Neosho

Formed June 3, 1861 (38^th county)

Neosho County (15,902), Erie (1,050), Chanute (8,735)

The white brick Modern courthouse was built in 1962.  It is located on a square surrounded by Main, 1^st, Butler, and 2^nd streets.  United States Highway 59 passes six blocks to the west of the location.  Kiene and Bradley provided the designs.  Memorial veteran walls are in front of the building.  Erie also hosted the 1904 courthouse but Osage Mission had the first courthouse.  Chanute has a supporting Judicial Center.  The county was created on June 3, 1861 as the 38^th county.  Neosho County is named for the Neosho River which is Native American for “clear water.”  Erie is named for a nearby lake. 

Neosho 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 Neosho, Allen, Wilson, and Woodson counties (judicial.) The county is in southeast Kansas.  Wichita, Kansas is west and Topeka, Kansas is north of the county.  The county center is 6 miles Northwest of Erie nearer Shaw.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Allen, Bourbon, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Wilson, and Woodson counties. 

The area of the county is 572 square miles.  It is 92 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 32 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 27.8 persons per square mile making it 30 out of 105 in the state.  Neosho County has 69.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 59 goes north to south through the eastern part of the county from Allen County to Labette County.  United States Highway 169 travels the western part of the county north to south from Allen County to Labette County.  A rectangular county has Erie in the eastern third.  Chanute is in the northwest corner of the county.  Erie is the county seat and Chanute is the largest city.  Erie is 6.6% of the county population while Chanute is 54.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced NEE-OE-SHOE.  The largest city is pronounced SHA-NOOT.

Thayer