By 1857 the survey had progressed so far that it was possible to bound the eastern counties by township and sectional lines. An act was passed February 20 correcting the boundaries of all counties established in 1855, except Marion, Washington and Arapahoe. (Laws of 1857, pp. 37-46.) The west line of Davis, Wise, Butler and Hunter was pushed four miles east of the line between ranges 4 and 5, east. The strip of land one mile wide and fourteen miles long, between Atchison and Calhoun counties, was detached from the former and given to the latter. The west line of Calhoun was placed eleven miles east of the former line, on the line between the first and second tiers of sections in range 12, east. The west boundary of Riley was moved eight miles west of the line formerly established to the line between the second and third tiers of sections in range 4 east, and the eastern boundary was changed to the Big Blue river. Pottawatomie county was created out of the territory between the Big Blue river and the west boundary of Calhoun. Washington, Clay and Dickinson counties were created with the boundaries they now have, except for eight sections which have since been detached from Morris and given to Dickinson on the east and half a section which has been included in Dickinson on the west. Pottawatomie, Dickinson, Franklin, Breckinridge and Jackson counties were organized.
During the year 1859 seven new counties were created and organized: Wyandotte out of that part of Leavenworth east of the east line of range 22 and that part of Johnson north of the north line of township 12 (General Laws of 1859, p. 362); Chase out of that part of Wise south of the south line of township 17 and that part of Butler north of the north line of township 22 (id. p. 361), and Montana, El Paso, Oro, Broderick, and Fremont, in the extreme western part of the territory, between the 104th meridian and the mountains. By the act which created these counties, Arapahoe was limited to the district between the 104th meridian and the line drawn north from the northeast corner of New Mexico (id. pp. 357-360).
Two minor changes were made in boundary lines during the year. The line between Davis and Wise was pushed nine miles north to the line between township 13 and 14 (id. p. 361). The line between Madison and Breckinridge was pushed from the center to the south line of township 19 (id. p. 357).
In consequence of the strong antislavery feeling which prevailed during the period of the border war, the names of several counties, given in honor of prominent proslavery men, were changed. Richardson was changed to Wabaunsee, Wise to Morris, and Calhoun to Jackson (id. pp. 376, 377, 572, 573).
Osage, Butler, Coffey and Wabaunsee counties were organized.
 Map I, 1855 includes origin of county names for those counties not existing in 1904. |
 Map II, 1857-'59 |
 Map III, 1860 |
 Map IV, 1861-1864 |
 Map V, 1865-1866 |
 Map VI, 1867 |
 Map VII, 1868 |
 Map VIII, 1869-1872 |
 Map IX, 1873 |
 Map X, 1874 |
 Map XI, 1875-1880 |
 Map XII, 1881, '82 |
 Map XIII, 1883,'84 |
 Map XIV, 1885 |
 Map XV, 1886-1892 |
 Map XVI, 1893-1904 |
Article Introduction |
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