| Cato, Kansas | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Pushpin Map: | Kansas#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Cato |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Coordinates: | 37.6678°N -94.74°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kansas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Crawford |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1854 |
| Established Title1: | Platted |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Elevation Ft: | 883 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 620 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 484708 |
Cato is an unincorporated community in Crawford County, Kansas, United States.
Cato was founded in 1854.[1] By 1867, Cato contained a store, a blacksmith, and a sawmill.[2]
Cato is believed to be the first community built in the Southeast Kansas area, and it has the distinction of having the first grist mill in Crawford County, the first coal mining operation, the first school in the county, and the first County Fair. Cato was never a large town, reaching its peak population in 1910 with 112 residents.
An old, one-room, stone school house built in 1869 is on the National Register of Historic Places. The stone school house, the Cato Christian Church built in 1915, and a stone bridge that was once on the stage coach route, are all that remain of the community.[3]
Each year the Cato Historical Preservation Association spends one weekend reminding residents and tourists of the pioneer days. The festival includes tours of the pioneer era community, live music, food, and re-enactments,[4] occasionally "including a shoot-out between Missouri border roughians and Kansas lawmen".[5]