text:
Bath County, Kentucky

Bath County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,750. The county seat is Owingsville. The county was formed in 1811. Bath County is included in the Mount Sterling, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Lexington-Fayette–Richmond–Frankfort, KY combined statistical area.

History
Bath County was established in 1811 from land given by Montgomery County, Kentucky. Its name is derived from natural springs said to have medicinal qualities. The courthouse in Owingsville was destroyed by an accidental fire caused by Union troops during the American Civil War in 1864.

It is the site of the Kentucky Meat Shower. From 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., on March 3, 1876, a mysterious substance believed to be meat of some sort fell from the sky.

In 1932, an archaeological field survey observed fourteen archaeological sites in Bath County, including the Ramey Mound near Sharpsburg and multiple ancient burials near the Springfield Presbyterian Church.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 284 sqmi, of which 279 sqmi is land and 5.2 sqmi (1.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Fleming County (north)
 * Rowan County (east)
 * Menifee County (southeast)
 * Montgomery County (southwest)
 * Bourbon County (west)
 * Nicholas County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Daniel Boone National Forest (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,085 people, 4,445 households, and 3,195 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 /sqmi. There were 4,994 housing units at an average density of 18 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.87% White, 1.85% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.02% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,445 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,018, and the median income for a family was $31,758. Males had a median income of $27,786 versus $20,986 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,326. About 16.40% of families and 21.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 21.20% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Owingsville (county seat)
 * Salt Lick
 * Sharpsburg

Unincorporated communities

 * Bald Eagle
 * Olympia
 * Ore Mines
 * Peasticks
 * Polksville
 * Preston
 * Red Bush
 * Shrout
 * Stepstone
 * Upper Prickly Ash

Politics
Throughout the 20th century, Bath County was overwhelmingly Democratic, only voting the other way in the Republican landslides of 1928, 1972, and 1984. However, in 2000, George W. Bush flipped the county into the Republican column. Bath County was one of the few counties in Kentucky to flip from Bush to Kerry in 2004. Despite Barack Obama's indomitable midwestern strength in 2008, Bath County was one of the small number of counties to flip from Kerry to McCain that year, although Obama lost it very narrowly. In 2016, Donald Trump won over two-thirds of the vote in Bath County.

Despite its Republican devotion in presidential elections, Bath County still retains loyalty to state and local Democrats, as they have not voted for a Republican gubernatorial candidate since 1919.

title: Bath County, Kentucky


text:
Barren County, Kentucky

Barren County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,485. Its county seat is Glasgow. The county was founded on December 20, 1798, from parts of Warren and Green Counties. It was named for the Barrens, meadowlands that cover the northern third, though actually the soil is fertile. Barren County is part of the Glasgow, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Bowling Green-Glasgow, KY Combined Statistical Area. In 2007 Barren County was named the "Best Place to Live in Rural America" by Progressive Farmer Magazine.

History
Barren County was established in 1798 from land taken from Green County and Warren County. Six courthouses have served the county throughout its history, the first built of logs.

Barren County, like most of south-central Kentucky, was settled by the Scots-Irish, and still bears many cultural aspects that trace back to that heritage. The Scottish heritage is the most evident, as indicated, by the name of the county seat, which is named for Glasgow, Scotland, and is celebrated annually with the Glasgow Highland Games, one of three highland games held each year in Kentucky.

Barren was a prohibition or dry county, until voters overturned that in September 2016. Prior to that, there were two exceptions:
 * Cave City, which voted in 2005 to become "moist" (selling only alcohol by the drink in restaurants of a certain minimum size (100 in this case) and which derive 70% or more of their revenue from food), and later voted in 2014 to approve full package sales.
 * Glasgow, which approved liquor by the drink under the same restrictions on November 6, 2007, after three previous elections to allow full alcohol sales in the city were soundly defeated.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 500 sqmi, of which 488 sqmi is land and 12 sqmi (2.5%) is water.

Barren River Lake is located in the southern part of the county, forming part of its boundary with Allen County. Barren River Lake State Resort Park is located primarily within Barren County, along the lake's shoreline.

Adjacent counties

 * Hart County (north)
 * Metcalfe County (east)
 * Monroe County (southeast)
 * Allen County (southwest)
 * Warren County (west)
 * Edmonson County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Mammoth Cave National Park (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 /sqmi. There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of 35 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.30% White, 4.09% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,346 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91.

The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,240, and the median income for a family was $37,231. Males had a median income of $29,860 versus $21,208 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,816. About 11.80% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.30% of those under age 18 and 19.10% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
Christianity is the predominant religion in the county. The Southern Baptist Convention is the leading Protestant denomination in terms of adherents, with Glasgow Baptist Church being the largest congregation in the county. Missionary Baptist, United Methodist, Free Methodist, Presbyterian (including Cumberland Presbyterian), Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ including non-institutional, Assemblies of God, and numerous independent churches are located in the county, as well as two Roman Catholic parishes, an LDS ward, and a sizable Amish community.

Economy
Barren County is primarily rural in nature, with agriculture as the primary industry. Glasgow, the county seat, has numerous manufacturing facilities, and is also a medical and retail hub for the area. Cave City is also a popular lodging area for tourists visiting nearby Mammoth Cave National Park.

Politics
Like Kentucky and most of the counties in the State, the Democratic Party has the most registered voters; however the county hasn't voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1992—-and even then, it was by a margin of less than 2%. 51.57% of the voters are registered to the Democratic Party, and 41.73% are registered Republicans.

Education
The county is home to all or part of three school districts:
 * Most of the county is served by the Barren County Schools, which includes Barren County High School and Middle School in Glasgow, and seven elementary schools throughout the county, many of which were formerly also high schools before they were consolidated into Barren County High in the early 1970s.
 * The Glasgow Independent Schools serve the city of Glasgow proper, with small areas of overlap outside the city limits. The district includes Glasgow High School, Glasgow Middle School, and two elementary schools. In addition, the Glasgow and Caverna (see below) districts jointly operate an alternative school located in the Glasgow district for "at-risk" children in middle and high school. Barren County High and Middle Schools, although operated by the county district, are actually located within the boundaries of the Glasgow district.
 * The Caverna Independent Schools take in Cave City and surrounding northwest Barren County, as well as Horse Cave and the southwest corner of neighboring Hart County. It is served by Caverna High School, Caverna Middle School, and Caverna Elementary School, all located between Cave City and Horse Cave. The high school is on the Hart County side of the line, while the elementary and middle schools share a campus on the Barren County side. The district is one of only a handful in the United States which is located in more than one county. Three other districts with this distinction are in Kentucky, most notably the Corbin Independent School District, serving a single city split by a county line.

