The city had restrictions on both religious buildings and saloons, instead offering intellectual pursuits.

Liberal was founded in 1880 by George Walser, an anti-religionist, agnostic lawyer and former state legislator who wished to create an atheist, "freethinker" utopia.

[citation needed] Walser purchased 2,000 acres (8 km2) of land and advertised across the country for atheists to join his town, which would "have neither God, Hell, Church, nor Saloon".

[6] Walser organized a reformed school system that sought to promote liberal education free from the bias of Christian theology, and had instructional classes on Sundays to replace religious services.

The Free Thought University was founded in 1886 with a staff of seven teachers providing regular lectures and hosting intellectual debates.

[7] The arrival of the railroad triggered a population boom, bringing the town to 546 residents by 1890.

[6] Christian practitioners began arriving in Liberal soon after it was founded, but were initially met with resistance by Walser.

They quietly bought homes within the town and began holding religious services, which were interrupted by Walser, and the Christian group later moved to nearby plots of land after being evicted.

A new town, named Pedro, was established in 1884 by the Christians after Walser erected a barbed wire fence around Liberal.

[6] Today, Liberal is part of a solidly conservative electorate that encompasses all of Barton County.