Phillipsburg, the county seat of Phillips county, is an incorporated city on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R., and is centrally located in the county. It has waterworks, a fire department, a flour mill, a grain elevator, an opera house, 2 banks, 2 weekly newspapers (the News-Dispatch and the Post), daily stage to Marvin, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with five rural routes. The population in 1910 was 1,302.

The town was laid out in 1872, just prior to the organization of the county, and became the county seat. In 1873 the postoffice was established, and the next year it was made a money order postoffice. The first school was taught and the first term of court held in 1873. In 1880 the town was organized as a city of the third class, and the following were the first officers: Mayor, H. L. Sprague; city marshal, William Featherly; clerk, E. Korns; councilmen, C. H. Leffingwell, G. A. Spaulding, F. A. Dutton, D. B. Bailey and Frank Strain. The town was visited by a severe electrical storm in 1882 which destroyed $12,000 worth of property.