Transportation
Barren County is served by Interstate 65, which goes through the northwest part of the county, and the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway, a former toll road that was designated to be part of the future Interstate 66 corridor before that project was scrapped. U.S. Routes 31E, 31W, and 68 also pass through the county.

Railroad service is provided by CSX Transportation, whose former Louisville and Nashville Railroad main line passes through Cave City and Park City. The Glasgow Railway Company is a short line which owns a branch from Park City (which was formerly called Glasgow Junction) to Glasgow; the line is serviced via an operating lease by CSX.

Glasgow Transit operates deviated fixed-route bus service within Glasgow on weekdays.

Cities

 * Cave City
 * Glasgow (county seat)
 * Park City

Census-designated place

 * Hiseville

Other unincorporated communities

 * Apple Grove
 * Austin
 * Bear Wallow
 * Beckton
 * Bon Ayr
 * Bristletown
 * Carden
 * Cooktown
 * Coral Hill
 * Dry Fork
 * Eighty Eight
 * Etoile
 * Finney
 * Goodnight
 * Griderville
 * Haywood
 * Highland Springs
 * Kino
 * Lecta
 * Lucas
 * Merry Oaks
 * Nobob
 * Oil City
 * Park
 * Peter Creek
 * Pritchardsville
 * Railton
 * Red Cross
 * Rocky Hill
 * Roseville
 * Slick Rock
 * Stovall
 * Temple Hill
 * Tracy

Ghost town

 * Chaumont (mostly in Edmonson County)

Media

 * WLYE-FM "Willie 94.1" - Real Country Glasgow
 * WCLU-AM 1490 Glasgow
 * WLLI "Willie 94.1" Glasgow (licensed to Munfordville)
 * WCDS-AM 1230 "SportsRadio 123" - Newberry Broadcasting, Inc.
 * W239BV (FM 95.7) - "96 Hits" - an analog radio repeater of WOVO-HD2/Horse Cave
 * Glasgow Daily Times - local newspaper published Tuesday through Saturday
 * Barren County Progress - county-oriented weekly newspaper published Thursdays

Economy
Barren County's industry includes these companies:
 * Walmart of Glasgow - Walmart operates a full-service super center at the intersection of Kentucky Route 90 (Happy Valley Road) and Veterans Outer Loop on the northwest outskirts of the city.
 * Mid-State Recycling - the area's main recycling facility.
 * Western Kentucky University's satellite campus in Glasgow, Kentucky
 * Glasgow Electric Plant Board - Electric, cable television, and internet service in the City of Glasgow.
 * Farmers Rural Electric Cooperative - Electric service for the county.
 * South Central Rural Telephone Cooperative - telephone, cable television and internet service.
 * T.J. Samson Community Hospital
 * Southern States Feed Mill in Park City
 * Dakota Elmore Realty and Auction Co.

Cave City's main industry in Barren County's economy is tourism, thanks to its proximity to Mammoth Cave National Park, which is one of the top ten most visited attractions in Kentucky. A number of motels and restaurants are located at the interchange of Interstate 65 and state routes 70 and 90, which cater to tourists visiting the area or just passing through, thereby making Cave City, and much of northwest Barren County, a tourism hot-spot. The city operates a small convention center that is popular with church groups and other family-related organizations, mainly because of the area's lack of crime and abundance of tourist attractions. Cave City has long been a gateway to Mammoth Cave; in the era of passenger rail travel, trains of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad would discharge tourists there, who would then be shuttled to the cave. The agricultural industry is also a big factor in the area's economy. For more information, see the Barren County Economic Authority's website (www.BarrenCoEa.com).

Sites and events of interest

 * Fort Williams, Glasgow.
 * Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Lucas at the junction of US 31E and KY 87 in southern Barren County.
 * Barren River Lake, a lake along the Barren-Allen County line that is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
 * Kentucky Action Park/Jesse James Riding Stables, Cave City, Kentucky
 * Guntown Mountain Old West town and Haunted Hotel, Cave City
 * Diamond Caverns, Park City, along the Edmonson-Barren County line on the southeastern fringe of Mammoth Cave National Park.
 * Onyx Cave and Rock Shop, Cave City
 * Thomerson Park, Dry Fork

Events include, but are not limited to, the following:
 * The 400-mile yard sale along US 68 throughout the route's course in Kentucky (except Metro Lexington and the LBL) - first Thursday-Sunday in June, annually.
 * Glasgow Highland Games at Barren River Lake State Resort Park - early June.
 * Annual Roller Coaster Yard Sale along State Highway 63 - early October.
 * Annual Fireworks Extravaganza at Barren River Lake, July 4 of each year.

Notable people

 * Walter Arnold Baker (1937–2010) : Associate Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court, Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs in the Department of Defense, Member of Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives, Lieutenant Colonel, Kentucky Air National Guard.
 * Ira F. M. Butler (1812–1909), Oregon pioneer and state legislator
 * Floyd Collins (1887–1925), cave explorer and cave accident victim
 * Kelly Craft (née Guilfoil) (born 1962), US Ambassador to the United Nations and US Ambassador to Canada
 * Nancy Kelsey (1823–1896), the "Betsy Ross of California
 * Louie B. Nunn (1924–2004), former governor of Kentucky
 * Marion McCarrell Scott (1843–1922), educator and government advisor in Meiji period Japan
 * Henry Skaggs (1724–1810), longhunter, explorer, and pioneer, lived in Hiseville
 * Luska Twyman (1913–1988), first African American mayor of Glasgow, Kentucky
 * William Burton Walbert (1886–1959), Southern gospel songwriter, singer, composer, and editor

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Barren County, Kentucky


text:
Ballard County, Kentucky

Ballard County is a county located in the west portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,728. Its county seat is Wickliffe and its largest city is LaCenter. The county was created by the Kentucky State Legislature in 1842 and is named for Captain Bland Ballard, a soldier, statesman, and member of the Kentucky General Assembly. Ballard County is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Ballard County was formed from portions of Hickman County and McCracken County. It was named for Bland Ballard (1761–1853), a Kentucky pioneer and soldier who served as a scout for General George Rogers Clark during the American Revolutionary War, and later commanded a company during the War of 1812. On February 17, 1880, the courthouse was destroyed by a fire, which also destroyed most of the county's early records. The county seat was transferred from Blandville to Wickliffe in 1882.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 274 sqmi, of which 247 sqmi is land and 27 sqmi (9.9%) is water.

State protected area
Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve is a 458 acre nature preserve located in Ballard County, in the Barlow Bottoms. The preserve is part of the 3000 acre Axe Lake Swamp wetlands complex which supports at least eight rare plant and animal species. The site has been recognized as a priority wetland in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

Adjacent counties

 * Pulaski County, Illinois (north) – across the Ohio River
 * McCracken County (east)
 * Carlisle County (south)
 * Mississippi County, Missouri (southwest) – across the Mississippi River
 * Alexander County, Illinois (west) – across the Ohio River

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,286 people, 3,395 households, and 2,413 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 /sqmi. There were 3,837 housing units at an average density of 15 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.32% White, 2.87% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 3,395 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.85.

