The census presented at the meeting included all parties having claims in the county and showed that at the time half of the adult males in the county were bachelors. Unfortunately the first names of all women and children residing in the county were not listed in the census, and so the state authorities found the census defective. They stopped action on recognition of the county's organization until a second census was completed. This was done and on September 12, 1871, Kansas Governor James Harvey issued a proclamation declaring the county organized and a legal entity. Elections for the various county offices were held that November and Osborne County was officially organized.