[1] The county was named for Lewis Jewell, a lieutenant colonel of the 6th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans.

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles.

In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

The first attempt at settlement was made by William Harshberger and his wife on White Rock Creek in 1862, but they were soon driven out by hostile Indian tribes.

Subsequent settlement efforts along White Rock Creek in 1866 and 1867 were again subjected to Cheyenne raids in which many settlers were killed, after which the survivors evacuated the county.

[5] In response to the persistent threat of Indian raids, settlers formed the "Buffalo Militia" in May 1870 to protect against an anticipated Cheyenne attack.

[5] In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska.

This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior.

[16] † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.