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Ellis County, Kansas

Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 28,934. The county was named for George Ellis, a first lieutenant of the Twelfth Kansas Infantry. Ellis County is the official German Capital of Kansas. German immigrants settled in Hays, Ellis, Victoria, and nearby villages in the 1870s and 1880s.

19th century
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

Ellis County was established by an act of the state legislature on 1873-02-16, which defined the original borders of the county as: The first settlers had been arriving since May 1867, with Fort Fletcher (later Fort Hays) having been built in 1865.

Independent county government was established in October 1867, by proclamation of Governor Samuel J. Crawford in response to a petition. Hays was chosen as the permanent seat by an election in April 1870. Early settlers the Lull brothers, from Salina, had in May 1867 begun a town called Rome just north of the railroad route and on the west of Big Creek, expecting that to become the county seat. It gained a general supply store, Bloomfield, Moses & Co, the following month, and a hotel run by Joseph Perry. However, the Big Creek Land Company platted a competing town named Hays City on the east of Big Creek, which gained the important support of the railroad company. Rome disappeared, with Perry's hotel and several other of its buildings being relocated to Hays City.

Ellis County was named for George Ellis, first lieutenant of the Twelfth Kansas Infantry.

The county's early newspapers were the Star-Sentinel, Hays City Times, and Ellis County Free Press published in Hays City; and the Ellis Head-Light and Ellis Review published in Ellis.

English and Russian-German immigrants
The initial wave of settlement was slow, with three colonies being established in 1872. George Grant, a wealthy Scottish merchant, purchased 70000 acre of land that year, and some 300 farmers from England settled there over the next two years. Grant bought the land from the Kansas Pacific Railroad with the intention of creating a community of British aristocrats and agriculturalists in the middle of rural Kansas. His first town was Victoria named after Queen Victoria where Victoria Manor, a two story stone structure, acted as temporary housing for the immigrants and as a transport depot for the Kansas Pacific. His sales pitch to the immigrants was that it was cheaper to buy land in Kansas at US$11 per acre (Grant himself having purchased it at US$0.88 per acre) than it was to buy land in Britain, and that Grant would till the land and seed it with imported British stock.

The first wave of young British aristocrat families set sail on 1873-04-01. Stories of the time recorded them as not becoming agriculturalists, as Grant had hoped, but mainly indulging in aristocratic pursuits whilst living off family remittances, including hunting the local wildlife. Another story recounts them placing a dam across Big Creek to make a lake between Victoria and Hays which they then sailed across in a steamboat until the dam was broken by a flood; although at the time of the Ellis county centennial in the 1970s one local resident expressed doubts at the historical veracity of this tale, considering the geography of Big Creek in that area.

However, whilst Grant himself put in great effort to start the colony, including importing Black Angus cattle and running his own cattle farm to the south of Victoria, he died in 1878 and after his death all of the British aristocrats had returned to Britain. A plague of grasshoppers in 1874 drove many away, to be replaced in 1875 by many Russian immigrants.

The Russian immigrants were, more strictly speaking, Volga Germans who had settled in Russia in 1760. The Russification policies begun in 1871 by Alexander II, and especially the 1874-01-13 reversal of the original decree that had exempted them from conscription into the Russian military when they had settled in Russia in the first place, prompted them to look to the United States and elsewhere.

Originally five delegates went on a ten day exploratory mission to Nebraska. Later in December 1874, a four-person delegation went to Topeka and Larned in Kansas, reporting unfavourably on what they found. However, in the meantime the first Germans had been conscripted in November 1874, spurring many to emigrate anyway, which they did arriving in Baltimore on 1875-11-23 and in Topeka on the 28th. Initially deterred from homesteading by the US$5 per acre price of land in North Topeka, they were escorted on three tours of Ellis county by A. Roedelheiner of the Kansas Pacific.

Their initial tour of land around Hog Back almost persuaded the immigrants to return to Russia, but they were shown further land on the Smoky Hill River and near what was to become Catherine and Herzog. This Ellis land was cheaper at US$2.5 per acre, and so on 1876-02-21 fourteen German families came to Hays and from there moved to Liebenthal in Rush County. Three families from Katherinenstadt in Russia also came to Hays on 1876-03-01 and, whilst temporarily renting accommodation therein, built their homes in Catherine to which they moved on 1876-04-08.

Twenty-three families settled in the failing British colony at Victoria on 1876-04-08, settling on the east bank of Victoria Creek just west of where Victoria now exists. Another large wave of immigrants left Russia in June 1876, and some of them arrived in Hays on 1876-07-26 and in Catherine the next day. Others took a different route and arrived and settled in Topeka. Thirteen of the families arrived in Hays on 1876-08-20 and settled in Pfeifer the next day.

One of the largest wave of immigrants was 104 families (originally to be 108, but 4 had been held back because family members had been conscripted, which legally prevented them from emigrating from Russia) in 1876. The Mennonites in the group settled in Nebraska, with the others arrived in Victoria on 1876-08-03 and from there settled in Herzog. The settlers of Munjor stayed in Herzog for two months, before settling on Big Creek just north of the present location of Munjor.

A small wave of immigrants followed the first wave to Pfeifer in late September 1876, with another small wave from Katherinenstadt arriving in Catherine on 1876-09-26. The last 1876 wave of immigrants settled in Munjor.

The German immigrants founded Schoenchen in 1877, some coming directly from Schoenchen in Russia, some coming from Liebenthal in Rush County. Their original plan had been to move from Liebenthal to another site in Rush, but the place that they had chosen was school land that they could not afford, meaning that they could not deed enough of it to the community to erect their church, whilst at the same time land for a church had been deeded in Liebenthal. In recrimination, the Rush county settlers moved to Ellis, joining the direct immigrant party at Schoenchen in April and May 1877. Two other small waves came that year, one to Catherine on 1877-08-06 from Katherinenstadt, and one to Pfiefer from Pfiefer and Kamenka in Russia.

Immigration began to wane in 1878, with a party from Katherinenstadt arriving on 1878-06-20 to settle in Herzog and Pfeifer, and another party from Obermonjour in late July/early August. By this point, property prices had been depressed back in Russia by all of the sales made by the preceding emigrants, and further emigrants were now emigrating at a net loss. Another party, having had to cover the Russian emigration fees through deceit, claiming that two of their number had died to officials who only dealt with the two people who left the train, since the party collectively had not enough money for all even though they had pooled their funds, arrived in Herzog and Munjor and was the last large wave of Volga German immigrants to Ellis.

