Historical Directory of Kansas Towns [O]

O'Brien--Miami; Perry O'Brien, pioneer;
Oak City--Seward; founded in 1887 on the SE1/4 of Sec. 9 west of
Liberal; P.O. May 1887 Ruby P. Cook as the first postmistress;
P.O. discontinued July 1888 and moved to Tyrone, OK; 

Oak Mills--Atchison; Walnut Township; located in Southeast corner of 
Atchison County; Missouri Pacific R.R.;
Oak Valley--Elk 

Oakland--
Oaklawn--

Oakley (Carlyle)--Logan; located near Monument Rocks, sometimes 
called the "Kansas Pyramids"; K.P. R.R.

Oberlin--Decatur; Western Kansas continued to have Indian
problems until the last Indian raid in Decatur County in 1878. 

Octagon City--Allen; 
Ogallah--Trego; K.P. R.R.;

Ogden--Riley; K.P. R.R.; 
   Ogden, Kansas found in Riley County. County of Riley was started in 1855.
   Name variant was Ogdensburg. Fort Riley is located just north of Ogden. 
   But, Ogden seems to disappear after the 1900's. 
   [Information contributed by Lynda Moon (lilmoon@webtv.net)]

Ohio City--Franklin; located on the Humboldt Trail; became the
county seat of Franklin County for a short time.  
Oil City--Butler; Oil City was named in 1877;
Oil Hill--Butler; 
Oil Valley--Butler; post office;

Oketo--Marshall; 

Olathe--Johnson; Santa Fe Trail; Elm Grove/Lone Elm campground
south of Olathe; founded in 1856/1857 and named after the Shawnee
expression for "beautiful."
Olpe--Lyon;  German name; Howard Branch of Santa Fe R.R.;


Omio--Jewell; located in eastern Jewell County; the town died as
Delta-Formoso was the beneficiary; there was once a small coal mine 
in Jewell County located about three miles south of Formoso just 
west of the former town of Omio;

Onaga--Pottawatomie; 
Opolis--Crawford; station on the S.L.&S.F. (Frisco) R.R.; 

Orion--Gove; 
Had post office, one room school, grocery store & gas station, 
and a dance hall. 
[Norma J. Finley (goldfin@pld.com) contributed this material]

Osaga--Bourbon; (see Fort Lincoln);
Osage City--Osage; A.T.S.F. R.R.; Santa Fe Trail
Osage Mission/St. Paul--Neosho; M.K.T. R.R.; 

Osawatomie--Miami; named after the Osage and Potowatomi Tribes;
Aug. 1856--John Brown and 40 defenders were attacked by about 400
pro-slavery Missourians.  

Osborne--Osborne; named for Vincent Osborne; Geodetic Center of the
United States;
Oskaloosa--Jefferson; Smoky Hill Trail;
Oswego--Labette; 1865 The first permanent settlers arrived;
1870's corner of 4th and Union Streets is the site of an old town
well/trading post that was established by John Mathews; M.K.T.
R.R.; S.L.S.F. R.R. 1877
Otego--Jewell;
Otis--Rush; Donator of land; 
Ottawa--Franklin; named after Ottawa tribe who ceded lands in OH
to U.S. in exchange for 34,000 acres 1832; Rev. Jotham Meeker
established Ottawa Baptist Mission summer 1837; town platted in
March 1864 on Marais Des Cygnes River;
Oursler--Marion; N. J. Oursler, postmaster

Overbrook--Osage; name came from Pennsylvania; located on a ridge 
separating the waters of the Wakarusa and the Marais des Cygnes; 
community was once a center for the mining of bituminous coal; 
Santa Fe Trail; 

Overland Park--Johnson; Located west of Kansas City.
Oxford--Sumner; 
Ozark Divide--Why was it named? In a pasture at one place 
the creek runs south and a creek a few feet away runs north. 
Ozawkie--Jefferson; town was moved when Lake Perry was built.