Miami County, Kansas Miami County is situated in East Central Kansas. It is one of the fastest growing counties in terms of population in the state of Kansas for about 30,969 in 2006. The most populous city and also the seat county is Paola. It is a part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. History The county was initially created in 1855 as Lykins County after Dr. David Lykins. Dr Lykins was a Baptist missionary to the Native American Indian tribes and construct a school for them which is now the rural Miami County. Dr Lykins also became a member of the territorial council and a proslavery. In 1861 of January, anti-slavery forces had been set up as dominant and Kansas became a union as a free state. Dr. Lykins’s as a pro slavery, the county changed its name to Miami County on June 3, 1861. The name was derived from a Native American tribe that settled in the area which is Miami. A large deposit of natural gas was discovered in rural Miami County in 1882. Other areas in Miami County also discovered natural gas and the area were considered a gas belt in 1887. Natural Gas Jubilee was held in the summer of 1887 which is a celebration of the use of natural gas. Geography The county has a total area of 590 square miles which the land area composes of 577 square miles and 13 square miles of water. Demographics In 2009, the county has an estimated 30,969 and considered third fastest growing population in the state. The racial composition composed of 95.96% White; other races such Black, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander and other races compose the remaining population. Townships The county is divided into thirteen townships. Cities of Louisburg, Osawatomie, Paola and Spring Hills are governmentally independent and excluded in the townships. |