Johnson County
Towns

Map showing the post offices of Johnson County

What Postal Zip Code Signifies - 1963

HOW BUFFALO'S MAIN STREET GOT ITS CURVE
(Sources: Various Buffalo Bulletin articles; submitted by Kari)

There are several legends about the curve to Buffalo's main street. One is that the street follows an old Buffalo trail. Here is another. This story is taken from an article written in the Buffalo Bulletin-Heritage Edition-1999.
In 1879, Ft McKinney was just established on Clear Creek about 3 miles west of Buffalo and J. H. Conrad had opened a general merchandise store in what was soon to become the thriving little town of Buffalo. Conrad naturally wanted a road or trail past his store as an extra convenience for his customers. That same year, George Washbaugh was employed by a Mr. Powell, who operated a string of bull teams, freighting between Ft Laramie, WY and Ft McKinney, along the Bozeman Trail. Washbaugh was foreman of the freighting outfit.
On one of George's trips to Ft McKinney, he received word from J. H. Conrad that if he would bring down one of his bull strings and make a road past his place of business, he (Conrad) would give him a suit of clothes. Washbaugh came down with a string of ten oxen and three heavy freight wagons and made the trail desired by Conrad, collecting the new suit in payment. It is logical and evident that the oxen, following the natural grade of the hills, leading into and out of Clear Creek, made a very crooked trail. So it would seem that it was no particular fault of man, but just a string of oxen that were trying to keep things on the level that made Buffalo's Main Street so crooked.
The town site was located shortly thereafter and everyone apparently settled down along the trail made by Washbaugh and his oxen and it appears no effort was ever made to straighten out the street. Buildings began to spring up and as they did, they followed the contour of the old trail.

Cemeteries in Johnson County

• Morgareidge Cemetery- Mayoworth

  Kaycee

  Willow Grove Cemetery – Buffalo

  Quiet Rest Cemetery

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