Arapahoe County was a county of Kansas Territory in the United States that existed from August 25, 1855, until Kansas's admission into the Union on January 29, 1861.
Arapahoe County was a county of Kansas Territory in the United States that existed from August 25, 1855, until Kansas's admission into the Union on January 29, 1861.
On August 25, 1855, the Kansas Territorial Legislature created Arapahoe County to govern the western portion of Kansas Territory (in what is now Colorado). The county was named for the Arapaho Nation of Native Americans that lived in the region.
In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, precipitating the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. To provide local government for the gold mining region, the Kansas Territorial Legislature split Arapahoe County into six counties on February 7, 1859: a much smaller Arapahoe County, Broderick County, El Paso County, Fremont County, Montana County, and Oro County. None of these six counties were ever organized. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the territorial government, which was seated nearly 600 miles away, and they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859.
Following the Republican Party election victories in 1860, the United States Congress admitted Kansas to the Union on January 29, 1861. [1] The Kansas Act of Admission excluded the portion of the Kansas Territory west of the 25th meridian west from Washington from the new state, and Arapahoe County and the rest of this region reverted to unorganized territory.
On February 28, 1861, Colorado Territory was organized out of the present borders of the State of Colorado to govern this unorganized territory and adjacent areas of New Mexico Territory, Utah Territory, and Nebraska Territory. [2] The new Colorado General Assembly organized 17 counties on November 1, 1861, including a new Arapahoe County.
Another Arapahoe County existed in southwestern Kansas around 1880, when its population was included in the Federal census of that year, but it was never organized. It became defunct in 1883 and its former area was established in 1887 as Haskell County, Kansas.
Arapahoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, its population was 655,070, making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Littleton, and the most populous city is Aurora. The county was named for the Arapaho Native American tribe, who once lived in the region.
The Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed in the Pike's Peak mining region from October 24, 1859, until it yielded to the new Territory of Colorado on June 6, 1861. The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and third United States president Thomas Jefferson, included land officially part of the Kansas Territory, the Nebraska Territory, the New Mexico Territory, the Utah Territory, and the Washington Territory, but the region was remote from the governments of those five territories.
Jefferson County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861. Its territory covered a broad swath surrounding the region of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, and was a functioning democratically elected government until the organization of the Territory of Colorado in 1861. At that time, the successor Jefferson County was permanently created, taking its name from its predecessor and incorporating the heart of its territory.
Broderick County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed for two years from February 7, 1859 to January 29, 1861. It was named for David C. Broderick, a California senator.
El Paso County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed for two years from February 7, 1859, to January 29, 1861.
Fremont County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed for two years from February 7, 1859, to January 29, 1861.
Montana County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed from February 2, 1859 to January 29, 1861, when Kansas joined the Union as a state.
Oro County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed from February 7, 1859 to January 29, 1861, when Kansas joined the Union as a state.
Peketon County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed from February 7, 1859 to January 29, 1861, when Kansas joined the Union as a state.
Arapahoe County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861. The county name was also spelled Arapaho County, Arapahoe County, Arrapahoe County, and Arappahoe County. The county seat was Denver City.
Cheyenne County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
El Paso County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861. The county seat was Colorado City.
Fountain County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
Heele County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861. It may also have been known as Steele County.
Jackson County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
Mountain County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
North County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
Park County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
Saratoga County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
St. Vrain's County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 28, 1859, until February 28, 1861.