The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,130, and the median income for a family was $41,386. Males had a median income of $32,345 versus $20,902 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,035. About 10.70% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Barlow
 * Blandville
 * Kevil
 * LaCenter (largest city)
 * Wickliffe (county seat)

Census-designated places

 * Bandana
 * Lovelaceville

Other unincorporated communities

 * Ceredo
 * Gage
 * Hinkleville
 * Ingleside
 * Monkey's Eyebrow
 * Needmore
 * New York
 * Oscar
 * Slater
 * Woodville

Notable people

 * Morris E. Crain, Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery during World War II
 * Kenny Rollins, an American basketball player who was a member of the University of Kentucky's "Fab Five" who won the 1948 NCAA Championship, the 1948 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team, and the NBA's Chicago Stags and Boston Celtics
 * Oscar Turner (1825–1896), state senator, U. S. representative and namesake of Oscar, Kentucky
 * Earl Grace, Major League Baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs
 * Kelsey Waldon, Country Singer-songwriter raised in Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky

title: Ballard County, Kentucky


text:
Anderson County, Kentucky

Anderson County, located in the Outer Bluegrass physiographic region, is Kentucky's 48th most populated and ninth fastest-growing county.

Anderson County's estimated population as of July 1, 2022, is 24,224, a 1.6% increase from April 1, 2020, and a 13.1% increase from April 1, 2010.

On January 16, 1827, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky approved "an ACT to erect and establish the county of Anderson out of parts of the county of Franklin, Washington, and Mercer," which went into effect on February 1, 1827, and established Anderson County as the 82nd county. Additional information in this act regards Anderson County's namesake, Richard Clough Anderson Jr., legislator and U.S. minister plenipotentiary to Colombia, and its county seat, the City of Lawrenceburg. Anderson County's borders were later modified by the General Assembly's January 28, 1854, approval of "an ACT to change the line between the counties of Franklin and Anderson."

Anderson County's 202.17 square miles comprises 25 GNIS-designated populated places, with Lawrenceburg as its largest city in population and size. In addition to its inclusion in the Outer Bluegrass region, Anderson County is part of the Bluegrass Area Development District and the Frankfort Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
GNIS numeric designators:

 * "Kentucky" = 21
 * "Anderson County" = 5

Adjacent counties

 * Franklin County (north)
 * Woodford County (east)
 * Mercer County (southeast)
 * Washington County (south)
 * Nelson County (southwest)
 * Spencer County (west)
 * Shelby County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 23,852 people, 9,539 housing units, and 8,694 households with an average family size of 2.57 per household residing in the county. The population density was 106.1 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.10% White, 2.10% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 1.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,694 households, of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present. 32.79% of all households were made up of individuals without children, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.03.

Age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 15 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years and the population is estimated to be 51% Female and 49% Male.

The median household income was $55,334, and the median family income was $67,681. Males had a median full-time income of $47,027 versus $38,894 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,250. About 12.2% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

City

 * Lawrenceburg (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Alton
 * Ballard
 * Glensboro
 * McBrayer
 * Stringtown

Ghost towns

 * Ripyville
 * Tyrone

title: Anderson County, Kentucky


text:
Allen County, Kentucky

Allen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,588. Its county seat and only municipality is Scottsville. The county is named for Colonel John Allen, a state senator and soldier who was killed leading the 1st Regiment of Kentucky Rifleman at the Battle of Frenchtown, Michigan during the War of 1812. Allen County was a dry county until 2023, when it voted to legalize the sale of alcohol. It was formed in 1815 from parts of Barren and Warren counties. Allen County is included in the Bowling Green, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Allen County was established in 1815 from land given by Barren and Warren counties. A courthouse fire in 1902 resulted in the loss of some county records.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 352 sqmi, of which 344 sqmi is land and 7.5 sqmi (2.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Warren County northwest
 * Barren County northeast
 * Monroe County east
 * Macon County, Tennessee southeast
 * Sumner County, Tennessee southwest
 * Simpson County west

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,800 people, 6,910 households, and 5,113 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 /sqmi. There were 8,057 housing units at an average density of 23 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.62% White, 1.07% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,910 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,238, and the median income for a family was $36,815. Males had a median income of $27,587 versus $22,659 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,506. About 13.20% of families and 17.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.40% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Allen County, like most of Kentucky, is increasingly solidly Republican, although it was like those counties to its east in Appalachia never a part of the "Solid South". The last Democrat to carry the county in a Presidential election was Woodrow Wilson in 1912, although a number of other elections have given Democrat majorities as recently as the 1999 gubernatorial election.

City

 * Scottsville (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Adolphus
 * Allen Springs
 * Alonzo
 * Amos
 * Butlersville
 * Cedar Springs
 * Chapel Hill
 * Clare
 * Fleet
 * Forest Springs
 * Gainesville
 * Halfway
 * Halifax
 * Holland
 * Maynard
 * Meador
 * Mount Aerial
 * Mount Zion
 * New Roe
 * Oak Forest
 * Petroleum
 * Pope
 * Red Hill
 * Rodemer
 * Settle
 * Trammel
 * Yesse

Notable residents

 * Mordecai Ham, an evangelist born in Allen County
 * Jim McDaniels
 * Charles Napier (actor)
 * Norro Wilson
 * Cal Turner Sr.

title: Allen County, Kentucky


text:
Adair County, Kentucky

Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,903. Its county seat and only municipality is Columbia. The county was founded in 1801 and named for John Adair, then Speaker of the House in Kentucky and later Governor of Kentucky (1820 – 1824). Adair County has some of the few surviving American Chestnut trees in the United States.

History
Adair County was formed on December 11, 1801, from sections of Green County. Columbia was chosen as the county seat the following year and the first courthouse was built in 1806.

The county was named in honor of John Adair, a veteran of the Revolutionary War and Northwest Indian War. Later he commanded Kentucky troops in the Battle of New Orleans. He served as the eighth Governor of Kentucky. This was the 44th of Kentucky's 120 counties to be organized.

After the American Civil War, a gang of five men, believed to include Frank and Jesse James from Missouri, robbed the Bank of Columbia of $600 on April 29, 1872. They killed the cashier, R.A.C. Martin, in the course of the robbery.

The courthouse on the Columbia town square, completed in 1884, replaced the original 1806 courthouse.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 sqmi, of which 405 sqmi is land and 7.1 sqmi (1.7%) is water. It is part of the Pennyroyal Plateau region of Kentucky and is part of western Appalachia. Over 40% of the county's land is covered with timber.

