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Graham County, KS

Graham CountyGraham County was one of thirty-four counties created by the Legislature in 1867. It was named in honor of Captain L. Graham, Company D, Eighth Kansas Infantry, who was killed in action in Chickamauga, September 9, 1863. The area comprising Graham County was originally occupied by the Comanche tribe of Indians.

The Legislature in 1867 laid out the boundaries of Graham County, thirty miles square, making it one of the few "square" counties and giving it an area of 900 square miles.

The first white occupants of Graham County arrived in 1873 and 1874, and were herdsmen from Rooks and Norton Counties. The earliest homesteaders, largely from the middle west, settled along Bow Creek in the northeast corner of the county in 1877. The same year a colony of Negroes, many of the from Kentucky, was established at Nicodemus, near the eastern boundary of Graham County. They were attracted to the county by W.R. Hill, real estate dealer, after whom Hill City, the present county seat, was named. The first school and the first church in Graham County were established in Nicodemus in the winter of 1877-78.

In addition to Hill City, the county seat, there are two other incorporated towns, Morland and Bouge. There are also three unincorporated towns, St. Peter, Penokee and Nicodemus.

There are a number of small lakes in the county to provide excellent fishing with four major lakes within a one-hour drive. An abundance of quail, ducks, pheasants, turkey, and deer in the county provide sport for the hunter.

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First Baptist Church

Several structures in succession, all at the same location, housed the congregation of the First Baptist Church from its founding in 1877

Nicodemus, KS Historic Churches

Township Hall

Construction for the Township Hall started in 1934 as a Works Progress Administration Project (WPA) with completion and dedication in 1939

Nicodemus, KS Historic Buildings

Pratt Pony Bridge

The historic Pratt Pony Bridge was made in the early 1900s in Nebraska. It contains no bracing which let horses cross with less reluctance. It now resides in city park and is one of only two pratt bridges remaining.

Morland, KS Historic Bridges

St. Francis Hotel

The St. Francis Hotel is a significant example of the businesses in Nicodemus during its era of great prosperity. Built in 1881

Nicodemus, KS Historic Hotels

Graham County Historical Society & Museum

The purpose of the Graham County Historical Society is to discover and collect any materials pertaining to the history of this area. Archival resources include the following:

Hill City, KS Museums

GRAHAM COUNTY- 40,062 ACRES OF WALK-IN HUNTING!!!

GRAHAM COUNTY HAS 40,062 ACRES OF WALK-IN HUNTING ACREAGE!!!!!

Hill City, KS Hunting

Minium Fossil Quarry Mural

On the south side of Main Street is the beautiful facade of the Citizen'

Morland, KS Arts

Minium Fossil Quarry

Part of a National Geographic dig in 1985 - 86

Morland, KS Natural Attractions

Prairie Trails Golf Course

The golf enthusiast can enjoy a challenging 9-hole grass green municipal golf course on the east side of town. The course provides a nine-hole par 35

Hill City, KS Golf Courses

Cottonwood Ranch

In 1982 the State of Kansas purchased approximately twenty-three acres of the original Cottonwood Ranch. Today the Kansas State Historical Society administers the property as one of the state's best preserved historic sites which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places

, KS Historic Ranches

NSD #1 Schoolhouse

Nicodemus was the first community in Graham County, Kansas, to establish a school district and school. The existing school building was constructed in 1918

Nicodemus, KS Historic Schoolhouses

Cottonwood Ranch

State Historic Site In 1982 the State of Kansas purchased approximately twenty-three acres of the original Cottonwood Ranch. Today the Kansas State Historical Society administers the property as one of the state's best preserved historic sites. In the late 1800

Morland, KS Pioneer History

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