Jayton Became the County Seat in 1954

When Kent County organized in 1892, Clairemont was named the county seat. A courthouse and jail were built there from local red sandstone. Clairemont served as the center of county government for six decades.

In 1909, the Stamford and Northwestern Railway laid tracks across the northeast corner of the county. A new town called Jayton grew up along that rail line. Over time, Jayton grew larger than Clairemont. After a two-year political fight, voters moved the county seat to Jayton in 1954. The old Clairemont courthouse later burned. Today all county offices are in Jayton. Kent County is named for Andrew Kent, who died at the Alamo in 1836.