Riley County

Historically, Riley County was one of the first 36 counties organized by the first Kansas Territorial Legislature in 1855. Its boundaries have been changed many times, but since its1886 platte, it is distinctly noticeable as Kansas’ most irregular shape having its long, eastern border defined by the Big Blue River. Its earliest colony was settled by the New England Emigrant Aid Society selecting the townsite of Manhattan in 1855. The county was named in honor of Major Bennett Riley who commanded the first military escort on the Santa Fe Trail in 1829. Fort Riley, established at the junction of the Republican and Smoky Rivers, was named in his honor in 1853.

Today, Riley County still carries the history of its earliest settlers in the amazing limestone buildings, homes, and churches throughout the county. It is the home of Kansas State University academic excellence and Big 12 athletics. Tuttle Creek Reservoir, the state’s second largest reservoir offers endless outdoor recreation opportunities. Fort Riley Military Reservation occupies a vast number of acres in the western portion of the county where active military training is carried on daily as well as offering public availability to the historic buildings within the fort.