COFFEYVILLE, a city of Montgomery county, Kansas, U.S.A., on the Verdigris river, about 150 m. S. of Topeka and near the VI. 21 a southern boundary of the state. Pop. (1890) 2282; (1900) 4953, of whom 803 were negroes; (1905, state census) 13,196. Coffeyville is served by the Missouri Pacific, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and the Saint Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern railways, and by interurban electric railway to Independence. It is in the Kansas natural-gas field, ships large quantities of grain, and has a large zinc oxide smelter and a large oil refinery, and various manufactures, including vitrified brick and tile, flour, lumber, chemicals, window glass, bottles, pottery and straw boards. The municipality owns and operates its water-works and electric lighting plant. Coffeyville, named in honour of A. M. Coffey, who was a member of the first legislature of the territory of Kansas, was founded in 1869, but in 1871 it was removed about r m. from its original site, now known as "old town." It was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1872 and received a new charter in 1887. Coffeyville became a station on the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston railway (now part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe), and for several years large numbers of cattle were driven here from Indian Territory and Texas for shipment; in fact, the city's chief importance was as a trade centre for the north part of Indian Territory until natural gas was found here in large quantities in 1892.
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