By 1903, there had been 222 immigrants to Catherine, some going thence elsewhere. Munjor grew from 130 families, 794 people, in 1897 to 156 families, 931 people, by 1900. The largest of the Volga German settlements was Herzog, having roughly 1700 people (measured from church congregation size as accounted in the Victoria Chronicle) in 1895, with Pfeifer and Schoenchen coming fourth and fifth.

20th century
In 1942, the Walker Army Airfield was built northwest of Walker. Thousands were stationed at the airfield for training of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress during World War II. The airfield was abandoned and most of it razed.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 900 sqmi, of which 900 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi (0.05%) is water.

Geology and hydrology
The county is crossed by the Saline River across the north, with its principal branch being Eagle Creek. Other rivers include Big Creek, with its principal tributary Victoria Creek, which is in turn a tributary of the Smoky Hill River which flows across the south. The county had several salt marshes in 1886.

The river banks had a lot of limestone, and around Hays City in the 19th century there was a lot of clay.

Adjacent counties

 * Rooks County (north)
 * Osborne County (northeast)
 * Russell County (east)
 * Rush County (south)
 * Ness County (southwest)
 * Trego County (west)

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-70.svg|25px]] Interstate 70
 * [[Image:US 183.svg|20px]] US-183

Airport
Hays Regional Airport is located within the county. Used primarily for general aviation, it hosts one commercial airline United Express, which offers daily jet service to Denver, Colorado.

Demographics

The Hays Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Ellis County.

In 1886, the population was 5.842, having risen from 5,046 in 1885. In 1910, the population was 12,170.

, there were 27,507 people, 11,193 households, and 6,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 /mi2. There were 12,078 housing units at an average density of 13 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.10% White, 0.67% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.37% of the population.

There were 11,193 households, out of which 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.50% were non-families. 30.10% 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 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.40% under the age of 18, 18.40% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 19.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,339, and the median income for a family was $44,498. Males had a median income of $29,885 versus $21,269 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,259. About 6.50% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Ellis County is an anomaly in western Kansas, having voted several times for Democratic presidential candidates, even when the vast majority of the state's 105 counties went for the Republican nominee. This is due to the county's distinctive (in Kansas) German Catholic heritage, contrasting with the Southern “Bible Belt” or Yankee heritage of most rural Kansas counties. It was the solitary county in Kansas to support Catholic Al Smith over Herbert Hoover in 1928, when Kansas was Hoover's strongest state nationwide, and also was won by John F. Kennedy in 1960 by almost thirty percent as one of only two Kansas counties to back the Massachusetts Senator. Ellis County bucked the national and statewide trend by voting for Michael Dukakis over winner George H. W. Bush in the 1988 presidential election, one of only three Kansas counties to go for Dukakis. Ellis County gave a plurality to Bill Clinton over Bush and Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential election, but has been solidly in the Republican column since, giving 66 percent to Republican John McCain to 32 percent for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 election, higher than the 57 percent McCain won statewide.

Laws
Wild Bill Hickok served as sheriff in 1870. Ellis 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% food sales requirement. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1988.

Unified school districts
There were 44 school districts by 1886.
 * Ellis USD 388
 * western third of county; small portion in extreme eastern Trego County
 * Victoria USD 432
 * eastern third of county to Russell county line
 * Hays USD 489
 * extends to Rooks and Rush county lines and approximately five miles each way on I-70 from city center

Private schools

 * Holy Family Elementary in Hays
 * St. Mary's Elementary in Ellis
 * Thomas More Prep-Marian High in Hays

Universities and Colleges

 * Fort Hays State University
 * North Central Kansas Technical College

Communities
Many settlements in Ellis are named after the original settlements in Russia from which the Volga Germans immigrated, including Catherine from Katherinenstatd (a.k.a. Baronsk and founded in 1765 by Baron de Beauregard), Shoenchen (a.k.a. Paninskoje and founded in 1767), Pfeifer (a.k.a. Gniluska and founded in 1766), Herzog (founded in 1764), and Munjor from Obermonjour (founded 1766) and Neo-Obermonjour (founded 1859). In 1886, there were twelve post offices in the county: Catharine, Easdale, Ellis, Hays City, Martin, Mendota, Munjor, Palatine, Stockrange, Turkville, Victoria, and Walker.

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

Cities

 * Ellis
 * Hays (county seat)
 * Schoenchen
 * Victoria

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

 * Antonino
 * Catharine†
 * Emmeram
 * Munjor†
 * Pfeifer
 * Toulon
 * Walker
 * Yocemento

Ghost towns
In the 19th and early 20th century there were various communities that no longer exist today:

 * Chetolah
 * Easdale
 * Hog Back
 * Mendota in Hamilton Township 20 mile north-west of Hays
 * Norfolk in Freedom Township 16 mile south-east of Hays
 * Rome
 * Smoky Hill in Smoky Hill Township 15 mile south-west of Hays
 * Stockrange
 * Turkville

Townships
Ellis County is divided into nine townships. The cities of Ellis and Hays 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.

At the start of the 20th century, the townships were: Big Creek, Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Freedom, Hamilton, Herzog, Lookout, Pleasant Hill, Saline, Smoky Hill, Victoria, Walker, and Wheatlan.

title: Ellis County, Kansas


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Elk County, Kansas

Elk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Howard. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,483. The county was named for the Elk River.

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, after first serving as an area to relocate Native American tribes from the east, the United States organized Kansas Territory. In 1861, Kansas was admitted as the 34th U.S. state. The area that today is Elk County was, for a brief period, reserved to the Osage Indians as hunting grounds for buffalo and other game. In 1867, when Howard County was formed, it encompassed both present day Elk and Chautauqua counties. Disputes over county seats caused a division. In 1875, Elk County was established, named for the Elk River.

The first railroad in Elk County was built in 1879. It connected cattle ranches and farms to eastern markets.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 650 sqmi, of which 644 sqmi is land and 6.2 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Greenwood County (north)
 * Wilson County (east)
 * Montgomery County (southeast)
 * Chautauqua County (south)
 * Cowley County (southwest)
 * Butler County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 3,261 people, 1,412 households, and 923 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 /mi2. There were 1,860 housing units at an average density of 3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.06% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.20% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.

There were 1,412 households, out of which 24.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.60% were non-families. 32.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.50% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 20.00% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 25.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,267, and the median income for a family was $34,148. Males had a median income of $28,580 versus $16,219 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,066. About 9.20% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.80% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over.

Laws
The Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink, with approval by voters. Elk County voters have chosen to remain a prohibition, or "dry", county.

Unified school districts

 * West Elk USD 282
 * Elk Valley USD 283

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

Cities

 * Elk Falls
 * Grenola
 * Howard (county seat)
 * Longton
 * Moline

Unincorporated communities

 * Busby
 * Oak Valley

Ghost towns

 * Cave Springs
 * Fiat
 * Upola

Townships
Elk County is divided into ten townships. None of the cities within the county is designated as governmentally independent. All population 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.