The Green River is the county's major waterway but is not commercially navigable. The river was impounded to form Green River Lake, the major feature of Green River Lake State Park, which lies in Adair and Taylor counties.

Adjacent counties

 * Taylor County – north (EST)
 * Casey County – northeast (EST)
 * Russell County – east
 * Cumberland County – south
 * Metcalfe County – southwest
 * Green County – northwest

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,244 people, 6,747 households, and 4,803 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 /sqmi. There were 7,792 housing units at an average density of 19 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.00% White, 2.55% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,747 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,055, and the median income for a family was $29,779. Males had a median income of $23,183 versus $17,009 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,931. About 18.20% of families and 24.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Adair County's agrarian economy produces livestock, dairy products, corn, and tobacco. The county experienced a minor oil boom in the 1960s.

Lack of adequate transportation infrastructure hindered the county's prosperity well into the 20th century. The completion of the east–west Cumberland Parkway in 1973 significantly ameliorated this problem, but since then the county has sought improved road access to the north.

Education
The county is served by Adair County Schools.

Its schools are:
 * Adair County Primary Center (Principal: Patty R. Jones; Asst. Principal: Laura H. Murrell )
 * Adair County Elementary School (Principal: Steve Burton; Assistant Principal: Sommer Brown )
 * Adair County Middle School (Principal: Alma Rich; Assistant Principal: Donna Young )
 * Adair County High School (Principal: Troy Young; Assistant Principal: Doug Holmes ).

City

 * Columbia

Unincorporated communities
Below is partial listing of known unincorporated communities within Adair County. A more complete listing is available here.
 * Breeding
 * Crocus (partially in Russell County)
 * Glens Fork
 * Gradyville
 * Knifley
 * Neatsville
 * Pellyton
 * Sparksville
 * Cane Valley
 * Coburg
 * Holmes Bend
 * Kellyville

Notable residents

 * Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of Kentucky
 * Robert Porter Caldwell (1821–1885), United States Congressman, was born in Adair County.
 * E. A. Diddle, men's basketball coach for Western Kentucky University
 * Janice Holt Giles (1909–1979), a writer noted particularly for her regional novels and nonfiction, lived in Adair County from 1949 until her death in 1979.
 * James R. Hindman, Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
 * Sergeant Dakota Meyer (b. 1988), born and initially educated in Adair County, received the Medal of Honor in 2011 for his actions in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2009
 * Pinkney H. Walker, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, was born in Adair County.
 * Evelyn West, burlesque actress
 * Frank Lane Wolford, U.S. Representative from Kentucky

title: Adair County, Kentucky


text:
Wyandotte County, Kansas

Wyandotte County is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City, with which it shares a unified government. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,245, making it Kansas's fourth-most populous county. The county was named after the Wyandot tribe.

Wyandot tribe
The county is named after the Wyandot (also Wyandott or Wyandotte) Indians. They were called the Huron by the French in Canada, but called themselves Wendat. They were distantly related to the Iroquois, with whom they sometimes fought. They had hoped to keep white Americans out of their territory and to make the Ohio River the border between the United States and Canada.

One branch of the Wyandot moved to the area that is now the state of Ohio. They generally took the course of assimilation into Anglo-American society. Many of them embraced Christianity under the influence of missionaries. They were transported to the current Wyandotte County in 1843, where they set up a community and worked in cooperation with Anglo settlers. The Christian Munsee also influenced this area's early settlement.

The Wyandot in Kansas set up a constitutional form of government they had devised in Ohio. They set up the territorial government for Kansas and Nebraska, and elected one of their own territorial governor.

Other historical facts
The county was organized in 1859. Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh's brother), "the Prophet", fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. He was buried at Shawnee Native American historical site Whitefeather Spring, at 3818 Ruby Ave. Kansas City, which was added in 1975 to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The Kansas City Smelting and Refining Company employed over 250 men during the 1880s. The ore and base bullion is received from the mountains' mining districts and is crushed, separated and refined.

The Delaware Crossing (or "Military Crossing"; sometimes "the Secondine") was where the old Indian trail met the waters of the Kaw River. Circa 1831, Moses Grinter, one of the area's earliest permanent white settlers, set up the Grinter Ferry on the Kansas River there. His house was known as the Grinter Place. The ferry was used by traders, freighters, and soldiers traveling between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Scott on the military road. Others crossed this area on their way to Santa Fe.

The Diocese of Leavenworth moved its see from Leavenworth, Kansas to Kansas City, Kansas on May 10, 1947. It became an archdiocese on August 9, 1952.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 156 sqmi, of which 152 sqmi is land and 4.6 sqmi (2.9%) is water. It is Kansas's smallest county by area.

Topography
The county's natural topography consists of gently rolling terrain. The Kansas River forms part of the county's southern boundary. The elevation generally increases from south to north as the distance from the Kansas River and Missouri River increases.

Watersheds and streams
The county is drained by natural creek and stream watersheds of the Kaw River, which is part of the Missouri River basin. It receives plentiful rainfall.

Turkey Creek is a stream spanning Johnson and Wyandotte counties. The creek has disastrously flooded the area through all measurable history, including several cities in the Upper Turkey Creek Basin, for which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed complicated flood control deployments and ongoing proposals, including major drainage at Rosedale, KCK.

Adjacent counties

 * Platte County, Missouri (north)
 * Clay County, Missouri (northeast)
 * Jackson County, Missouri (east)
 * Johnson County (south)
 * Leavenworth County (west)

Demographics

Wyandotte County is included in the Kansas City, MO-KS Kansas City metropolitan area.

The 2000 census has 157,882 people, 59,700 households, and 39,163 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,043 /mi2. There were 65,892 housing units at an average density of 435 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 58.18% White, 28.33% Black or African American, 1.63% Asian, 0.74% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.17% from other races, and 2.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.00% of the population.

By 2007, 48.1% of Wyandotte County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 26.3% of the population was African-American. Native Americans made up 0.6% of the population, Asians 1.8%, and Latinos 21.7%.

There were 59,700 households, of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.10% were married couples living together, 17.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,784, and the median income for a family was $40,333. Males had a median income of $31,335 versus $24,640 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,005. About 12.5% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those 65 or older.

Approximately 1.4% of the county's residents take public transportation to work. This is the highest percentage in the state.

Law
The Wyandotte County Sheriff's Department oversees the Wyandotte County Jail. The Bonner Springs Police Department, Edwardsville Police Department, and the Kansas City Kansas Police Department serve those respective cities in Wyandotte County.

Wyandotte County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement. Voters removed the food sales requirement in 1988.

The county voted against the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 74% to 26%, outpacing its support of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.

