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How Did Pope County Get Its Name?
Pope County was identified by the state legislature in 1862, and named for John Pope, a General in the Union Army who had earlier worked as a surveyor in the area.
JOHN POPE Wikipedia
After the Mexican war Pope worked as a surveyor in Minnesota. In 1850 he demonstrated the navigability of the Red River. He served as the chief engineer of the Department of New Mexico from 1851 to 1853 and spent the remainder of the antebellum years surveying a route for the Pacific Railroad.