Cowley County, Kansas
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 27 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1973. Most listings are in or near Winfield, Arkansas City, Rock.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Kansas is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Cowley titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP18 of 27 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
27 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas City Commercial Historic District | Arkansas City | 1983 |
| Arkansas City Country Club Site | Arkansas City | 1978 |
| Bryant School | Winfield | 2017 |
| Bucher Bridge | Rock | 1985 |
| Coffin, W.H., House | Winfield | 2003 |
| Cowley County National Bank Building | Winfield | 1983 |
| Cowley County National Bank Building (Boundary Increase) | Winfield | 2021 |
| East Badger Creek Culvert | Winfield | 2015 |
| Esch's Spur Bridge | Dexter | 1985 |
| First Presbyterian Church | Winfield | 2025 |
| Grace Methodist Episcopal Church | Winfield | 2005 |
| Hackney, W. P., House | Winfield | 1973 |
| Magnolia Ranch | Winfield | 1973 |
| Old Arkansas City High School | Arkansas City | 1974 |
| Pettit Cleaners Building | Winfield | 2005 |
| Pilgrim Congregational Church | Arkansas City | 2005 |
| Silver Creek Bridge | Winfield | 1987 |
| Spring Creek Stone Arch Bridge | Arkansas City | 2023 |
| St. John's Lutheran College Girls Dormitory | Winfield | 2002 |
| St. John's Lutheran College-Baden Hall | Winfield | 2011 |
| Strother Field Tetrahedron Wind Indicator | Winfield | 2015 |
| Weigle Barn | Burden | 2016 |
| West Dormitory-St. John's College | Winfield | 1991 |
| Wilmer House | Winfield | 2008 |
| Winfield Fox Theatre | Winfield | 2022 |
| Winfield National Bank Building | Winfield | 2012 |
| Winfield Public Carnegie Library | Winfield | 1988 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBCowley was formed in 1867 (1867-02-26) from Butler.
COWLEY created from BUTLER.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusCowley County population from 1860 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158 | 21,538 | 30,156 | 35,155 | 38,139 | 36,905 | 37,861 | 36,824 | 36,291 | 34,549 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS43 cemeteries and 3 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 43 of 43 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Akron Cemetery |
| Brookshire Cemetery |
| Burden Cemetery |
| Cedar Creek Cemetery |
| Cowley County Poor Farm Cemetery |
| Dexter Cemetery |
| Glen Grouse Cemetery |
| Gospel Ridge Cemetery |
| Grand Prairie Cemetery |
| Griffith Cemetery |
| Highland Cemetery |
| Hope Cemetery |
| Kansas Veterans' Cemetery at Winfield |
| Liberty Cemetery |
| Maple City Cemetery |
| Memorial Lawn Cemetery |
| Mount Vernon Cemetery |
| Mount Vernon Cemetery |
| Mount Zion Cemetery |
| Ninnescah Cemetery |
| Parker Cemetery |
| Patton Cemetery |
| Pleasant Valley Cemetery |
| Prairie Ridge Cemetery |
| Red Bud Cemetery |
| Riverview Cemetery |
| Rock Creek Cemetery |
| Rose Valley Cemetery |
| Saint Mary's Cemetery |
| Salem Cemetery |
| Silver Creek Cemetery |
| Silverdale Cemetery |
| South Bend Cemetery |
| Springside Cemetery |
| Stalter Cemetery |
| Star Valley Cemetery |
| Tannehill Cemetery |
| Timber Creek Cemetery |
| Tisdale Cemetery |
| Udall Cemetery |
| Union Cemetery |
| Widener Cemetery |
| Windsor Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 3 of 3
| Name |
|---|
| Eschs |
| Glen Grouse |
| Pleasant Valley |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Cowley County, Kansas
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