Hays, the county seat of Ellis county, is located a little south of the center of the county at the point where the Union Pacific R. R. crosses Big creek. In early days it was known as Hays City, and that name is still sometimes used. The site was selected late in 1866 by W. F. Webb, W. J. Wells and Judge Knight, and the town was platted in 1867. Its location was decided in a great measure by its proximity to Fort Hays, from which it took its name. Hays was the point from which the west and southwest obtained supplies before the railroad was completed to Dodge City. During its early period it had the reputation of being a "tough" town, and it was the scene of numerous escapades of J. B. Hickok (Wild Bill) in the late '60s. The growth of Hays was rapid from the start. In 1867 a newspaper called the Railway Advance began its existence there, the Hays City Times was started in 1873, and the Sentinel followed the next year. In Aug., 1874, a United States land office was opened there, the Catholics built the first church in the city in 1877, and in 1880 the first grain elevator was erected. (See also Ellis County.)

The Hays (or Hays City) of 1911 is one of the progressive cities of western Kansas. It has an electric lighting plant, waterworks, a fire department, a telephone exchange, and in the spring of 1911 completed a sewer system at a cost of $62,000. Educational opportunities are afforded by an excellent system of public schools and St. Joseph's College, a Catholic institution. The western State Normal School is also located here, and a branch of the experiment station is maintained on the old military reservation. Among the industries and financial institutions are 2 banks, 3 weekly newspapers (the News, the Free Press and the Review-Headlight), flour mills, grain elevators, machine shops, marble works, a creamery, good hotels, and a number of well stocked mercantile establishments which carry all lines of goods. Hays is provided with an international money order postoffice, telegraph and express offices, and in 1910 reported a population of 1,931.