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

title: Elk County, Kansas


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Edwards County, Kansas

Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. states of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Kinsley. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,907, The county was founded in 1874 and named for W. C. Edwards, of Hutchinson, a pioneer settler who owned much land in the area.

History
In 1873, Edwards County was established, and named for W. C. Edwards, of Hutchinson, a pioneer settler who owned much land in the area and built the first brick building in Kinsley.

N.C. Boles became the first postmaster in the county with the opening of the Peters post office at Kinsley, then known as Petersboro in 1873. Kinsley's present name honors E.W. Kinsley, a Bostonian who generously funded the construction of the first church edifice, a Congregationalist building completed in 1875.

The infamous grasshopper raid of 1874 decimated crops, leaving many residents without means to sustain themselves. The county commissioners petitioned Governor Osborn for aid, emphasizing the plight of families and advocating for work programs over handouts.

In its first decade, Kinsley suffered two planned train robberies, as well as a bank robbery on December 9, 1882. The County Treasurer, J. W. Crawford, was implicated in the bank robbery and removed from office.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622 sqmi, of which 622 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.01%) is water.

Geographic Features
The Arkansas River flows through Edwards County from the southwest corner to the Pawnee County line near U.S. Route 56.

Major highways
Three U.S. Routes run through Edwards County, all meeting in Kinsley. An east–west route, U.S. Route 50 circumvents Belpre and Lewis before joining with westbound U.S. Route 56 in Kinsley. The single road then passes through Offerle and west into Ford County. U.S. Route 183 runs from Kiowa County in the south to Kinsley, where it joins eastbound U.S. 56, running as a single highway to Pawnee County. K-19 starts at U.S. Route 50 near Belpre, and travels north into Pawnee County.

Adjacent counties

 * Pawnee County (north)
 * Stafford County (east)
 * Pratt County (southeast)
 * Kiowa County (south)
 * Ford County (southwest)
 * Hodgeman County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 3,449 people, 1,455 households, and 955 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 /mi2. There were 1,754 housing units at an average density of 3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 92.52% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 5.57% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.71% of the population.

There were 1,455 households, out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 6.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 32.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,530, and the median income for a family was $38,250. Males had a median income of $27,050 versus $20,132 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,586. About 7.00% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.

Laws
Edwards 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% food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * Kinsley-Offerle USD 347
 * Lewis USD 502

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

Cities

 * Belpre
 * Kinsley (county seat)
 * Lewis
 * Offerle

Unincorporated communities

 * Centerview
 * Fellsburg
 * Nettleton
 * Trousdale

Townships
Edwards County is divided into ten townships. The city of Kinsley 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: Edwards County, Kansas


text:
Douglas County, Kansas

Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 118,785, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kansas. The county was named after Stephen Douglas, a U.S. Senator from Illinois and advocate for the popular sovereignty choice in the Kansas slavery debate.

Early history
For 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 via the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, although the former country kept 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.

19th century
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Douglas County was established. Douglas County was opened for settlement on May 15, 1854, and was named for Stephen A. Douglas, a senator from Illinois. The county was practically at the center of the Bleeding Kansas years as leaders in Lecompton (the territorial capital) wanted Kansas to be a slave state, whereas leaders in Lawrence wanted Kansas to be a free state. The pro- and anti-slavery settlers held great animosity towards one another, leading to many events, such as the drafting of the Lecompton Constitution (which would have admitted Kansas into the Union as a slave state), the Wakarusa War (1855), the Sack of Lawrence (1856), Battle of Black Jack (1856), and the Lawrence Massacre (1863).

The first railroad in Douglas County, the Kansas Pacific, was built through that territory in 1864.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 475 sqmi, of which 456 sqmi is land and 19 sqmi (4.0%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Kansas by land area. Much of its northern boundary is defined by the Kansas River, which flows through Lawrence and provides hydropower at the Bowersock Dam.

Lakes

 * Clinton Lake
 * Lone Star Lake

Adjacent counties

 * Jefferson County (north)
 * Leavenworth County (northeast)
 * Johnson County (east)
 * Miami County (southeast)
 * Franklin County (south)
 * Osage County (southwest)
 * Shawnee County (northwest)

Demographics

Douglas County comprises the Lawrence, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 99,962 people, 38,486 households, and 21,167 families residing in the county. The population density was 219 /mi2. There were 40,250 housing units at an average density of 88 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 86.1% White, 4.2% Black or African American, 2.6% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.

There were 38,486 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 26.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,547, and the median income for a family was $53,991. Males had a median income of $35,577 versus $27,225 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,952. About 6.2% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

County
In recent years, since the 1990s, the Democratic Party has been dominant in Douglas County. Democrats control all County-wide offices in the county. Douglas County is currently served by county commissioners Patrick Kelly, Shannon Reid, and Karen Willey, all are Democrats. According to the Kansas Secretary of State's office, as of July 2021, there were 35,146 registered Democrats, 22,324 registered Republicans, 900 registered Libertarians, and 21,474 Independents in the county.

State
Democratic state representatives representing portions of the county include Eileen Horn (10th District), Barbara Ballard (44th District), Mike Amyx (45th District), and Dennis Highberger (46th District); Republican state representatives include Jim Karleskint (42nd District), and Ken Corbet (54th District). The three state senators representing the county, Marci Francisco (2nd District), Tom Holland (3rd District), and Anthony Hensley (19th District), are all Democrats.

Presidential elections
Douglas County has a political history more typical of Vermont and Maine than of the Great Plains. This is due to the county's strong New England roots. It voted for the Republican candidate in every Presidential election between 1864 and 1960, except in 1912 when the GOP was mortally divided and the county supported Progressive Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt would later rejoin the GOP. The county reverted to form and gave Republican presidential nominees over 60 percent of the vote in every election between 1920 and 1960 (except 1932 when Herbert Hoover received 58.7 percent).

This tradition was broken in 1964, when the conservative sentiment and Western origins of Barry Goldwater drove the county into Lyndon B. Johnson's hands, making Johnson the first Democrat ever to carry the county. Even then, however, Goldwater managed 45 percent of the county's vote. With more moderate GOP candidates, the GOP carried the county in every election between 1968 and 1988. During this time, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Michael Dukakis in 1988 were the only Democrats to come reasonably close to carrying the county.