Local government
In 1997, residents voted to consolidate the municipal government of Kansas City, Kansas and county government of Wyandotte into a single unified government, combining many duplicative public departments. Voters at the time largely decided the municipal government harbored widespread corruption and patronage, and that consolidation with the better run county offered a path toward better public services and increased government transparency.

Presidential elections
Unlike almost every other county in Kansas, Wyandotte County has been solidly Democratic ever since the New Deal. This is largely due to its highly urbanized nature and significant minority population. The only Democrat to lose Wyandotte County since 1932 has been George McGovern in Richard Nixon's 49-state landslide of 1972, when Nixon swept all 275 counties in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Wyandotte was the only county in Kansas to vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, Adlai Stevenson II in both 1952 and 1956, Hubert Humphrey in 1968, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and Walter Mondale in 1984. No Republican presidential nominee has received even 40% of the vote since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Economy
Village West is at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 435, and has significantly fueled growth in KCK and Wyandotte County. Anchored by the Kansas Speedway, its attractions and retailers include Hollywood Casino, Legends Outlets Kansas City, Cabela's, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Great Wolf Lodge, Legends Field (hosting the Monarchs of the American Association of baseball) and Children's Mercy Park (hosting Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer).

Other attractions include Azura Amphitheater (formerly and still commonly known as the Sandstone Amphitheater), the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Wyandotte County Park, and Sunflower Hills Golf Course.

Colleges and universities
Public Private
 * Kansas City Kansas Community College
 * University of Kansas Medical Center
 * Donnelly College

School districts

 * Turner USD 202
 * Piper USD 203
 * Bonner Springs–Edwardsville USD 204
 * Kansas City USD 500

Private schools
Primary Secondary
 * Resurrection Grade School (formerly St. Peter's Cathedral Grade School)
 * St. Patrick's Grade School
 * Christ the King Grade School
 * Bishop Ward High School

Other schools

 * Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB)

Communities
These are townships, incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and extinct former communities within Wyandotte County.

Cities

 * Bonner Springs (also in Leavenworth and Johnson counties)
 * Edwardsville
 * Kansas City (county seat)
 * Lake Quivira (also in Johnson County)

Neighborhoods

 * Argentine
 * Armourdale
 * Armstrong
 * Fairfax
 * Muncie
 * Pomeroy
 * Piper
 * Riverview
 * Rosedale
 * Strawberry Hill
 * Turner

Townships
Delaware is the sole township of Wyandotte County. The cities of Bonner Springs, Kansas City, and Lake Quivira are considered governmentally independent and excluded from Delaware's census. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of significant size.

The 2010 census lists the city of Edwardsville as also governmentally independent, with the size of the remaining township dropping to a population of 31 living on 2.43 sqmi of land (and 0.36 sqmi water), resulting in a population density of 12.76 /mi2. The Kansas State Historical Society also confirms Edwardsville's departure.

title: Wyandotte County, Kansas


text:
Woodson County, Kansas

Woodson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Yates Center. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 3,115. The county was named after Daniel Woodson, a five-time acting governor of the Kansas Territory.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Woodson County was established. Fort Belmont was used during the Civil War and had received refugees from the Trail of Blood on Ice. Opothleyahola is buried in an unmarked grave next to his daughter who died at the fort.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 505 sqmi, of which 498 sqmi is land and 7.4 sqmi (1.5%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Coffey County (north)
 * Anderson County (northeast)
 * Allen County (east)
 * Neosho County (southeast)
 * Wilson County (south)
 * Greenwood County (west)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,788 people, 1,642 households, and 1,052 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 /mi2. There were 2,076 housing units at an average density of 4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.96% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 0.87% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,642 households, out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.90% were non-families. 33.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 22.10% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 24.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,335, and the median income for a family was $31,369. Males had a median income of $23,950 versus $16,135 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,283. About 10.20% of families and 13.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 13.20% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Woodson County is powerfully Republican. The only Democrat to win a majority in the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, although Woodrow Wilson won a plurality in 1912. In contrast, Charles Evans Hughes in 1916 & George H. W. Bush in 1992 are the only Republican winners of the county who only managed to win a plurality of its votes.

Unified school districts

 * Woodson USD 366

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Woodson County.

Cities

 * Yates Center (county seat)
 * Toronto
 * Neosho Falls

Unincorporated communities
† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.
 * Cookville
 * Durand
 * Piqua†
 * Vernon

Ghost towns

 * Defiance - located six miles east of Yates Center, its population moved to Yates Center after it was selected as the permanent county seat in 1876
 * Kalida - located two miles south of Yates Center, its population moved to Yates Center after it was selected as the permanent county seat in 1876

Townships
Woodson County is divided into six townships. The city of Yates Center is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Woodson County, Kansas


text:
Wilson County, Kansas

Wilson County is a county located in Southeast Kansas. Its county seat is Fredonia. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 8,624. The county was named after Hiero Wilson, a colonel in the American Civil War.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized. In 1855, Wilson County was established and included what is now Wilson County and Montgomery County. It was named for Colonel Hiero T. Wilson. He was a successful Indian trader who had been the first white settler of Fort Scott, Kansas and had served as postmaster and sutler at the fort. He could speak Cherokee, Creek, and Osage and the Osage called him "Big White Chief". He was a delegate to the Lecompton Constitutional Convention.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575 sqmi, of which 570 sqmi is land and 4.7 sqmi (0.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Woodson County (north)
 * Allen County (northeast)
 * Neosho County (east)
 * Montgomery County (south)
 * Elk County (west)
 * Greenwood County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,332 people, 4,203 households, and 2,849 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 /mi2. There were 4,937 housing units at an average density of 9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.78% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 1.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,203 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,747, and the median income for a family was $36,990. Males had a median income of $27,255 versus $18,670 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,910. About 7.50% of families and 11.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Wilson County is overwhelmingly Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Wilson County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and none have passed 36 percent since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1998, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * Altoona-Midway USD 387
 * Neodesha USD 461
 * Fredonia USD 484

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Wilson County.

Cities

 * Altoona
 * Benedict
 * Buffalo
 * Coyville
 * Fredonia (county seat)
 * Neodesha
 * New Albany

Unincorporated communities
† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

 * Buxton
 * Lafontaine†
 * Rest
 * Roper
 * Vilas

Townships
Wilson County is divided into fifteen townships. The cities of Fredonia and Neodesha are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Wilson County, Kansas


text:
Wichita County, Kansas

Wichita County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Leoti. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,152. The county was named after the Wichita tribe.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, in accordance with the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1886, Wichita County was established.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 719 sqmi, virtually all of which is land.

