

Osborne County, Kansas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Osborne County Courthouse

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

Osborne County Tax Records

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Osborne County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Kansas

Osborne County Census Records

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

Osborne County Maps & Atlases

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Osborne County Military Records

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Osborne County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Kansas Genealogical Addresses

Osborne County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kansas

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Osborne County, Kansas History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Osborne County Courthouse

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

Osborne County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Osborne County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Kansas

Osborne County Census Records

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

Osborne County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Osborne County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Kansas

Osborne County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Kansas Genealogical Addresses

Osborne County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kansas

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Osborne County, Kansas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy