Chetopa was named for Chief Chetopah, an Osage Indian chief who lived in the area and sold land for the city of Winfield, Kansas. Chetopa is the birthplace of Sam P. McBirney, football coach.
- CountyLabette County
- Population929 (2020 U.S. Census)
Chetopa was named for Chief Chetopah, an Osage Indian chief who lived in the area and sold land for the city of Winfield, Kansas. Chetopa is the birthplace of Sam P. McBirney, football coach.
Chetopa, Kansas gifts and souvenirs: 18 designs made from Chetopa's own map, landmarks and history, from $16 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Chetopa Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Chetopa Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Chetopa Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Chetopa Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Chetopa Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 3 styles
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
The community began as an Osage village, named after its Chief Chetopah, whose name in the Osage language signifies "four lodges." He was an advocate of peace, the leading chief of the Little Osage band, and one of the chief counselors of the Osage Nation.
The Osage had a large reservation in southern Kansas since the Osage Treaty of 1825. White settlers were not supposed to be in the area, but in 1847, a trading post to exchange goods with the Osage Nation was established by Larkin McGhee. By the time of McGhee's arrival, there were three other white families squatting there, plus two families with a white husband and a Cherokee wife at Chetopah. There were also many Osage on their reservation there.
Chetopah was the site of an early Civil War battle on September 18, 1861, between the 6th Kansas Cavalry under the direction of James G. Blunt and pro-slavery raiders led by John Allen Mathews, whose wife was an Osage and was culturally identified with the Osages.
The first post office in Chetopah was established in April 1867. In 1880, Postmaster J.M. Cavaness petitioned the removal of the ending "h" in the original spelling to become Chetopa.
Chetopa was the destination of the Nevada and Minden Railway, completed in 1886. The town attracted that line, which ran southwest from Nevada, Missouri through Pittsburg, Kansas, when it donated land for right-of-way and year/depot purposes. Much of the trackage has since been abandoned.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Chetopa, Kansas, revision 1376040425 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Chetopa sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
Chetopa's population was 929 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 1,125 in 2010.