Major highways

 * K-25.svg Kansas Highway 25
 * K-96.svg Kansas Highway 96

Adjacent counties

 * Logan County (north)
 * Scott County (east)
 * Kearny County (south)
 * Hamilton County (southwest/Mountain Time border)
 * Greeley County (west/Mountain Time border)
 * Wallace County (northwest/Mountain Time border)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,531 people, 967 households, and 723 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 /mi2. There were 1,119 housing units at an average density of 2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 86.25% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 10.51% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. 18.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 967 households, out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.30% were married couples living together, 5.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 104.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,462, and the median income for a family was $41,034. Males had a median income of $27,523 versus $18,807 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,720. About 11.20% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.20% of those under age 18 and 4.70% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Wichita County is overwhelmingly Republican. It was last carried for the Democratic Party by Jimmy Carter in 1976, but since then the only Democrat to win over a quarter of the county's vote has been Michael Dukakis during the 1988 election when the Democratic vote was boosted by reaction against a major Great Plains drought. In the past six elections no Democrat has topped twenty percent of Wichita County's vote – a situation now almost general in the High Plains.

Laws
Although the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Wichita County has remained a prohibition, or "dry", county. The latest county alcohol control map indicates the county now allows liquor sales.

Education

 * Leoti USD 467

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Wichita County. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

 * Leoti (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Coronado
 * Lydia
 * Marienthal†
 * Selkirk

Ghost towns

 * Farmer City

Townships
Wichita County has a single township. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Wichita County, Kansas


text:
Dioptre

A dioptre (British spelling) or diopter (American spelling), symbol dpt, is a unit of measurement with dimension of reciprocal length, equivalent to one reciprocal metre,. It is normally used to express the optical power of a lens or curved mirror, which is a physical quantity equal to the reciprocal of the focal length, expressed in metres. For example, a 3-dioptre lens brings parallel rays of light to focus at $1/undefined$ metre. A flat window has an optical power of zero dioptres, as it does not cause light to converge or diverge. Dioptres are also sometimes used for other reciprocals of distance, particularly radii of curvature and the vergence of optical beams.

The main benefit of using optical power rather than focal length is that the thin lens formula has the object distance, image distance, and focal length all as reciprocals. Additionally, when relatively thin lenses are placed close together their powers approximately add. Thus, a thin 2.0-dioptre lens placed close to a thin 0.5-dioptre lens yields almost the same focal length as a single 2.5-dioptre lens.

Though the dioptre is based on the SI-metric system, it has not been included in the standard, so that there is no international name or symbol for this unit of measurement—within the international system of units, this unit for optical power would need to be specified explicitly as the inverse metre (m−1). However most languages have borrowed the original name and some national standardization bodies like DIN specify a unit name (dioptrie, dioptria, etc.). In vision care the symbol D is frequently used.

The idea of numbering lenses based on the reciprocal of their focal length in metres was first suggested by Albrecht Nagel in 1866. The term dioptre was proposed by French ophthalmologist Ferdinand Monoyer in 1872, based on earlier use of the term dioptrice by Johannes Kepler.

In vision correction
The fact that optical powers are approximately additive enables an eye care professional to prescribe corrective lenses as a simple correction to the eye's optical power, rather than doing a detailed analysis of the entire optical system (the eye and the lens). Optical power can also be used to adjust a basic prescription for reading. Thus an eye care professional, having determined that a myopic (nearsighted) person requires a basic correction of, say, −2 dioptres to restore normal distance vision, might then make a further prescription of 'add 1' for reading, to make up for lack of accommodation (ability to alter focus). This is the same as saying that −1 dioptre lenses are prescribed for reading.

In humans, the total optical power of the relaxed eye is approximately 60 dioptres. The cornea accounts for approximately two-thirds of this refractive power (about 40 dioptres) and the crystalline lens contributes the remaining one-third (about 20 dioptres). In focusing, the ciliary muscle contracts to reduce the tension or stress transferred to the lens by the suspensory ligaments. This results in increased convexity of the lens which in turn increases the optical power of the eye. The amplitude of accommodation is about 11 to 16 dioptres at age 15, decreasing to about 10 dioptres at age 25, and to around 1 dioptre above age 60.

Convex lenses have positive dioptric value and are generally used to correct hyperopia (farsightedness) or to allow people with presbyopia (the limited accommodation of advancing age) to read at close range. Over the counter reading glasses are rated at +1.00 to +4.00 dioptres. Concave lenses have negative dioptric value and generally correct myopia (nearsightedness). Typical glasses for mild myopia have a power of −0.50 to −3.00 dioptres. Optometrists usually measure refractive error using lenses graded in steps of 0.25 dioptres.

Curvature
The dioptre can also be used as a measurement of curvature equal to the reciprocal of the radius measured in metres. For example, a circle with a radius of 1/2 metre has a curvature of 2 dioptres. If the curvature of a surface of a lens is C and the index of refraction is n, the optical power is φ = (n − 1)C. If both surfaces of the lens are curved, consider their curvatures as positive toward the lens and add them. This gives approximately the right result, as long as the thickness of the lens is much less than the radius of curvature of one of the surfaces. For a mirror the optical power is φ = 2C.

Relation to magnifying power
The magnifying power $V$ of a simple magnifying glass is related to its optical power $φ$ by
 * $$V = 0.25\ \mathrm{m} \times \varphi + 1$$.

This is approximately the magnification observed when a person with normal vision holds the magnifying glass close to his or her eye.

title: Dioptre


text:
Washington County, Kansas

Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Washington. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,530. The county was named for George Washington, the 1st president of the United States.

Early history
For millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. Numerous tribes lived on the Great Plains including the: Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Sioux, Ute, Otoe, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Omaha, Ponca, Pawnee, and Wichita. These tribes were sustained by a seemingly inexhaustible supply of buffalo that then numbered in the tens of millions. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1857, Washington County was established. The Oregon-California Trail, the Overland Stage Line, and the Pony Express all ran through Washington County. The Hollenberg Way Station opened in 1857 and operated until 1872 in the northeast corner of the county.

21st century
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Washington County, with much concern over tax exemption and environmental issues when a leak occurs. The pipeline was shut down on December 7, 2022, after a leak was detected near the community of Washington. It reopened on December 29, 2022.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 899 sqmi, of which 895 sqmi is land and 3.9 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Jefferson County, Nebraska (north)
 * Gage County, Nebraska (northeast)
 * Marshall County (east)
 * Riley County (southeast)
 * Clay County (south)
 * Cloud County (southwest)
 * Republic County (west)
 * Thayer County, Nebraska (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,483 people, 2,673 households, and 1,780 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 /mi2. There were 3,142 housing units at an average density of 4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.90% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,673 households, out of which 26.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 4.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 31.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 25.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,363, and the median income for a family was $37,260. Males had a median income of $25,074 versus $18,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,515. About 7.30% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.20% of those under age 18 and 12.40% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Washington County is overwhelmingly Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won Washington County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and Roosevelt remains the solitary Democrat to ever win a majority in the county. Since 1940 only Lyndon Johnson in 1964 has reached forty percent of Washington County's vote for the Democratic Party.

