Brief
History from Kansas State Historical
Society:
Osage County was created
as Weller County as one of the first 33
counties created by the Territorial
Legislature. The county
was named for Senator John Weller of
California, a pro slave supporter. Because
of his political leanings the county name
was changed to Osage for the Indian
tribe when the county was organized on
February 11, 1859. The county contains the
cities of Quenemo, Burlingame,
Overbrook, Melvern, Olivet, Osage,
Carbondale, Scranton and Lyndon.
The crossing of the Santa
Fe Trail through the county near the 110
Mile Creek Crossing, and the coming of the
railroads all
contributed to the settlement of the
county. The arrival of reserved Indians in
the county, and their ultimate removal in
the
1870s were major events in the
county and the state. The construction of
two federal lakes, Pomona and Melvern, in
the
county were major factors in the
development of tourism and manufacturing,
made possible by the fresh water supply
and
the flood control protection.
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