El Paso County, one of the early counties of Kansas, was created by the territorial legislature on Feb. 7, 1859, out of territory which was later included in the State of Colorado. El Paso is a Spanish word meaning the passage, or the gap. At the time of its creation, the boundaries of the county were defined as follows: "Commencing at the northeast corner of Fremont county and running thence due east to the southeast corner of Montana county, thence due south to a point 20 miles south of the 39th parallel of latitude, thence due west to a point 20 miles west of the 105th meridian of longitude, thence due north to the place of beginning." The same act appointed William H. Green, G. W. Allison and William O. Donnall commissioners, and they were authorized to locate a temporary seat of justice as near the geographical center of the county as was convenient.