Laws
Washington County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Education
The county is served by:
 * Washington County USD 108
 * Barnes–Hanover–Linn USD 223

 * School district office in neighboring county
 * Clifton–Clyde USD 224

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Washington County.

Cities
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.

 * Barnes
 * Clifton‡
 * Greenleaf
 * Haddam
 * Hanover
 * Hollenberg
 * Linn
 * Mahaska
 * Morrowville
 * Palmer
 * Vining‡
 * Washington (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Lanham‡

Ghost towns

 * Strawberry

Townships
Washington County is divided into twenty-five townships. The city of Washington is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Washington County, Kansas


text:
Wallace County, Kansas

Wallace County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Sharon Springs. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 1,512, making it the second-least populous county in Kansas (Greeley County is the least). The county was created in 1868 and named in honor of Brigadier General W.H.L. Wallace, who had been mortally wounded in combat in the Battle of Shiloh. Wallace County is home to Mount Sunflower, the highest point in Kansas at 4,039 ft. Mount Sunflower is located approximately 15 mi north-northwest of Weskan, less than 1 mi from the Colorado state line. It is one of four Kansas counties to use the Mountain Time Zone rather than the Central Time Zone like the remainder of Kansas.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1868, Wallace County was established.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 914 sqmi, of which 914 sqmi is land and 0.05 sqmi (0.01%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Sherman County (north)
 * Logan County (east/Central Time border)
 * Wichita County (southeast/Central Time border)
 * Greeley County (south)
 * Cheyenne County, Colorado (west)
 * Kit Carson County, Colorado (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,749 people, 674 households, and 477 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 /mi2. There were 791 housing units at an average density of 1 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.63% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 2.52% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. 4.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 674 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.60% were married couples living together, 4.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.10% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,000, and the median income for a family was $42,022. Males had a median income of $25,610 versus $18,333 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,016. About 10.70% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.50% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Wallace has long been one of the most overwhelmingly Republican of all the state's counties. Only two Democratic presidential nominees have ever won Wallace County – Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Since 1944 only three Democratic presidential candidates have won 31 percent of Wallace County's vote – Harry S. Truman in 1948, Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and Jimmy Carter in 1976 – whilst since 1980 only Michael Dukakis during the drought-affected 1988 election has obtained so much as seventeen percent for the Democratic Party. Indeed, in the 2016 election Hillary Clinton recorded less than six percent of the county's vote, whilst the last six Republican nominees have all exceeded 80 percent. In the 2012, 2016, and 2020 elections, Wallace was the only county in Kansas to give over 90% of the vote to the Republican nominee, namely Mitt Romney followed by Donald Trump.

Laws
Although the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Wallace County has remained a prohibition, or "dry", county, the only such county remaining in the state as of March 2023.

Unified school districts

 * Wallace County USD 241
 * Weskan USD 242

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Wallace County. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

 * Sharon Springs (county seat)
 * Wallace

Unincorporated communities

 * Weskan†

Townships
Wallace County is divided into four townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Wallace County, Kansas


text:
Wabaunsee County, Kansas

Wabaunsee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Alma. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 6,877. The county was named for Chief Waubonsie of the Potawatomi Indians.

19th century
For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The first white settlers in the area were said to have been a band of outlaws known as the McDaniel Gang.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized and Wabaunsee County was created by the territorial legislature on March 25, 1859. The name used since 1859 is derived from the Potawatomi "Wah-bon-seh", meaning "dawn of day" literally, and it was the name of the chief of the Potawatomi Indians. Originally, the county was named Richardson, after William Alexander Richardson, a congressman from Illinois, who introduced the first Kansas and Nebraska Bill in the House of Representatives, which made certain Indian lands territories in 1854.

Also in 1854, the Beecher Bible and Rifle Church was established by a group of free-staters, who had rifles shipped to the church to be used in the free-state effort in boxes marked Bibles. Captain William Mitchell, Jr., a seaman who joined the Beecher Bible and Rifle Colony that settled in Wabaunsee, played an important role in the county settlement and with the underground railroad.

The county's first church, Wabaunsee Church of Christ, was founded in June 1857.

In 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state, entering the union as a free state.

The first railroad to be built through Wabaunsee County was the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe in 1880. In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Topeka to Herington. This main line connected Topeka, Valencia, Willard, Maple Hill, Vera, Paxico, McFarland, Alma, Volland, Alta Vista, Dwight, White City, Latimer, Herington.

20th century
A massive drought beginning in 1930 resulted in a series of dust storms that lasted until 1941. The drought combined with the onset of the Great Depression, forced farmers off the land. This ecological disaster caused an exodus of many farmers to escape from the hostile environment of Kansas. As the world demand for wheat plummeted, rural Kansas became poverty-stricken. The state became an eager participant in such major New Deal relief programs as the Civil Works Administration, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration, which put tens of thousands of Kansans to work as unskilled labor. Republican Governor Alf Landon also employed emergency measures, including a moratorium on mortgage foreclosures and a balanced budget initiative. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration succeeded in raising wheat prices after 1933, thus alleviating the most serious distress.

During World War II, the U.S. Army located a German prisoner of war camp at Lake Wabaunsee, near Eskridge. It was believed that the prisoners would be less of a security risk in North America, where there were fewer Nazi sympathizers, than they would be in Europe. The prisoners were paid $0.40 per hour and granted a daily noon lunch, in exchange for their help on farms and bridges throughout the region.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 800 sqmi, of which 794 sqmi is land and 5.3 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Pottawatomie County (north)
 * Shawnee County (east)
 * Osage County (southeast)
 * Lyon County (south)
 * Morris County (southwest)
 * Geary County (west)
 * Riley County (northwest)

Demographics

Wabaunsee County is part of the Topeka, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,885 people, 2,633 households, and 1,958 families residing in the county. The population density was 9 /mi2. There were 3,033 housing units at an average density of 4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.24% White, 0.46% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,633 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.30% were married couples living together, 6.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.60% were non-families. 23.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.70% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,710, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $31,629 versus $23,148 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,704. About 5.80% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.40% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government
County governance is overseen by a three member Board of Commissioners, each of whom is responsible for a separate district.

Presidential elections
Wabaunsee County is overwhelmingly Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won Wabaunsee County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and since at least 1888 only Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, plus William Jennings Bryan in 1896, have reached 41 percent of the county's vote for the Democratic Party. The county was however one of three Kansas counties – Anderson and Jefferson being the other two – to give a plurality to Ross Perot in 1992.

