Homesteading in Gray County

Gray County, originally part of Ford County, was organized on July 20, 1887. It was named for Alfred Gray, who was Secretary of the Kansas Board of Agriculture. After a long dispute over the location of the county seat, the United States Supreme Court decided in 1899 that the permanent county seat would be in Cimarron, Kansas.  

The Santa Fe Trail passed through (what are now) the cities of Cimarron and Ingalls. This route was known as the Cimarron Crossing. Today the Cimarron Crossing Park is located in that area and contains markers filled with facts about the Santa Fe Trail. 

Sources

 "Gray County, Kansas." Gray County . N.p., 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Kansas Historical Society. "Gray County, Kansas." Kansapedia. Kansas Historical Society, July 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Paragraphs written by intern Holly Younger in 2012.