Horace Greeley Influence

Several place-names in the county derive from New York Tribune founder and editor Horace Greeley (1811-1872), who supported Kansas entering the Union as a free state. He is also credited with coining the maxim, “Go West, young man.” The county itself bears his last name, a small town has his first name, the county seat of Tribune is named for his newspaper, and a short-lived town was named for his dog Hector. Another short-lived town was named for Greeley’s successor editor, Whitelaw.