Crawford County was organized in 1867, the county seat is Girard. This county was, by act of the legislature of 1867, created out of the northern half of Cherokee, which prior to that date reached to Bourbon. It was named in honor of Samuel J. Crawford who was elected Governor in 1864, and served nearly four years. The Legislature named the county in obedience to a resolution passed in convention, held to petition for its organization. Governor Crawford resigned in October, 1868, to become Colonel of the Nineteenth Kansas Cavalry, specially raised to for the Indian War of 1868-69. He served as Captain in the Second Kansas Infantry, and was Colonel of the Second Kansas Regiment Colored Volunteer Infantry during the war for the Union.