Halstead, one of the thriving little cities of Harvey county, is located on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. and Little Arkansas river 10 miles west of Newton, the county seat. It has a bank, telegraph and express offices, and a weekly newspaper (the Independent). It is an important grain and live stock market and has all lines of mercantile establishments. All the leading denominations of churches and secret orders are represented. According to the census of 1910 the population is 1,004.

The country about Haistead was settled by Germans in 1872, and in the summer of that year an attempt was made to establish a town. A site was laid off by John Sebastian, a representative of the railroad company. In the autumn a town company was formed, with H. D. ALbright as president, and in the spring of the next year the town was laid out. A postoffice was established about the same time, with George W. Sweesy as postmaster. It was made a money order postoffice in 1877. The first religious services were held in the Sweesy house in the spring of 1873. The first marriage was between O. Y. Hart and Mary J. Collier, in 1873, the first birth was a child of David Eckert in 1874, and the first death, which occurred the same year, was that of John Ashford, who "died with his boots on." A school house was built in the winter of 1873-74, and the first school teacher was Laura Belle Walker. The first newspaper was the Zurheimath, published in the German language, the initial number of which was issued on June 6, 1876, by the Western Publishing company, with David Goerz as editor. The first number of the Independent was issued in 1881.

Halstead was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1877 and the election for officers was held in March of that year. The officers chosen were: Mayor, H. H. McAdams; police judge, James Ryan; councilmen, C. S. Brown, O. Y. Hart, John Lehman, J. E. Ruthand and M. S. Ingalls. Those appointed were: Clerk, G. E. Terry; treasurer, W. M. Tibbot; marshal, W. C. Hinkle. In the latter '70s and in the early '80s Halstead enjoyed a substantial growth. Large mills and elevators were built, and business enterprises, including the Bank of Halstead, with a capital of $100,000, were organized on a large scale.