Editing Ellsworth County, Kansas (section)

==History==
[[File:Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Ellsworth County.png|thumb|left|1915-1918 Railroad Map of Ellsworth County]]

===Early history===
{{See also|History of Kansas}}

From the 16th century to 18th century, the [[Kingdom of France]] claimed ownership of large parts of [[North America]] both east and west of the Mississippi River. In 1762, after losing the [[French and Indian War]] to Great Britain, France secretly ceded [[New France]] to [[Spain]], per the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]]. In 1763 France ceded its territories east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain.

It regained the western territory under [[Napoleon]], who sold it in 1803 to the United States in the [[Louisiana Purchase]]. He had decided to get rid of the New World territories after failing to regain control of [[Saint-Domingue]], where a slave rebellion had toppled colonial control. In 1804 [[Haiti]] declared independence as the second republic of the Western Hemisphere.

The Plains Indians retained control of much of their territory until the late 19th century, giving way finally before superior United States arms and technology. Their territories were invaded by settlers, and crossed by the development of improved routes for settlers' emigrant wagon trains to the West Coast, followed by more permanent construction of transcontinental railroads. These brought tens of thousands of settlers to the Plains.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

===19th century===
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for [[History of Kansas|modern day Kansas]] was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile [[Louisiana Purchase]] for 2.83 [[Penny (United States coin)|cents]] per [[acre]].

In 1854, the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized; and in 1861 [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]].  '''Ellsworth County''' was established February 26, 1867. The county was named after the old [[Fort Ellsworth]], named in honor of 2nd Lieutenant Allen Ellsworth of the 7th Iowa Cavalry (Company H), who supervised construction of the fort in 1864 during the [[American Civil War]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n117 118]}}</ref> On November 17, 1866, the fort was renamed [[Fort Harker (Kansas)|Fort Harker]] in honor of General [[Charles Garrison Harker]] who had died on June 27, 1864, from wounds received in an abortive offensive action in the [[Battle of Kennesaw Mountain]]. The fort was subsequently moved to a new site about one mile to the northeast, and the old fort's remaining buildings were ordered torn down in June 1867.{{citation needed|date=March 2011}}

On March 22, 1869, Fourteen [[Pawnee people|Pawnee Indians]], including scouts who had been honorably discharged after working for the army, were traveling through Ellsworth County when they ran into U.S. cavalry troops. Though the Pawnees had discharge papers from the army, a fight ensued. The Indians retreated to a sandstone cave, known today as Palmer's Cave. Their attackers set fire to grass at the cave's entrance, and six to nine Pawnees were killed as they ran out. The others died from exposure without their possessions. A few days later, the post surgeon at nearby [[Fort Harker (Kansas)|Fort Harker]], in today's town of [[Kanopolis, Kansas|Kanopolis]], removed six heads from their bodies, and shipped them to the Army Medical Museum in Washington, D.C., for cranial study.<ref>{{Cite book|title=An Unspeakable Sadness: The Dispossession of the Nebraska Indians|last=Wishart|first=David|publisher=U of Nebraska Press|year=1994|pages=182, 183}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/painting-symbolizes-dark-chapter-kansas-history-one-youve-likely-never|title=Spencer Painting Symbolizes Dark Chapter of Kansas History Few Have Ever Read|date=January 27, 2017|newspaper=Kansas Public Radio|access-date=February 13, 2017|language=en}}</ref>

In the later 19th century, this area became known for cattle ranching and cattle drives. Town life was often riotous with cowboys celebrating after long drives.