Chautauqua

Formed March 25, 1875 (91^st county)

Chautauqua County (3,383), Sedan (1,004)                

A red brick and stone Classical Revival courthouse is in Sedan built in 1917.  After the county was organized on March 25, 1875, there was an 1875 courthouse also in Sedan, the only county seat.  Chautauqua County was carved from the former Howard County as the 91^st county.  The building sits on a square Chautauqua, Cherokee, Montgomery, and Elm streets.  Kansas State Highway 99 is one block to the south of the courthouse.  The building architect is George P. Washburn and Son.  The county is named for Chautauqua County, New York.  The county seat is named for Sedan, France. 

Chautauqua County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges serve Chautauqua and Montgomery counties (judicial.) The county is in the south on the Oklahoma border.  Tulsa, Oklahoma is southeast and Wichita, Kansas is northwest of the county.  The county center is 7.4 miles Northwest of Sedan.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Elk and Montgomery counties and Oklahoma and Cowley County. 

The area of the county is 642 square miles.  It is 77 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 78 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.3 persons per square mile making it 72 out of 105 in the state.  Chautauqua County has 54.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 166 travels east to west through the county from Montgomery County to Cowley County.  The county is a rectangle.  Sedan is south and east of center in the county.  Sedan is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced CHA-TA-KWA.