Laws
Wabaunsee County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * Wamego USD 320
 * Wabaunsee USD 329
 * Mission Valley USD 330

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Wabaunsee County.

Cities
‡ denotes a community with portions in an adjacent county.

 * Alma (county seat)
 * Alta Vista
 * Eskridge
 * Harveyville
 * Maple Hill
 * McFarland
 * Paxico
 * St. Marys‡
 * Willard‡

Unincorporated communities
† denotes a community which is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

 * Keene
 * Newbury†
 * Volland
 * Wabaunsee†
 * Wilmington

Ghost towns

 * Bradford
 * Vera

Townships
Wabaunsee County is divided into thirteen townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Wabaunsee County, Kansas


text:
Trego County, Kansas

Trego County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is WaKeeney. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,808. The county was named for Edgar Trego.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1879, Trego County was established.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 900 sqmi, of which 889 sqmi is land and 10 sqmi (1.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Graham County (north)
 * Rooks County (northeast)
 * Ellis County (east)
 * Ness County (south)
 * Gove County (west)

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-70.svg|25px]] Interstate 70
 * [[Image:US 40.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 40
 * [[Image:US 283.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 283
 * [[Image:K-147.svg|25px]] K-147

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,319 people, 1,412 households, and 936 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 /sqmi. There were 1,723 housing units at an average density of 2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.77% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,412 households, out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 6.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 31.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 24.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,677, and the median income for a family was $40,524. Males had a median income of $26,545 versus $16,927 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,239. About 11.20% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Trego County is often carried by Republican candidates. The last time a Democratic candidate has carried this county was in 1964. The county has generally voted for Republican candidates by a larger margin by each passing election.

Laws
Trego County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * WaKeeney USD 208

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Trego County. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

 * Collyer
 * WaKeeney (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Ogallah†
 * Riga
 * Voda

Ghost towns

 * Banner
 * Bosna
 * Cyrus
 * Wilcox

Townships
Trego County is divided into seven townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

Former towns and settlements in the county include Wilcox.

title: Trego County, Kansas


text:
Thomas County, Kansas

Thomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Colby. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 7,930. The county was named after George Thomas, a general during the American Civil War.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. Thomas County was founded on October 8, 1885. It was named for George Henry Thomas, a Union general during the American Civil War, hero of the Battle of Chickamauga. The townships of the county were named after the soldiers that died at the Battle of Chickamauga.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1075 sqmi, of which 1075 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.01%) is water.

Major highways

 * I-70.svg Interstate 70
 * US 24.svg U.S. Highway 24
 * US 83.svg U.S. Highway 83
 * K-25.svg Kansas Highway 25

Adjacent counties

 * Rawlins County (north)
 * Decatur County (northeast)
 * Sheridan County (east)
 * Gove County (southeast)
 * Logan County (south)
 * Sherman County (west/Mountain Time border)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,180 people, 3,226 households, and 2,125 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 /mi2. There were 3,562 housing units at an average density of 3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.14% White, 0.43% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,226 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 13.50% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,034, and the median income for a family was $45,931. Males had a median income of $33,833 versus $21,310 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,028. About 6.60% of families and 9.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.90% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Thomas County is strongly Republican, and has increasingly been this way over the past few election cycles. The last time a Democratic candidate has carried Thomas County was in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Laws
Thomas County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Colleges

 * Colby Community College

Unified school districts

 * Brewster USD 314
 * Colby USD 315
 * Golden Plains USD 316

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Thomas County. ‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

 * Brewster
 * Colby (county seat)
 * Gem
 * Menlo
 * Oakley‡
 * Rexford

Unincorporated communities

 * Halford
 * Levant†
 * Mingo

Ghost towns

 * Copeland
 * Cumberland
 * Kuka
 * Otterbourne
 * Quickville

Townships
Thomas County is divided into thirteen townships. The townships were named in honor of men who were killed at the Battle of Chickamauga. The city of Colby is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. Geographically, Colby is surrounded by Morgan Township. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Thomas County, Kansas


text:
Sumner County, Kansas

Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Wellington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,382. The county is named after Charles Sumner, a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts who was a leader of Reconstruction politics.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles.

In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1848, after the Mexican–American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Spain brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

19th century
On February 26, 1867, Sumner County was created from parts of Marion County and Butler County. It was named in honor of Charles Sumner, a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1811–74), who was a strong advocate of Kansas becoming a free state.

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north–south from Herington to Caldwell. This branch line connected Herington, Lost Springs, Lincolnville, Antelope, Marion, Aulne, Peabody, Elbing, Whitewater, Furley, Kechi, Wichita, Peck, Corbin, Wellington, Caldwell. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas. This line is called the "OKT". The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

21st century
In December 2011, the Kansas Star Casino opened approximately 4.5 mi west of the center of Mulvane, adjacent to an exit on the Kansas Turnpike that was added in the mid-1980s. The casino is located a couple blocks west of the turnpike exit.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1185 sqmi, of which 1182 sqmi is land and 3.0 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Sedgwick County (north)
 * Butler County (northeast)
 * Cowley County (east)
 * Kay County, Oklahoma (southeast)
 * Grant County, Oklahoma (southwest)
 * Harper County (west)
 * Kingman County (northwest)

Demographics

Sumner County is part of the Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,946 people, 9,888 households, and 7,089 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 /mi2. There were 10,877 housing units at an average density of 9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.62% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. 3.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,888 households, out of which 34.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,415, and the median income for a family was $46,739. Males had a median income of $36,616 versus $23,020 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,305. About 7.20% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Sumner County, like many neighboring counties, often votes for the Republican Party in presidential elections. However, in 1992 independent candidate Ross Perot came within two percent of winning the county against George H. W. Bush. The last time the county voted for a Democratic candidate was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Sumner County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1992, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * Mulvane USD 263
 * Wellington USD 353
 * Conway Springs USD 356
 * Belle Plaine USD 357
 * Oxford USD 358
 * Argonia USD 359
 * Caldwell USD 360
 * South Haven USD 509

Communities
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Sumner County.

Cities
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.

 * Argonia
 * Belle Plaine
 * Caldwell
 * Conway Springs
 * Geuda Springs‡
 * Hunnewell
 * Mayfield
 * Milan
 * Mulvane‡
 * Oxford
 * South Haven
 * Wellington (county seat)

Unincorporated communities
† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

 * Adamsville
 * Anson
 * Ashton
 * Cicero
 * Corbin
 * Dalton
 * Drury
 * Millerton
 * Milton†
 * Peck†‡
 * Perth
 * Portland
 * Riverdale
 * Rome
 * Suppesville
 * Zyba

Ghost towns

 * Ewell

Townships
Sumner County is divided into thirty townships. The cities of Caldwell and Wellington are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

title: Sumner County, Kansas