Oskaloosa, the county seat of Jefferson county, is located southeast of the center of the county on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads, 28 miles northeast of Topeka. It has a $20,000 court-house, a high school, churches of nearly every denomination, and all lines of business are represented. There are banks, newspapers, a saw and grist mill, electric light plant, ice and canning factory, bridle bit factory, grain and produce are handled in large quantities, and there are express and telegraph offices and international money order postoffice with four rural routes.

Oskaloosa is one of the oldest towns of the county, having been settled by Dr. James Noble in Feb., 1855. A number of others came that year, among whom were Jesse Newell and Joseph Fitsimons. In 1856 Newell built a sawmill and Fitsimons opened a store. The same year these two platted the town and laid it out after the plan of Oskaloosa, Iowa, for which it was named. In 1857 a postoffice was established with Fitsimons as postmaster, a school house was built and a town company formed. In Oct., 1858, the county seat was located at Oskaloosa by a majority of 4 votes.

A rather singular invention was made by Samuel Peppard, an Oskaloosa man, in 1860. It was a sailing wagon, weighing about 350 pounds and equipped with a sail 9 by 11 feet raised over the front axle. The steering apparatus was attached to the front and it moved along with the wind, sometimes at the rate of 15 miles an hour. A party consisting of Peppard, Steve Randall, J. T. Forbes and Gid. Coldon started to Pike's Peak in the vehicle, but were struck by a whirlwind when within 100 miles of Denver, the wagon being demolished and the occupants injured.

Oskaloosa was incorporated as a town on Aug. 27, 1869, by Judge J. F. Bliss in response to a petition from the citizens, and the following trustees were elected: John B. Johnson, John N. Insley, George W. Hogeboom, John D. Roberts and Terry Critfield. It is now a city of the third class and in 1910 reported a population of 851.