However, the growing transformation of Lawrence into a liberal academic center has pulled the county into the Democratic column in every election since 1992. This was typical of many counties around the country dominated by college towns. In 2004, John Kerry became only the second Democrat to win a majority of the county's vote. Since then, Douglas County has been one of the most Democratic counties in Kansas. In 2016 and 2020, for instance, Donald Trump turned in the worst showings on record for a Republican in the county without the presence of a credible third-party challenger on the ballot. In most elections since the turn of the millennium, only Wyandotte County has been more Democratic. In the 2018 governor's race, however, Douglas County was Democratic nominee Laura Kelly's strongest county.

Since the 1990s, Douglas and Wyandotte have frequently been the only two counties in the state to vote for Democratic presidential candidates although that has changed as of 2020.

Laws
The county overwhelmingly voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 81% to 19%, outpacing its support of Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.

Law enforcement
The Douglas County Sheriff's office has two divisions, Corrections, which operates a 185-bed jail, and Operations. The Operations Division includes a dive team, a patrol, and a warrants unit. The department works with other local police agencies at the University of Kansas, Lawrence Police Department (Kansas), Eudora, and Baldwin City. the sheriff is Jay T. Armbrister.

Universities

 * Baker University, the state's oldest university, is located in Baldwin City.
 * Haskell Indian Nations University is located in Lawrence.
 * University of Kansas (KU) main campus is located in Lawrence.

Unified school districts
Douglas County is served by seven school districts.
 * Lawrence USD 497 - serves Lawrence, the Clinton Lake area, and parts of rural Douglas County that surround Lawrence.
 * Baldwin City USD 348 - serves Baldwin City and most of southern Douglas County.
 * Eudora USD 491 - serves Eudora and the northeast part of the county.

 * School district office in neighboring county
 * Perry-Lecompton USD 343 serves Lecompton and most of northwest Douglas County.
 * Shawnee Heights USD 450 - services the extreme western part of the county including Big Springs.
 * Santa Fe Trail USD 434 - an Osage County school district that covers the far southwest part of the county.
 * Wellsville USD 289 - covers extreme southeast Douglas County.

Parks
Clinton Lake, completed in 1980, offers boating, fishing and other water sports and various parks surrounding the lake provides camping and trails for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding.

Lone Star Lake is a small country lake to the southwest of Lawrence offers fishing, boating and camping. Just northeast of Baldwin City is Douglas State Fishing Lake which provides hunting, fishing and limited camping. Other parks around the county include Black Jack Park which includes the Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve and Robert Hall Pearson Memorial Park, Broken Arrow Park in Lawrence and Wells Overlook Park just south of Lawrence.

Events
Major events in the county include the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin City every third full weekend in October. Lecompton's Territorial Days take place every year in June and Lawrence has many parades throughout the year including Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.

Major highways

 * , runs east to west just north of Lawrence.
 * runs north to south through the middle of the county and the middle of Lawrence.
 * virtually follows the Oregon Trail heading west out of Lawrence.
 * runs east to west in the southern half of the county, going through Baldwin City and skirts the Santa Fe Trail.
 * runs from the I-70 Lecompton Exchange along the south and west border of Lawrence to US-59 then north until 23rd Street where it heads east out of town into Johnson County.

Other major highways include:
 * which is in Grant township leading from Leavenworth to Jefferson County.
 * starts just outside Lawrence and leads into Leavenworth County.
 * is in extreme southeast Douglas County and leads into Franklin County.

County Highways
Douglas County also maintains an extensive network of county highways to serve the rural areas of the county. None of these county highways is in the Lawrence city limits.

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

Cities

 * Baldwin City
 * Eudora
 * Lawrence (county seat)
 * Lecompton

Unincorporated communities

 * Big Springs
 * Black Jack
 * Clearfield
 * Clinton
 * Globe
 * Grover
 * Hesper
 * Kanwaka
 * Lake View
 * Lone Star
 * Midland
 * Pleasant Grove
 * Sibleyville
 * Stull
 * Vinland
 * Worden

Ghost towns

 * Belvoir
 * Franklin
 * Lapeer
 * Louisiana
 * Media
 * Prairie City
 * Simmons Point Station
 * Twin Mound
 * Weaver

Townships
Douglas County is divided into nine townships. The city of Lawrence 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) of significant size included in that township's population total.

Historic townships
The county originally had only four townships. Lecompton comprised the area of Lecompton, Kanwaka, and Clinton townships; Washington took the place of Marion and Willow Springs townships; Wakarusa comprised both Wakarusa and Eudora townships; and Calhoun was the original name of Palmyra township. Grant township was annexed from Jefferson County in 1874.

Notable people

 * Isaac F. Hughes, Douglas County commissioner and City Council member in both Lawrence, Kansas, and Los Angeles, California.

title: Douglas County, Kansas


text:
Doniphan County, Kansas

Doniphan County is the most northeastern county in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Troy, and its most populous city is Wathena. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 7,510. The county was named after Alexander Doniphan, a Mexican–American War hero. It is bounded on the east by the Missouri river, south by Atchison county, and west by Brown county.

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. Doniphan County was established on August 25, 1855, then organized on September 18, 1855. It is named for the U.S. cavalry commander Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan (1808–1887) of Liberty, Missouri, who played an important part in the Mexican–American War. He was a zealous partisan in the failed effort made to extend slavery into Kansas.

Geography
Doniphan County is located in the northeastern corner of the state—it is bordered by Nebraska to the north and Missouri to the east. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 398 sqmi, of which 393 sqmi is land and 4.9 sqmi (1.2%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Kansas by land area and second-smallest by total area.

Geographic features
The Missouri River defines the border in the north and east. Eight barge lines travel the river, and a Port Authority is located across the river in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The river provides much of the water for the eastern part of the county. Interior cities, such as Troy and Highland, receive their water from underground wells. The Wolf River flows through western portions of the county and north into the Missouri River.

Major highways
The only major highway serving the county is U.S. Highway 36, an east–west route traveling through St. Joseph. Troy, Elwood, and Wathena lie along this route. Kansas state highways K-7, K-20, K-120, K-136, K-137, and K-238 serve other areas of the county. K-7 has been designated a scenic byway. (See the map below.)

Adjacent counties

 * Holt County, Missouri (north)
 * Andrew County, Missouri (northeast)
 * Buchanan County, Missouri (southeast)
 * Atchison County (southwest)
 * Brown County (west)
 * Richardson County, Nebraska (northwest)

Demographics

Doniphan County is part of the St. Joseph, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 8,249 people, 3,173 households, and 2,183 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 /mi2. There were 3,489 housing units at an average density of 9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.85% White, 2.00% Black or African American, 1.21% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.

There were 3,173 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 11.80% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,537, and the median income for a family was $39,357. Males had a median income of $28,096 versus $19,721 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,849. About 9.00% of families and 11.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 12.50% of those age 65 or over.

