About This Site

What This Publication Covers

Think Miami County History is an independent editorial publication focused on the documented history of Miami County, Kansas — covering the county seat of Paola, the city of Osawatomie, and smaller communities including Louisburg, Fontana, and Spring Hill.

Topics range from the Civil War era and Bleeding Kansas to Native American history, railroad development, local architecture, genealogy resources, and notable people connected to the county.

Sources and Research Standards

Articles draw on primary and secondary sources including county historical records, newspaper archives, genealogical databases, Kansas State Historical Society collections, and published scholarship on regional Kansas history. Where possible, original sources and dates are cited within the text.

This publication does not represent any government body, historical society, museum, or institutional organization. It is an independent editorial project.

Miami County at a Glance

Miami County was established in 1855 at the height of the Bleeding Kansas period. The county seat, Paola, takes its name from a Peoria tribal leader. The county seat covers roughly 575 square miles in northeastern Kansas, bordered by Johnson County to the north and the Missouri state line to the east.

The region was home to the Osage, Miami (Myaamia), Peoria, and Potawatomi peoples before American settlement. The Trail of Death — the forced removal of Potawatomi from Indiana through Kansas — passed through what is now Miami County in 1838.

Contact

For corrections, source suggestions, or editorial inquiries, email [email protected]. Response times may vary.