Welcome to Clark County

 Introduction

Clark County is part of the southernmost tier of counties in the southwest region of Kansas.  It is bordered by Oklahoma to the south, Ford County and Dodge City on the north, Meade County to the west and Comanche and Kiowa counties on the east.  The typography of Clark County is so varied as to include a plains area in the north merging into the Big Basin, a huge natural sinkhole, then the canyon region, and finally the beautiful, red dolomite cliffs in the south.  This county is primarily agricultural and depends on farming and cattle for its livelihood.

The county's historical significance begins with the Plains Indians and their dependence on the buffalo, the exploration of Coronado and his search for Quivera, the conflicts between the pioneers and the Indians in the Indian Wars, and the eventual pioneer settlements.  In the 1500's Coronado and his conquistadors were the first Europeans to travel through the county to the Arkansas River and northeast in their quest for gold.  After the Civil War the Homestead Act encouraged many from the East to search for land in Kansas.  This area was consequently the site of some violent clashes between Indians and soldiers sent to protect the pioneers. Clark County was also home to millions of buffalo until the early 1800's when the buffalo hunters' slaughter for hides eventually wiped out these massive animals and the Indians' important source of food and warmth.  The dusty Western Cattle Trail of the early 1800's passed through the county as cowboys herded their cattle from Texas to the railroads of Dodge City.  During this time St. Jacob's well in the Big Basin was an important watering hole for the pioneers and Indians as well as for the cowboys traveling north with their herds.  Several towns sprang up around this era, but the successful ones in the county, Ashland, Minneola, and Englewood, survived because of the railroads, and Ashland was chosen as the county seat.  The Clark County Historical Society was established in 1939 to preserve the early history of the county and its pioneers, and today these volumes of Kansas history are kept in the Pioneer-Krier Museum of Ashland.

What  you'll find here:

• Friendly Faces
• Beautiful Scenery
• Intriging History