County
Doniphan County is served by a Board of County Commissioners composed of one elected official from each of three districts. The commissioners serve four-year terms with the 2nd and 3rd district elections following two years after the 1st district election. The board is responsible for setting the county's policies, procedures, and budgets as well as overseeing functions of their respective road and bridge shops. In addition, the board acts as the Board of County Canvassers and canvasses votes cast at each election. The county has adopted comprehensive county planning and zoning codes. The cities are governed by mayors and city councils. Government services are paid for through a sales tax, property tax, and an ad valorem tax mill levy.

Presidential elections
Owing to its history of settlement by anti-slavery Yankees from Iowa and ultimately New England, Doniphan County became a Republican stronghold and has remained so ever since. The county has voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election since Kansas became a state, beginning in 1864. With Riley County voting Democratic for the first time in the 2020 election, Doniphan County is the only county in Kansas that has never had at least a plurality for the Democratic nominee. Only on three occasions has the Democratic nominee reached forty percent of Doniphan County's vote, all of these in national landslides, and on only seven occasions have the Democrats managed 35 percent of the vote in the county.

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, Doniphan County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2012.

Unified school districts

 * Doniphan West USD 111
 * Riverside USD 114
 * Troy USD 429

Colleges and universities
Highland Community College was the first college established in the state when the Highland University charter was granted by the Territorial Legislature in 1858. Over time the college lost its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and changed its name several times before becoming a regional rural community college. (Web site)

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

Cities

 * Denton
 * Elwood
 * Highland
 * Leona
 * Severance
 * Troy (county seat)
 * Wathena
 * White Cloud

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

 * Bendena†
 * Blair
 * Brenner
 * Doniphan
 * Fanning
 * Iowa Point
 * Moray
 * Palermo
 * Purcell
 * Sparks

Ghost towns

 * Geary

Indian reservations
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.
 * Ioway Reservation‡

Townships
Doniphan County is divided into nine mostly rural townships. The three townships with the greatest population lie along U.S. Highway 36. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the township 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.

Points of interest

 * Native American Heritage Museum, 2 miles east of Highland : Originally a Presbyterian Mission built in 1845 to educate Iowa and Missouri Sac and Fox children, the museum was rehabilitated to showcase the arts and history of the emigrant tribes in northeastern Kansas. (Web site)
 * Nelson Rodgers House, in Troy : Built in 1856, this $1 1/2$-story center-gable house constructed of hand-hewn timbers is the first and oldest remaining house in Troy.
 * Four-state Lookout, in White Cloud : This viewing platform provides a panoramic view of the Missouri River valley, including Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and (possibly) Iowa.
 * Townsite of Old Doniphan : On July 4, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped near an uninhabited Kanza Indian village on Independence Creek. The former town of Doniphan was established in the vicinity of the campsite.

title: Doniphan County, Kansas


text:
Dickinson County, Kansas

Dickinson County is a county in Central Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Abilene. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 18,402. The county was named in honor of Daniel Dickinson, a U.S. Senator from New York that was a Kansas statehood advocate.

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
In 1857, Dickinson County was founded.

The first railroad in Dickinson County was built through that territory in 1866.

In 1887, Mr. Herington got the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway to build through Herington. He gave the land and right-of-way for Herington to become a division point with shops, two round houses, freight house, bridge yards, telegraph office and many other buildings. He furnished the limestone for the freight house, and for a two-story depot that was 28 x and later enlarged to 28 x.

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.

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway extended its main line from Herington to Pratt. This main line connected Herington, Ramona, Tampa, Durham, Waldeck, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Groveland, Inman, Medora, Hutchinson, Whiteside, Partridge, Arlington, Langdon, Turon, Preston, Natrona, Pratt. In 1888, this main line was extended to Liberal. Later, this line was extended to Tucumcari, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. This line is called the "Golden State Limited".

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, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line".

In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current BNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".

21st century
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Dickinson County, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns. A pumping station named Hope was built along the pipeline.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 852 sqmi, of which 847 sqmi is land and 4.9 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Clay County (north)
 * Geary County (east)
 * Morris County (southeast)
 * Marion County (south)
 * McPherson County (southwest)
 * Saline County (west)
 * Ottawa County (northwest)

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 19,344 people, 7,903 households, and 5,421 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 /mi2. There were 8,686 housing units at an average density of 10 /mi2. The county's racial makeup was 96.44% White, 0.58% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.30% of the population.

There were 7,903 households, of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 28.10% of households were made up of individuals, and 14.10% 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 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The county's median household income was $35,975, and the median family income was $43,952. Males had a median income of $30,889 versus $18,526 for females. The per capita income in the county was $17,780. About 5.30% of families and 7.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.70% of those under age 18 and 11.30% of those age 65 or over.

Laws
Dickinson 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% food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * Solomon USD 393
 * Abilene USD 435
 * Chapman USD 473
 * Herington USD 487

 * School district office in neighboring county
 * Rural Vista USD 481

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

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

 * Abilene (county seat)
 * Carlton
 * Chapman
 * Enterprise
 * Herington‡
 * Hope
 * Manchester
 * Solomon‡
 * Woodbine

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

 * Acme
 * Bonaccord
 * Buckeye
 * Dayton
 * Detroit†
 * Dillon
 * Donegal
 * Elmo
 * Holland
 * Industry‡
 * Lyona
 * Manchester
 * Moonlight
 * Navarre†
 * Pearl
 * Rhinehardt
 * Shady Brook
 * Stitt
 * Stoney
 * Sutphen
 * Talmage†
 * Upland

Townships
Dickinson County is divided into twenty-four townships. The cities of Abilene and Herington 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.

Points of interest
The Eisenhower Library is in Abilene. In addition to exhibits relating to the life and presidency of the 34th US president, the site is also the location of the tombs of President Eisenhower, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and their son who died in infancy.

Notable people

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was born in Texas but moved to Abilene at an early age and considered Abilene home. He was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. Prior to that he was a five-star general in the United States Army. During World War II, as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe; he planned and supervised the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the invasion of France and Germany in 1944–45, from the Western Front. In 1951, he became the first supreme commander of NATO. The Eisenhower Library (see above) is in Abilene.

Joe Engle is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut. Engle helped to flight test the joint NASA-Air Force X-15 rocket airplane. During testing, Engle earned his USAF astronaut wings, a Distinguished Flying Cross and other awards. He was one of the first astronauts in the Space Shuttle program and flight tested the Space Shuttle Enterprise in 1977. He was commander of the second orbital test flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981. Engle was born and raised in Chapman.

Several figures from the American Old West spent time in the county. Folk hero James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, and dance hall girl/prostitute Libby Thompson all made their mark in Abilene when it was in its wild cattle-town days.

