Russell County, in the northwest section of the state, is in the third tier from the Nebraska line, and is the sixth county east from Colorado. It is bounded on the north by Osborne county: on the east by Lincoln and Ellsworth; on the south by Barton, and on the west by Ellis. The railroad was built throught[sic] the central part of the county in 1867, about the time the boundaries were first defined, and before there was a single settler. In 1868 the legislature again defined the boundaries and named the county in honor of Avra P. Russell of the Second Kansas cavalry. In July, 1869, A. E. Mathews settled near the eastern edge of the county for the purpose of mining coal. Early in that year a party of seven section hands working 3 miles west of Fossil were attacked by 25 Indians. The Indians were armed with native weapons and the white men had but two guns. They tried to escape on a handcar, but two of their number were killed and all but one wounded. The five were saved by a man named Cook, who came to their aid with a gun.
County Seat: Russell, Kansas
Date organized:1872
County History:
- Blackmar's Kansas Cyclopedia, Russel County
- Cutler's History of the state of Kansas, Russel County
- Russell County on Wikipedia
Historic Landmarks, State, National:
- National and State Register of Historic Places
- Garden of Eden
- Paradise Kansas Tower
County Historical Society:
Websites about the county:
- Russell County government
- City of Russell, Kansas | Facebook
- City of Gorham, Kansas
- City of Lucas, Kansas | Facebook
- City of Waldo, Kansas
- Bunker Hill, Kansas
