Wakeeney, the judicial seat of Trego county, is an incorporated city of the third class, located in the northern part of the county on the Union Pacific R. R. 254 miles west of Topeka. It has a handsome $40,000 court house, 2 banks, hotels, 2 weekly newspapers (the Independent and the World), tri-weekly stages to Bosna and Banner, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with two rural routes. All professions and all lines of retail trade are represented. The town is situated between the Saline and Smoky Hill rivers and is thus surrounded by rich bottom lands. It is a shipping point for live stock, grain and dairy products. The population in 1910 was 883, an increase of more than 200 per cent. over that of 1900. The town was founded in 1878 by James F. Keeney and Albert E. Warren, who purchased the land from the Kansas Pacific Railroad company. A station by the name of Trego, one mile to the west, was moved to the town site when it was located. The first building was erected by Peck & Ellsworth and used as a real estate office. A store was erected by C. P. Keeney. During the years 1878-79 there was a rush of new comers to Wakeeney. They came so fast that it was almost impossible to house them. New houses grew up over night and all the contractors had scores of buildings promised ahead. The immense crop of 1878 added to the craze and early in the spring of 1879 the town was jammed with people. Some very fine business blocks were erected and fitted up in metropolitan style with plate glass windows. One of these belonging to a Mr. Thorpe was burned down in Feb., 1880, and the loss was $40,000. The United States land office which had been established here in Oct., 1879, was burned out in the fire. The first newspaper was the Wakeeney World, established in 1879 by W. S. Tilton. The poor crops of 1880 caused a reaction and people left as fast as they had come, with the result that in 1882 all that was left of the business concerns was five poorly patronized retail stores. The population in 1890 was 439, and that of 1900 was 394.