County seat war

A county seat war is an American phenomenon that occurred mainly in the Old West as it was being settled,^[1] although similar incidents elsewhere, such as in southeastern Ohio, have also been recorded.^[2] As new towns sprang up and county lines were drawn, there was intense competition for the status and tax benefits bestowed by becoming a county seat. These "wars" often involved nothing more than lining up at the ballot box, but sometimes partisans for a particular town would resort to voter fraud, intimidation or violence.

History

The fight between Coronado and neighboring Leoti in western Kansas is considered the bloodiest occurrence of this phenomenon. Another violent county seat war in Kansas resulted in the Hay Meadow Massacre in Stevens County.

Another Kansas county seat war resulted in the dissolution of a county. Eminence and Ravanna fought over the privilege of being the county seat for Garfield County. When people in the county suggested the county be surveyed, it was found that it was too small to be a legal county under a Kansas law established in the late 19th century (Wyandotte County had been founded before this law was passed). Garfield County was dissolved and annexed into Finney County, which is why that county has a panhandle.

See also

• Railroad Wars
• Sheep Wars
• Coal Wars
• Range war

References

External links

• West Virginia newspaper clips about county seat wars

Gunfights and feuds in the Old West
Gunfights	Gunfight at Hide Park Goingsnake Massacre Battle of Bates Point Gunfight at Blazer's Mill Battle of Lincoln (1878) Variety Hall Shootout Mussel Slough Tragedy Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight Guadalupe Canyon Massacre Battle of the Plaza Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Trinidad Gunfight Vaudeville Theater Ambush Hunnewell Gunfight Frisco Shootout Battle of Cimarron Battle of Stone Corral Battle of Tres Jacales Battle of Ingalls Gunfight at Morenci Blackwell Gunfight Shootout on Juneau Wharf Hot Springs Gunfight Shootout at Wilson Ranch Gunfight in Moab Battleground Gunfight Chinese Massacre Cove Big Fight at the Jenkins Saloon Thibodaux massacre Gunfight at Spokogee Canyon Diablo Shootout Shootout in Benson Naco Gunfight Battle of Eufaula Shootout in Sonoratown Gleeson Gunfight Power's Cabin Shootout Skeleton Canyon shootout
Duels and Showdowns	Sandbar Fight Hickok–Tutt Shootout Duels of Jim Levy Duels of Tom Carberry Short–Courtright Shootout Bull–Peel Duel Mart Duggan Duel Long Branch Saloon Gunfight South Pass Shootout Walker-Graham Duel Anderson-McCluskie Duel Burton Mossman Duel Silks-Fulton Duel Murder of Charles S. Gunn Western Code Duello
Feuds	Railroad Wars County seat war Tutt–Everett War Regulator–Moderator War Lincoln County War Lee–Peacock feud Sutton–Taylor feud Horrell–Higgins feud Brooks–Baxter War Colorado Railroad War Earp Vendetta Ride Dodge City War Las Cuevas War Flynn–Doran feud Gray County War Jaybird–Woodpecker War Enid–Pond Creek Railroad War Brooks–McFarland Feud Reese–Townsend feud McIntosh County Seat War Deschutes Railroad War Boyce–Sneed Feud Placer County Railroad War Bellevue War Colorado Labor Wars Idaho labor strike
Range wars	Johnson County War Mason County War Pleasant Valley War Castaic Range War Colorado Range War Colfax County War San Elizario Salt War Bandit War Fence Cutting Wars Sheep Wars Sheepshooters' War Stuart's Stranglers Hashknife Outfit Deep Creek Murders Spring Creek Raid
Robberies	Jonathan R. Davis Gunfight Northfield Bank Robbery Skeleton Canyon massacres Battle of Coffeyville Canyon Diablo Train Robbery Wham Paymaster Robbery Black Bart Robberies Fairbank Train Robbery Gage Train Robbery Big Springs Robbery Overland Flyer Train Robbery Baxter's Curve Train Robbery Jarbidge Stage Robbery
See also	Gunfighter Cowboy Lexington murders Bisbee massacre Hay Meadow massacre Rock Springs massacre Morewood massacre
Further information: List of Old West gunfights, List of Old West gunfighters, and List of Old West lawmen