Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Kansas County
Montgomery County, Kansas
Coffeyville's Dalton Gang last stand and William Inge's Independence - from the 1892 Dalton Gang Raid in Coffeyville (on October 5, 1892, the Dalton Gang attempted to rob two banks simultaneously in their hometown of Coffeyville - the raid went catastrophically wrong when citizens recognized and ambushed them, killing four gang members and four townspeople in the bloodiest bank robbery in the Old West) to Independence's William Inge (the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who wrote Picnic, Bus Stop, Come Back Little Sheba, and Dark at the Top of the Stairs was born and raised in Independence - his plays captured the quiet desperation of small-town Kansas life and are among the most performed works in American theater).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Montgomery County Emergency Management – 300 E. Main Street, Independence, KS 67301 | (620) 330-1260.
Sheriff: Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – 300 E. Main Street, Independence, KS 67301 | (620) 330-1000 | Fax (620) 331-1686; Sheriff Ron Wade. Montgomery County Jail – (620) 330-1240 | Fax (620) 330-1119.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. The Coffeyville Police Department serves as the 911 dispatch center for the southern half of the county, handling roughly 24,000 calls annually; Crime Tip Hotline (620) 252-6133.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-75 and US-160 serve Independence, the county seat, in southeastern Kansas along the Verdigris River. Coffeyville, the county’s largest city, sits near the Oklahoma border.
Notes: Montgomery County was established February 26, 1867, named for Revolutionary War General Richard Montgomery. The lowest point in the state of Kansas is located on the Verdigris River within the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Montgomery County Courthouse – Independence, KS.
Notes: Coffeyville holds a genuinely famous and well-documented place in Old West history as the site of the Dalton Gang’s final, fatal raid. On October 5, 1892, brothers Bob, Grat, and Emmett Dalton, along with associates Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell, attempted to rob two banks simultaneously in their hometown – an audacious plan meant to outdo the James-Younger Gang. Recognized by townspeople despite disguises, the gang was met by armed citizens as they fled; in the resulting gunfight in what is now known as “Death Alley,” Bob and Grat Dalton and Bill Powers were killed alongside four Coffeyville citizens – City Marshal Charles Connelly, Lucius Baldwin, George Cubine, and Charles Brown. Only Emmett Dalton survived, badly wounded, and was later convicted and imprisoned for 14 years. This history – genuinely significant in the annals of the American West, and involving real loss of life on both sides – is preserved today at Dalton Defenders Plaza and Death Alley, where bullet holes remain visible in a brick wall, and at the Dalton Defenders Museum, which houses artifacts from the raid alongside broader Coffeyville history.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Montgomery County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via mgcountyks.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Independence Public Library (Independence); Coffeyville Public Library (Coffeyville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Dalton Defenders Plaza and Death Alley, the Dalton Defenders Museum, and Coffeyville Community College are the county’s premier heritage and educational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, historically significant Dalton Gang raid – with real loss of life on both sides – is presented here with care as one of the most documented events of the American Old West.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Montgomery County GIS Mapping – confirm current contact via mgcountyks.org.
Independence Animal Control – 120 N. 6th Street, Independence, KS 67301 | (620) 332-1700.
AWOL Humane Society – 116 S. 23rd Street, Independence, KS 67301 | (620) 331-7931; low-cost spay/neuter services for Montgomery County residents.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste / Noxious Weeds – confirm current contact via mgcountyks.org.
NOTES: Montgomery County is the fourth county in the tenth Kansas Round 3 batch, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, historically significant Dalton Gang raid – with real loss of life on both sides – is presented here with care as one of the most documented events of the American Old West. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Montgomery County
Montgomery County is southeastern Kansas’s Dalton Gang and William Inge county – the bloodiest bank robbery of the Old West and one of American theater’s most celebrated playwrights both claim Montgomery County as their origin story.
Coffeyville (population ~9,000) preserves the site of the October 5, 1892 Dalton Gang raid – the Death Alley where the shootout occurred, the Dalton Museum, and the annual Dalton Defenders Days commemorate the event that ended one of the West’s most notorious outlaw gangs.
Independence (the county seat, population ~9,000) is where William Inge grew up – his childhood observations of small-town Kansas restlessness and longing became the emotional core of plays that defined mid-20th century American theater.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Montgomery County Appraiser at 217 E. Myrtle Street, Independence, KS 67301, phone 620-330-1050. KS residential assessed at 11.5% of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Montgomery County District Court at 217 E. Myrtle Street, Independence, KS 67301, phone 620-330-1070, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
217 N. Penn Ave., Independence, KS 67301
(620) 330-1200
DISTRICT COURT CLERK (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
217 N. Penn Ave., Independence, KS 67301
(620) 330-1070
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
217 N. Penn Ave., Independence, KS 67301
(620) 330-1200
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Montgomery County District Court, Independence and Coffeyville offices (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Montgomery County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Montgomery County District Court, 14th Judicial District 300 East Main Street, Suite 201, Independence, KS 67301 (620) 330-1070
Montgomery County has two court locations, with a second office at 102 W 7th Street, Suite A, Coffeyville, KS 67337. The county is in southeastern Kansas.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kansas has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own statutory framework under the Kansas Probate Code (K.S.A. Chapter 59). Kansas offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the total value of probate property, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $75,000 (raised from $40,000 effective July 1, 2023), available under K.S.A. 59-1507b. This transfers personal property only. If the decedent left a will, it must still be filed with the probate court even though it isn’t being formally probated.
Simplified Administration – under the Kansas Simplified Estates Act (K.S.A. 59-3201 et seq.), the most common route for straightforward estates.
Formal Probate – supervised or unsupervised administration through the District Court for larger or more complex estates.
A will must be filed for probate within 6 months of death, or it may not be admitted, forcing the estate into intestate distribution.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Montgomery County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and appoints the personal representative.
Notice to creditors is published per court order; creditors have a defined window to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under unsupervised administration – acts with reduced court check-ins.
Without a surviving spouse or children, Kansas intestate succession law (K.S.A. 59-501 et seq.) determines which blood relatives inherit.
After debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets and files a final accounting; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Court costs may be remitted for small estates under recent statutory changes.
Executor/administrator and attorney fees are generally reasonable-fee based rather than a fixed statutory percentage.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit can proceed relatively quickly; formal probate commonly takes several months to over a year.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
217 N. Penn Ave., Independence, KS 67301
(620) 331-1050
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
217 N. Penn Ave., Independence, KS 67301
(620) 330-1200
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
217 N. Penn Ave., Independence, KS 67301
(620) 330-1200
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Montgomery County Health Dept
(620) 331-2200
KS DCF — Southeast Region
(620) 331-0900
KS Medicaid (KanCare)
(800) 792-4884
Independence Regional Health Center
irh.org (quality community hospital)
Coffeyville Regional Medical Center
coffeyvillemedical.com (quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Montgomery County Health Department – 604 S. Union Street, Coffeyville, KS 67337 | (620) 251-4210 | Fax (620) 251-6708. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-12 PM, 1-5 PM.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Independence
Population: 31,000
Area: 648 sq mi
Established: 1867
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Montgomery County residents.
