Le Roy, one of the principal towns of Coffey county, formerly the county seat, is located 8 miles southeast of Burlington, the county seat, at the junction of two lines of the Missouri Pacific R. R. and is connected with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas at Le Roy Junction, a short distance west of Le Roy proper. Le Roy has banking facilities, a flour mill, a vitrified brick plant, weekly and semi-weekly newspapers, excellent schools and substantial church buildings, a number of first class stores, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with three rural routes. The population in 1910 was reported by the government census to be 861.

Le Roy was founded by Gen. John B. Scott, on land preëmpted for him by Frederick Troxel, who sold out his interest to Thomas Crabtree. The first house was built by Thomas Crabtree and Isaac Chatham in the fall of 1855. The first justice of the peace, John B. Scott, received his commission in that year. He was also the first postmaster. In 1857 Jerome A. and P. H. Smith opened a general store in a log building. The same year two sawmills were set up, one by Futhey, Harvey & Co., and the other by Smith & Murden. The former attached a flour mill to their plant in 1859. A hotel was built by a Mr. Fisk that year, and a good school house was built. A brick building was erected by Dr. George W. Nelson, the bricks having been burned by John Cottingham. Until 1870 Le Roy was the largest and best town in the county. The first newspaper (the Le Roy Pioneer) was published in 1866 by William Kent and William Higgins.