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Was organized in 1853, and is in the fourth tier of counties from the southern line of the State, and the second east of the Missouri River. It is bounded on the north by Crawford, on the east by Audubon, on the south by Cass and Pottawattamie, and on the west by Harrison. It is watered principally by the West Nishnabotany and its tributaries, which, with many never-failing springs, give it the character of a well-watered county.

It is principally prairie, which is generally high and rolling, sometimes approaching to bluffs near the streams. It has a fair proportion of good timber in the central and southern parts, along the streams, but the northern part is destitute of timber, excepting in the northwest corner, which contains about fifteen square miles of good timber. There is some water power on the streams.

HARLAN, a small post village in the centre of the county, on the Nishabotany River, is the county seat.

Botany, Manteno, and Shelbyville, are the other post offices and villages of the county.

Was organized in 1860. It is on the western boundary of the State, the second county from the northern boundary line. It is bounded on the north by Lyon County, on the east by O'Brien, on the south by Plymouth, and on the west by Nebraska. It has but few settlers, and there is as yet a large quantity of vacant Congress land, of good quality. The bottom lands on the Big Sioux lie generally beyond the reach of overflow, and are of the best character. There is considerable rough lands, and some gravelly and sandy knolls dispersed through the county, gravelly near Rock River, in the northwestern part, and sandy loam in the south part of the county.

CALLIOPE is the county seat.

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