Ellis County, Kansas City of Rome

In May of 1867 the city of Rome was cofounded by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, famous scout and buffalo hunter and William Rose, a railroad contractor.  Rome is located one mile west of downtown Hays.

In June of 1867, the "Big Creek Land Company" surveyed and staked the town site of Hays City just one mile east of Rome.  By July of 1867, Rome had over 2,000 citizens.  Rome continued to grow until August.

When the Union Pacific Railroad Company completed a depot in Hays City, the town of Rome suddenly decreased in size.  When a cholera epidemic hit Rome in the late summer of 1867, almost all of the remaining residents moved out.  A marker stands at the site of what was once Rome, Kansas.  You can find the marker at the intersection of Rome Road and 12th Street.