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

From the 16th to 18th centuries, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America.

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, 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.

Pottawatomie County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.

Prior to the creation of Tuttle Creek Lake, the community of Garrison existed in west central Pottawatomie County.

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