In 1902, the original Kaw City was founded, prior to Oklahoma statehood, as a farming community in the fertile oxbow bend of the Arkansas River.

It became a booming oil town in 1919, when 'black gold' was discovered in nearby Kay County and the present Osage Nation reservation.

[5] It even had a very popular four-story hotel filled with one of the world's rarest art collections.

The majority of the town was overcome by a (weather-related) flood in 1923, and then devastated again by the Great Depression.

The Santa Fe Railroad Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Kaw Indian cemetery located across the Arkansas river in Washunga was moved to Newkirk, Oklahoma.

The Kaw City Museum is housed in the town’s 1902 train depot, and has exhibits relating to the history of the area.

[10] The Kanza Museum and Education Resource Center showcases tribal art and historical artifacts of the Kaw Nation.

[12] The First United Methodist Church is known for its large stained glass windows, oil paintings, and a Kilgren Pipe Organ.