Home :: About Junction City & Geary County

About Junction City and Geary County

The history of Junction City and Geary County is the story of optimistic settlers who developed a trading center for Fort Riley at what was known in 1858 as the western edge of civilization. Through hard work and innovative ideas, settlers from Germany, Scandinavia and the British Isles made the area productive, prosperous and progressive in agriculture, industry and service. Created in 1855 and originally named "Davis County," the name was changed to Geary in 1889 after the first territorial governor in Kansas.

Transportation played an important role in the early history of the county. The principal community, Junction City, was located at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers because it was believed that steamboats could navigate the Kansas River. Early military roads from Fort Riley to western outposts were connected with the Santa Fe Trail, Mormon Trail and Smoky Hill Trail that passed through Junction City. Its location indicated a great future as a wholesale and trans-shipping point as well as a great manufacturing center utilizing the abundant waterpower of the area. From an agricultural standpoint, its fertile valley farms, the near-by Flint Hills and the rising plains in the West pointed to a strong existence. The potential development of Junction City as a rail center gave added impetus to the hope for a future of greatness.

No matter if you are a settler in the 19th, 20th, or 21st century, your opportunity is here. With an appreciation for history—where we’ve been—and a pioneer’s excitement for what tomorrow can bring, we present you with a county with opportunity…to live, work and enjoy the quality of life in a very positive environment.

You will find Junction City/Geary County nestled in the heart of the rolling Flint Hills Country of Northeast Kansas (130 miles west of Kansas City) where US Highway 77 intersects Interstate 70. For a complete history of Geary County, call the Geary County Historical Society at (785) 238-1666.