Hugoton, the county seat and only incorporated city in Stevens county, is located a little southwest of the center of the county, about 28 miles northwest of Liberal and 23 miles north of Hooker, Okla., which is the nearest railroad town. Hugoton was founded in the latter part of 1885 and for a time had a promising growth. In 1887 bonds were voted for the construction of the Denver, Memphis & Atlantic railroad on condition that the line pass through Hugoton and that the road should be completed and in operation by June, 1888. In August of the same year an effort was made to build the Meade Center, Cimarron Valley & Trinidad railroad, the organizers of the company being Stevens county men. Both these projects failed of realization and consequently Hugoton failed to meet the anticipations of its promoters. In the summer of 1887 a stage line was started to Garden City. There are now daily stages to Liberal, Ulysses and Bartland. Hugoton has a bank, a money order postoffice, a weekly newspaper (the Hermes), telephone connections, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, and a number of general stores. It is one of the smallest county seats in the state, the population in 1910 being only 105.