Tribune, Kansas was founded in 1886. The railroad depot was built in 1887, at which time Tribune was designated county seat. The city is named after the New York Tribune, of which Horace Greeley of Chappaqua, New York was the editor. Greeley encouraged western settlement with the motto "Go West, young man".
As of January 1, 2009, the City of Tribune and Greeley County have operated as a unified government. The resulting government consists of a five-member commission with two members elected by city residents, two by rural residents, and one at-large. Similar to Wyandotte County, the only other consolidated city-county in the state, part of the county was not included: Horace decided against consolidation