Mitchell

Formed February 26, 1867 (56^th county)

Mitchell County (5,792), Beloit (3,402)

The clock tower of the 1901 yellow brick and stone Richardsonian Romanesque building provides the glamour.  The courthouse is on a square at Hersey, Main, Campbell, and Court streets.  Hersey Street is Kansas State Highway 14 in the town.  The courthouse architect is J. C. Holland.  The building features wooden stairs and screen doors. The county was established on February 26, 1867 from Native American Territory as the 56^th county with Beloit as the only county seat.  The county is named for Civil War hero Captain William Mitchell.  Beloit is named for Beloit, Wisconsin. 

Mitchell County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Mitchell, Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Republic, and Washington counties (judicial.) The county is in north Kansas.  Salina, Kansas is southeast and Topeka, Kansas is east of the county.  The county center is 7.7 miles West of Beloit.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jewell, Cloud, Ottawa, Lincoln, and Osborne counties. 

The area of the county is 700 square miles.  It is 69 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 59 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 8.3 persons per square mile making it 55 out of 105 in the state.  Mitchell County has 79.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 24 goes east to west in the county from Cloud County to Osborne County.  The county is a rectangle with Beloit in the northeast quarter of the county.  Beloit is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 58.7% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced BE-LOYT.

Simpson