Osage City, the largest town in Osage county, is located at the junction of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri Pacific railroads, 8 miles west of Lyndon, the judicial seat. It has two weekly newspapers, banking facilities, an opera house, electric light plant, creamery, hotels, and all lines of mercantile enterprises are represented. There are a number of churches and good schools. The town is supplied with express and telegraph facilities, and being the railroad center of the county has superior shipping advantages. It is the most important coal mining town in this section of the state, and produces flagstone and ochre in commercial quantities. The population of Osage City, according to the census report of 1910, was 2,432.

The town was platted in Dec., 1869, after the route of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. had been fixed. T. J. Peter, superintendent of that road, and John N. Witherell, who owned a part of the site, were the principal promoters. The first buildings were erected at once and the year 1870 saw a large growth in the new town. The first store was opened by Bothel & Ryus in January, and a hotel was built by John F. Dodds about the same time. In March the second store was opened by Drew & Playford and John A. Martin started a hardware store. A large two-story brick school house was built, but it was afterward blown down. The postoffice, which had been established at Onion creek in 1868, was moved to Osage City and the name changed in March. John F. Dodds was the first postmaster. The first coal mines were put into operation in the summer by the Osage Carbon and Coal Mining company. The town was incorporated as a city of the third class on April 1, 1872, and the first officers were: Mayor, John A. Martin; clerk and marshal, A. C. Sine; attorney, S. M. Barry; police judge, J. C. Williams; treasurer, T. J. Mathews; assessor, Samuel Reed; street commissioner, Samuel Slusser; councilmen, Samuel Slusser, W. H. Hobbs, Thomas Jenkins, T. J. Mathews and O. J. Sweadman. A severe windstorm swept the town in June, 1874, blowing down two churches, the school house and a number of barns and damaging several business houses and residences. In 1882 a general conflagration occurred which resulted in the destruction of business property to the extent of $35,000.