Lyon County history collection

Abstract: The collection consists of assembled materials from various sources regarding the history of Lyon County, Kansas. It includes historical sketches and reminiscences, businesses' and other organizations' records, correspondence, scrapbooks, and other miscellaneous materials. Records and histories from businesses and other organizations include the Current Club of Emporia, Jolly Girls Club of Emporia, R.C. Williams Insurance, school districts, grocers, D.D. Williams & Co., etc. Topics include the Welsh in Emporia, Olpe, local families and individuals, Plymouth, the Welsh Auxiliary of the American Bible Society, Hartford, churches, etc. Also, No Surprises, A report to the Admire City Council on a survey of Admire residents, December 1, 2003 by Ann Birney and Dee Reid. Fred Harvey and his Emporia connections by Pierre Sutphin. The Fred Harvey ranch located in the bluestem hills of western Lyon County, Kansas. In the 1890s the ranch produced beef for the Harvey House system and Fred Harvey often made extended visits to the ranch, although it was never his permanent home. Sutphin gave the presentation at the William Allen White Series, February 22, 2015.

Administrative History: Lyon County in central Kansas was established on February 05, 1862. The area was originally known as Breckinridge County, which was organized in 1855 and named for John C. Breckinridge (1821-1875), congressman from Kentucky and subsequently vice-president of the United States under James Buchanan from 1857 to 1861. For a time, the new county was attached to Madison County (probably named for President James Madison), for "Civil/Criminal and Military Purposes." Columbia was designated as the county seat, but no county business was transacted. On February 17, 1857, Waterloo was declared the county seat.

About this same time, Breckinridge County was detached from Madison County, and in 1861 Madison County itself became defunct, its territory divided between Breckenridge and Greenwood Counties. Also, about this time, Americus was established and was a candidate for the county seat. With the election in the autumn of 1858, Americus was voted to become the county seat.

The south county line of Breckenridge was originally located at Logan Avenue in Emporia. Emporia, with aspirations to become the county seat, secured the southern county line three miles north of the town of Madison. Thus, Emporia became nearer the geographical center of the county. In the year of 1860, it was voted and Emporia carried 155 votes over Americus, to become the new county seat of Breckenridge County. With the secession of the South--and with Breckenridge's sympathies lying firmly with the rebellion--the residents of the county changed the name to Lyon in honor of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General killed in the Civil War. Lyon was killed during the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, on 10 Aug 1861.

Emporia is the largest city and county seat for Lyon County. Townships include Agnes City, Americus, Center, Elmendaro, Emporia, Fremont, Ivy, Jackson, Pike, Reading, and Waterloo.

[Kansas State Historical Society, "Kansas Counties – Lyon County, Kansas," http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/places/counties.php?county=LY (accessed June 25, 2009.)]

[Lyon County, "About Lyon County," http://www.lyoncounty.org/AboutLyonCounty.htm (accessed June 25, 2009.)]