When was Rooks County named for–and in honor of–Private John Calvin Rooks?
A. Rooks County was named on February 13, 1867. Q. Where did the naming of Rooks County take place? A. The naming of Rooks County took place at the State Capital in Topeka, Kansas when House Bill 91 became law. Q. What was House Bill 91? A. HB 91 was to name 26 counties in Kansas. Rooks County was number 24 of the 26. Rooks County was named after Private Rooks and is the only county in the state of Kansas named after a private. Q. How did the legacy of Private John Calvin Rooks come to be remembered by the Kansas State Legislature? A. The veterans of the Civil War came to Topeka, mostly as members of the legislature. The veterans had come to the Kansas Legislature for the passage of HB 91. The veterans witnessed and supported the naming of the 26 counties. Many of the counties were named as personal memorials to fallen comrades. At that time, Samuel Crawford was Governor, B. Plumb was Speaker of the House, and J.B. McAfee was Adjutant General. Q. Are there any records of the commemorat
