Peketon County, Kansas Territory facts for kids
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Peketon County was a special area of land in the United States Territory of Kansas. It existed for a short time, from 1860 to 1865. Even though it was called a "county," it was never fully set up with its own local government.
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What Was Peketon County?
Peketon County was created in 1860. A person named S. N. Wood helped pass a law to make it official. This law said that all the land west of a certain line (the sixth principal meridian) and south of Township 16 in Kansas Territory would become Peketon County.
Where Was Peketon County Located?
The land for Peketon County was very large. It was south of Saline County and west of Marion County. To the south, it touched the border of Indian Territory. To the west, it reached the border of New Mexico Territory, which was near the 103rd meridian west.
Why Did Peketon County Change?
In 1860, the Republican Party won the presidential election. After this, the United States Congress decided to make Kansas a state. This happened with a law called the Kansas Act of Admission.
How Kansas Becoming a State Affected Peketon County
When Kansas became a state, some parts of the Kansas Territory were not included in the new state. This included the western part of Peketon County. These parts were then given to the new Territory of Colorado.
The Creation of Colorado Territory
On February 28, 1861, the Territory of Colorado was officially formed. This new territory was created to govern the land that was no longer part of Kansas. It also included land from the Territory of New Mexico, the Territory of Utah, and the Territory of Nebraska. On November 1, 1861, the new government of Colorado created 17 counties within its borders.
When Did Peketon County Disappear?
Peketon County was officially removed from the records on February 17, 1865. It was never fully organized with its own local government or officials.
New Counties from Peketon County Land
Two years later, in 1867, 15 new counties were created from the land that used to be Peketon County. These new counties were:
- Barber
- Barton
- Comanche
- Ford
- Harper
- Hodgeman
- McPherson
- Ness
- Pawnee
- Pratt
- Reno
- Rice
- Rush
- Sedgwick
- Stafford
More counties were also formed from the former Peketon County land in 1873.
