Cowley County takes its name from Matthew Cowley, First Lieutenant in Company I, Ninth Kansas Cavalry, who died in service at Little Rock, Ark., in August, 1864. It was carved out of Hunter County by the Legislature of 1867, which defined it as running thirty-three miles north from a point on the south line of the State, 103 miles west of the State line, and extending thirty-four and a half miles west. Source: Cutler's History of the State of Kansas
County Seat: Winfield
Date organized:1870
County History:
Historic Landmarks, State, National:
- The Pilgrim Congregational Church in Ark City, Kansas
- The Wilmer House,in Winfield, Kansas
- St. John's Lutheran College-Baden Hall, Winfield, Kansas
- St. John's Lutheran College Girls Dormitory, Winfield, Kansas
- The Cowley County National Bank Building, in Winfield, Kansas
County Historical Society:
Cowley County Historical Society and Museum
Websites about the county: