Johnson County, Kansas: A Brief Historical Sketch

West building of the Methodist Shawnee mission

Color postcard of the exterior of the West building of the Methodist Shawnee mission. Courtesy Johnson County Museum Collection on JoCo History

New JoCoHistory Blog

Johnson County’s earliest history is hazy at best. When the first white settlers reached the area, the Kaw were living to the North and Northwest, and the Osage were living to the South. The Native American population of Johnson County was nomadic and small. The white settlers arrived around 1700. They were French traders ascending the Missouri and its smaller tributaries such as “la Riviere de l’Eau Bleu” – the Blue River. The French phase of this region’s history is only now beginning to receive attention. Read the full article on the JoCoHistory blog »