US Army Chaplains John H. Eastwood and Emil Kapaun were stationed at Herington Army Airfield for part of their tour of duty during World War II.

Pop Hollinger pioneered the industry of comic book collecting and also managed to secure several patents. He grew up in Chapman.

title: Dickinson County, Kansas


text:
Decatur County, Kansas

Decatur County is a county located in Northwest Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Oberlin. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,764. The county was named in honor of Stephen Decatur, Jr., a commodore in the United States Navy who served during both Barbary Wars in North Africa, the Quasi-War with France, and the War of 1812 with Britain.

19th century
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

Decatur County was established by an act of the state legislature on 1873-03-20, which defined the original borders of the county as: The county had been surveyed the previous year, and its first settlers had been arriving since then.

Independent county government was established on 1879-12-11, by proclamation of Governor John A. Martin in response to a petition. Martin originally proclaimed Oberlin as the county seat, as an initial temporary arrangement. It was chosen as the permanent seat by an election on 1880-02-03.

The county is named for the Navy war hero Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., who served during the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War and the War of 1812.

In 1878, the Sappa Creek valley in Decatur county was the scene of the last raid by Native Americans (Indians) in Kansas. In the Northern Cheyenne Exodus after the Battle of Punished Woman's Fork, a band of Cheyenne needing horses and provisions raged through the valley, killing more than 30 civilians and raping several woman. Several Cheyenne elderly, women, and children were also killed in the region by soldiers and civilians. In Oberlin, the Decatur County Last Indian Raid Museum commemorates the Cheyenne raid.

The county's first newspaper was the Oberlin Herald, established on 1879-06-12 by Humphrey & Counter. Later Oberlin newspapers included the Oberlin Eye and the Oberlin Opinion. The Norcatur Register was published in Norcatur, and there were two more newspapers in Dresden and Jennings as of 1909.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 894 sqmi, of which 894 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi (0.07%) is water.

Geology and hydrolology
The county is crossed by Beaver Creek and Long Branch Creek in the north, by Sappa Creek in the middle, and by Prairie Dog Creek and South Fork Solomon River in the south. Sappa has two forks, north and south, and Prairie Dog's principal branch is Tom Cat.

Adjacent counties

 * Red Willow County, Nebraska (north)
 * Furnas County, Nebraska (northeast)
 * Norton County (east)
 * Sheridan County (south)
 * Thomas County (southwest)
 * Rawlins County (west)

Demographics

In 1879 the population was just over 1,500. By 1886 there were 6,300 people in the county, up from 4,067 in 1885. By the 1910 Census this had risen to 8.976.

As of the 2000 census, there were 3,472 people, 1,494 households, and 981 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 /mi2. There were 1,821 housing units at an average density of 2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.87% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 1,494 households, out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 5.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 32.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.50% 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 23.60% under the age of 18, 4.70% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 26.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,257, and the median income for a family was $34,982. Males had a median income of $25,139 versus $17,368 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,348. About 8.00% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Decatur county is heavily Republican. The last time a democratic candidate carried the county was in 1936 by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2002, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.

Education
There were 101 school districts in the county in 1909.

Unified school districts

 * Oberlin USD 294

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

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

 * Clayton‡
 * Dresden
 * Jennings
 * Norcatur
 * Oberlin (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Allison
 * Cedar Bluffs
 * Kanona
 * Leoville
 * Lyle
 * Traer

Ghost towns

 * Bassetville
 * Decatur
 * Hawkeye
 * Hooker
 * Jackson
 * Lund
 * Sheffield
 * Shibboleth
 * Stephen
 * Vallonia

Post offices
The first post office in the county was Sappa, established in April 1874 by postmaster J. A. Rodehaver. It was located where Oberlin now is. In 1886 there were seventeen post offices in the county: Allison, Altory, Bassettville, Cedar Bluffs, Decatur, Hawkeye, Hooker, Jackson, Jenings, Lyle, Oberlin, Norcatur, Sheffield, Shibboleth, Stephen, Traer, and Vallonia.

Townships
Decatur County is divided into twenty-five townships. The city of Oberlin 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.

This list has remained the same since 1910. In 1886 there had been just eleven: Bassettville, Beaver, Center, Custer. Garfield, Grant, Jennings, Logan, Oberlin, Olive, and Prairie Dog. Originally in 1879, the county commissioners established just six townships: Grant, Beaver, Bassettville, Oberlin, Prairie Dog, and Jennings.

title: Decatur County, Kansas


text:
Crawford County, Kansas

Crawford County is a county located in Southeast Kansas. Its county seat is Girard, and its most populous city is Pittsburg. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 38,972. The county was named in honor of Samuel Crawford, the 3rd governor of Kansas. Pittsburg State University is located in Crawford County.

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 British defeated France in 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 former New France land west of the Mississippi to France, but kept title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, the United States acquired much of the West and most of the land for modern-day Kansas as part of the 828,000-square mile Louisiana Purchase, at a cost of 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, and in 1861 Kansas was admitted as the 34th U.S. state. The preceding years had been filled with violence as settlers arrived on both sides of the slavery question; the residents voting for Kansas to enter as a free state were the majority. In 1867, Crawford County was established (formed from Bourbon and Cherokee counties) on the Cherokee Neutral Lands, which were originally established as a buffer zone between the Osage tribe and the State of Missouri. It is named for Samuel J. Crawford, who was the governor in office at the time.

20th century
In the early 20th century, Crawford County was often referred to as the "Little Balkans", because of the many immigrants who came here from that area of Europe. They came to work in the mines, industrial work that did not require much English in the beginning. This area was the site of a number of illegal bootlegging operations, most of which were organized by immigrants in order to supplement their meager earnings as strip miners. During his term, Governor Walter R. Stubbs of Kansas made it his mission to stamp out this practice. According to the criminal justice scholar Ken Peak, "The [Little] Balkans drove [Stubbs] absolutely nuts. He had his hands full and sent people down to the Balkans to clean it up". Despite this crack down, however, the governor was unable to eradicate the crime completely from the area.

21st century
On Sunday, May 4, 2003, a violent F4 tornado touched down in western Crawford County, several miles west of Frontenac at around 4:40 p.m. The tornado remained on the ground throughout Crawford County until it entered neighboring Barton County, Missouri—traveling a total of 35 mi and ending near Liberal, Missouri. The towns of Ringo, Franklin, and Mulberry, all in Crawford County, were devastated. The tornado cut a path of destruction roughly one quarter mile wide. Several F4 tornadoes hit Kansas, Missouri, and several other states that day, including the Kansas City metropolitan area. Six deaths were reported in Kansas, and Governor Sebelius declared much of eastern and southeastern Kansas a disaster area, including Crawford County.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 595 sqmi, of which 590 sqmi is land and 5.3 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Bourbon County (north)
 * Vernon County, Missouri (northeast)
 * Barton County, Missouri (east)
 * Jasper County, Missouri (southeast)
 * Cherokee County (south)
 * Labette County (southwest)
 * Neosho County (west)

Demographics

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Crawford County.

