Cedar Vale, the second largest town in Chautauqua county, is located near the west line, at the junction of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads, in Jefferson township, 20 miles west of Sedan, the county seat. It has the best of public schools, churches of all the leading denominations, 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Commercial), natural gas for lighting and heating purposes, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with 3 rural routes. The population in 1910 was reported as 948.

Cedar Vale was located in 1870 by a town company on land filed upon by E. W. Davis, who later refused to deed the land to the company and was only persuaded to do so under threat of hanging. The first building was a store room erected by J. R. Marsh, Charles Snyder and O. C. Hill, in which they opened a small stock of goods, and in which the postoffice was located. The next was a hotel built by a company formed for the purpose, and the third was a store put up by Riley Bros. Several new general stores, two blacksmith shops, another hotel, a drug store, a millinery store and a number of shops for various wares completed the improvements for the year 1870. The postoffice was established with J. R. Marsh as postmaster. The town grew rapidly and soon outstripped Osrow, her rival, located 4 miles down the Big Cheney river. A grist mill was built in 1871 by D. F. Taber, and was run by water power, Cedar Vale being on the Big Cheney.

The first Fourth of July celebration took place in 1870, with an attendance of 1,000 people or more. The first school district was organized in 1871, and the first school in the village was taught by Miss Lizzie Conklin in 1872, with an attendance of 33 pupils. The first religious services were held in the same year by "Old Father Record," in the school building.