Early history Indigenous peoples inhabited and hunted in this area for thousands of years. By 1750, the
Osage had become a dominant tribe in the area. About one third belonged to the band led by Chief
Black Dog (
Manka - Chonka). Before 1800 they made the Black Dog Trail starting east of
Baxter Springs, Kansas and heading southwest to their summer hunting grounds at the
Great Salt Plains in present-day Alfalfa County. The Osage stopped at the springs, which attracted migratory birds and varieties of wildlife, for its healing properties on their way to hunting on the plains. The Osage name for this fork of the Arkansas River was
Nescatunga (big salt water), what European-Americans later called the
Salt Fork. The Osage cleared the trail of brush and large rocks, and made ramps at the fords. Wide enough for eight men riding horses abreast, the trail was the first improved road in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Pre-statehood The treaties of 1828 and 1835 placed what would later become Alfalfa County within the
Cherokee Outlet, which was owned by the
Cherokee Nation. Ranching became the primary economic activity from 1870 to 1890; cattle companies that belonged to the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association leased grazing land from the Cherokee. Prominent rancher,
Major Andrew Drumm operated the "U Ranch" here as early as 1870. Its headquarters were southeast of
Driftwood on the
Medicine Lodge and
Salt Fork rivers. He promoted creation of this county.
Statehood years onward The city of
Cherokee was designated as the county seat after being chosen by voters in an election held in January 1909. Other towns receiving votes for the honor were
Carmen,
Ingersoll, and
Jet. Early railroad construction, from the Choctaw Northern line (1901), the
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient (1901), the
Arkansas Valley and Western (1904), and the
Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad Company (1904), contributed greatly to the county's early prosperity and caused many small towns to flourish. They would compete as wheat-shipping points and
agribusiness centers for many years thereafter. However, by 2000 only one rail line, the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, served the county. Petroleum exploration and production has been a contributor to Alfalfa County's economy since the time of statehood. Agricultural pursuits, including wheat farming and livestock raising, were major contributors to Alfalfa County's economy during the twentieth century. Small-scale agriculture in its early years supported dozens of towns and dispersed rural communities, many of which no longer exist as a result of transportation and economic changes. After construction of railroads, those towns bypassed by rail service, such as Carroll, Carwile, Keith, and Timberlake, did not prosper for long. Restructuring of the railroad industry in the late 20th century resulted in abandonment of other lines, and towns such as Ingersoll and Driftwood, for example, had declining populations that made it difficult to sustain educational and city services. Ingersoll (founded 1901) peaked in 1910 with 253 inhabitants and Driftwood (founded 1898) in 1930 with 71. By 1980, neither of these towns was still incorporated.
Aline,
Amorita,
Burlington,
Byron, Carmen, Cherokee, Goltry,
Helena, Jet, and
Lambert remained incorporated as of 2000. ==Economy==