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,242 people, 15,504 households, and 9,441 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 /mi2. There were 17,221 housing units at an average density of 29 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 93.29% White, 1.83% Black or African American, 0.94% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population. 23.5% were of German, 12.5% American, 10.4% English, 10.2% Irish and 8.6% Italian ancestry.

There were 15,504 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.90% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.10% were non-families. 30.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% 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 22.90% under the age of 18, 16.40% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,409, and the median income for a family was $40,582. Males had a median income of $27,881 versus $21,517 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,245. About 9.40% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Unlike most of the counties in the Ozark-Ouachita “Bible Belt”, Crawford County remained competitive in presidential elections until the 2010s. As recently as 2008 it was carried by Barack Obama, being the only county he ever won between the urban limits of Dallas, Little Rock, Denver and Kansas City. However, like all of the region it has shown a strong anti-Democratic trend in recent years, with Hillary Clinton's 34.91% – though more than she achieved in any rural white southern county – being the worst by a Democrat since 1924. Democrat Laura Kelly did, however, win the county in her successful 2018 gubernatorial bid.

In earlier times, Crawford County was a hotbed of left-wing politics, being the nation's second best county for Eugene Debs in 1912, and one of only four where he gained a plurality of votes. It was also Robert M. La Follette’s second-best Kansas county in 1924, behind only largely Catholic Ellis County.

Only four presidential elections since have seen Crawford County not back the national winner: 1960, 1988, 2012, and 2020.

Laws
Crawford 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% food sales requirement. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1992.

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 55% to 45% despite backing Donald Trump with 60% of the vote to Joe Biden's 40% in the 2020 presidential election.

Unified school districts

 * Northeast USD 246 - Serves the northeast portion of Crawford County, namely Lincoln and Washington Townships, including the towns of Arcadia, Arma, Cockerall, Camp 50, Franklin, Mulberry and Breezy Hill. Mascot - Vikings  Colors - Burgundy and White
 * Southeast USD 247 - Serves primarily portions of Crawford and Cherokee counties, but also includes small portions of Labette and Neosho counties. The 300 sqmi district serves over 450 students in grades Pre-K through 12. Southeast High School (the "Lancers") is located just west of the city of Cherokee (the district office is located in the Cherokee/McCune Township). In Crawford County the district also serves the city of McCune. Mascot - Lancers  Colors - Columbia Blue and White
 * Girard USD 248 - Serves Girard and the Girard Township, including the towns of Farlington, Walnut, Greenbush and Hepler. Mascot - Trojans  Colors - Maroon and Yellow/Gold
 * Frontenac USD 249 - Serves Frontenac and the Frontenac Township, including the towns of Yale, Radley, Ringo and Mindenmines, Missouri. Mascot - Raiders  Colors - Black and White/Silver
 * Pittsburg USD 250 - Serves Pittsburg and the Pittsburg Township, including the towns of Chicopee, Opolis, and Asbury, Missouri. Mascot - Purple Dragons  Colors - Purple and White

Private schools

 * Saint Mary's - Colgan (Web site) is a private Catholic K-12 school located in Pittsburg. Mascot - Panthers  Colors - Blue and White

Higher education

 * Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg.

Libraries

 * Pittsburg Public Library
 * Girard Public Library

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

Cities

 * Arcadia
 * Arma
 * Cherokee
 * Frontenac
 * Girard (county seat)
 * Hepler
 * McCune
 * Mulberry
 * Pittsburg
 * Walnut

Unincorporated places
‡ 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.

 * Beulah
 * Brazilton
 * Capaldo
 * Cato
 * Chicopee†
 * Coalvale
 * Croweburg†
 * Curranville
 * Dry Wood
 * Dunkirk
 * Englevale
 * Farlington†
 * Fleming
 * Franklin†
 * Fuller
 * Greenbush
 * Gross
 * Kirkwood
 * Klondike
 * Kniveton‡
 * Litchfield
 * Lone Oak
 * Midway
 * Monmouth
 * Opolis†
 * Polk
 * Radley†
 * Red Onion
 * Ringo†
 * South Radley
 * Yale†

Townships
Crawford County is divided into nine townships. The cities of Frontenac, Girard, Mulberry, and Pittsburg 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: Crawford County, Kansas


text:
Cowley County, Kansas

Cowley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Winfield, and its most populous city is Arkansas City. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 34,549. The county was named after Matthew Cowley, first lieutenant in Company I, 9th Kansas Cavalry, who died during the American Civil War.

History
For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. The first European visitor to Kansas was the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1541. In 1601, the Governor of New Mexico, Juan de Oñate, visited Etzanoa, a settlement of several thousand Wichita people near Arkansas City along the Walnut River. The ruins of Etzanoa have been found by archaeologists.

19th century
In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. Cowley County was officially organized as a county, but reserved for the Osage Indians, by the Kansas Legislature in March 1867, originally named Hunter County for Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (1809–1887), a Virginia Representative and Senator to Congress and Speaker of the House in the twenty-sixth Congress. In 1870, the county was renamed for Matthew Cowley, First Lieutenant in Company I, 9th Kansas Cavalry, who died at Little Rock, Arkansas, on October 7, 1864. Officially opened for settlement July 15, 1870, there was a lengthy and bitter disagreement between the towns of Winfield and Cresswell (the town now named Arkansas City) over the possession of the county seat of government. Finally settled after two special elections and numerous petitions to the Governor and Legislature, Winfield was determined to be the county seat and a courthouse was constructed in 1873 at a cost of $11,500.

21st century
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Cowley County. Controversy arose from the Kansas legislature's decision to grant the pipeline a ten-year exemption from property taxes; it was estimated that this would mean $15 million per year in lost revenue to the six counties through which the pipeline passed. The counties were unsuccessful in an attempt to eliminate the exemption.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1132 sqmi, of which 1126 sqmi is land and 6.7 sqmi (0.6%) is water. West of Dexter, KS, Cowley County Fishing Lake is positioned just off of Highway 166. This fishing lake is the home of the Cowley County Waterfall, which can be visited following the road to the northwest side of the property. However, in recent years (as of 2021) the severe drought has caused the waterfall to stop flowing. It will likely continue if the area receives enough precipitation and ends the drought.

