Greenwood

Formed August 25, 1855 (11^th county)

Greenwood County (6,006), Eureka (2,328)

A glass and masonry Modern facility was erected in 1956.  The courthouse is on a square surrounded by Main, 3^rd, Oak, and 4^th streets.  The current facility replaced an 1873 nicer courthouse.  The courthouse was designed by Williamson-Loebsack and Associates.  United States Highway 54 is three blocks to the south of the building.  Greenwood County was an original county (11^th county) formed on August 25, 1855 with Eureka as the only county seat.  The county was named for United States Land Commissioner Alfred Burton Greenwood.  The county seat name is Greek for “I found it.” 

Greenwood County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Six District Court Judges serve Greenwood, Butler, and Elk counties.  The county is in southeast Kansas.  Wichita, Kansas is southwest and Topeka, Kansas is northeast of the county.  The county center is 12.8 miles Northeast of Eureka nearer Hamilton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lyon, Coffey, Woodson, Wilson, Elk, Butler, and Chase counties. 

The area of the county is 1140 square miles.  It is 5 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 57 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.3 persons per square mile making it 73 out of 105 in the state.  Greenwood County has 60.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 54 crosses east to west in the county from Woodson County to Butler County.  United States Highway 400 also travels east to west from Wilson County to Butler County.  The county is a rectangle with the northwest corner missing.  Eureka is southwest of the geographical center of the county.  Eureka is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 38.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced UE-REE-KA.

Virgil