About Brown County

Brown county is located in Northeast Kansas and has a population of 10,700. Hiawatha is the county seat. Other cities in Brown county include Everest, Fairview, Horton, Morrill and Robinson.

The Brown County Courthouse is located in Hiawatha along with many of the Brown County offices. You can learn more about the Brown County Government at http://www.brown.kansasgov.com.

History of Brown County

Brown county was organized in 1855. Hiawatha was incorporated in 1857 and became the Brown county seat in 1858. The county was named for Albert G. Browne, of Mississippi, who had been Senator and member of the House of Representatives from that state, was United States Senator at the date of the Act organizing Kansas Territory, was relected for six years in 1859, but withdrew with Jefferson Davis on the secession of the Southern states.  The name is properly spelled with an e in the original statute, but on the county seal the e was left off--accidently, probably. All later statues present the name without the final e.