Adjacent counties

 * Butler County (north)
 * Elk County (northeast)
 * Chautauqua County (east)
 * Osage County, Oklahoma (south)
 * Kay County, Oklahoma (southwest)
 * Sumner County (west)
 * Sedgwick County (northwest)

Demographics

Cowley County comprises the Arkansas City-Winfield, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Wichita-Arkansas City-Winfield, KS Combined Statistical Area.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 36,291 people, 14,039 households, and 9,616 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 PD/sqmi. There were 15,673 housing units at an average density of 14 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 90.13% White, 2.70% Black or African American, 1.96% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.

There were 14,039 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,406, and the median income for a family was $43,636. Males had a median income of $31,703 versus $21,341 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,509. About 9.20% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 11.20% of those age 65 or over.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1996, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink without a food sales requirement.

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 52% to 48% despite backing Donald Trump with 68% of the vote to Joe Biden's 30% in the 2020 presidential election.

Colleges

 * Cowley College
 * Southwestern College
 * St. John's College (closed in 1986)

Unified school districts

 * Central USD 462
 * Udall USD 463
 * Winfield USD 465
 * Arkansas City USD 470
 * Dexter USD 471

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

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

 * Atlanta
 * Arkansas City
 * Burden
 * Cambridge
 * Dexter
 * Geuda Springs‡
 * Parkerfield
 * Udall
 * Winfield (county seat)

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

 * Akron
 * Floral
 * Grand Summit
 * Hackney
 * Hooser
 * Kellogg
 * Maple City
 * New Salem†
 * Rock†
 * Silverdale†
 * Tisdale
 * Vinton
 * Wilmot

Ghost towns

 * Etzanoa

Townships
Cowley County is divided into twenty-five townships. The cities of Arkansas City and Winfield 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.

Notable people

 * See List of people from Cowley County, Kansas

General Dean Coldwell Strother was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee (USMILREP), from 1962 to 1965; and as Commander in Chief, North American Air Defense Command/Commander in Chief, Continental Air Defense Command (CINCNORAD/CINCONAD), from 1965 to 1966.

Robert Docking was a successful banker and mayor of Arkansas City before he became the 38th Governor of Kansas.

Several college football head coaches have passed through Winfield that have gone on to become widely recognized. Jerry Kill is the current head coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers—he played for the Southwestern Moundbuilders under Dennis Franchione when he was head coach. Jack Mitchell went on to coach several schools including the Kansas Jayhawks. Former head coach and for the Oklahoma Sooners and College Football Hall of Fame member Bennie Owen was born in Arkansas City.

Perhaps the most famous resident of Cowley County is the fictional character Mary Ann Summers from the television show Gilligan's Island. It is said on the show that she is "employed at the Winfield General Store."

title: Cowley County, Kansas


text:
Comanche County, Kansas

Comanche County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Coldwater. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 1,689. The county was named after the Comanche tribe.

History
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans.

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

In 1867, Comanche County was established, and named for Comanche Native Americans.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 790 sqmi, of which 788 sqmi is land and 1.4 sqmi (0.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Kiowa County (north)
 * Barber County (east)
 * Woods County, Oklahoma (south)
 * Harper County, Oklahoma (southwest)
 * Clark County (west)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,967 people, 872 households, and 540 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 /mi2. There were 1,088 housing units at an average density of 1 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.05% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population.

There were 872 households, out of which 24.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.00% were non-families. Of all households 35.90% were made up of individuals, and 21.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.10% under the age of 18, 4.50% from 18 to 24, 21.00% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 25.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,415, and the median income for a family was $36,790. Males had a median income of $24,844 versus $18,221 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,037. About 8.50% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Laws
The Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, either with or without a minimum of 30% of sales coming from food. Comanche County is one of 35 counties in the state that allows for the sale of liquor by the drink without the minimum food sales stipulation.

Unified school districts

 * Comanche County USD 300

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

Cities

 * Coldwater (county seat)
 * Protection
 * Wilmore

Unincorporated community

 * Buttermilk

Townships
Comanche 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: Comanche County, Kansas


text:
Coffey County, Kansas

Coffey County is a county located in Eastern Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Burlington. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 8,360. It was named after A.M. Coffey, a territorial legislator and Free-Stater during Bleeding Kansas era.

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, Coffey County was established.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 654 sqmi, of which 627 sqmi is land and 27 sqmi (4.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Osage County (north)
 * Franklin County (northeast)
 * Anderson County (east)
 * Allen County (southeast)
 * Woodson County (south)
 * Greenwood County (southwest)
 * Lyon County (northwest)

Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
 * Interstate 35
 * U.S. Route 50
 * U.S. Route 75
 * K-31
 * K-58

National protected area

 * Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,865 people, 3,489 households, and 2,477 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 /mi2. There were 3,876 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.95% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.

There were 3,489 households, out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,839, and the median income for a family was $44,912. Males had a median income of $31,356 versus $20,666 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,337. About 5.00% of families and 6.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.00% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Coffey County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2004, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

Unified school districts

 * Lebo–Waverly USD 243
 * Burlington USD 244
 * LeRoy–Gridley USD 245 (Southern Coffey County)

 * School district office in neighboring county
 * Southern Lyon County USD 252
 * Garnett USD 365

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

Cities

 * Burlington (county seat)
 * Gridley
 * Lebo
 * LeRoy
 * New Strawn
 * Waverly

Unincorporated communities

 * Agricola
 * Aliceville
 * Halls Summit
 * Ottumwa
 * Sharpe

Townships
Coffey County is divided into fourteen townships. The city of Burlington 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.

Notable people

 * Alan L. Hart (1890–1962), transgender physician, radiologist, tuberculosis researcher, writer, and novelist

title: Coffey County, Kansas


text:
Cloud County, Kansas

Cloud County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Concordia. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 9,032. The county was named after William Cloud, an officer 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, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, Cloud County was established.

Cloud county was originally named Shirley County, but civic leaders feared that sounded too much like the name of a prostitute. It was then renamed "Cloud" county in honor of Colonel William F. Cloud.

Cloud County was formed from the existing Washington County, Kansas in a joint convention with Republic and Cloud counties. The county was legally organized on September 6, 1866, with Elk Creek designated as the temporary county seat.

In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current BNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 718 sqmi, of which 715 sqmi is land and 2.6 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Geographic features
The Republican River passes through the county, entering from Republic County to the north and exiting to Clay County to the east. The Solomon River traverses the southwestern portion of the county, going from Mitchell County to Ottawa County. Jamestown Lake lies partially in the northwestern part of the county and partially in southwestern Republic county.

Major highways
Cloud County is bisected from north to south by U.S. Route 81, which runs through the town of Concordia and connects north to Belleville, Kansas or south to Salina, Kansas. The southern part of the county also has U.S. Route 24, connecting Clay Center, