Other agricultural products include oilseed, grain, vegetables, melons, and cotton.

The county derives its name from the Pawnee Indian tribe, who historically inhabited the region.

Notably, in January 1863, a wagon train was stopped by a starving band Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians.

After refusing the Indians' request for supplies, the wagon train was attacked and all but one of the teamsters killed.

[4] Against this background of increasing tension in the region, Fort Larned became a base of operations for Major General Winfield Hancock's campaign against the Plains tribes.

However, there have been multiple stretches where it was considered a swing county, backing the national winner in all presidential elections from 1904 to 1936 as well as 1964 to 1988.

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Pawnee County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1992, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

The city of Larned is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships.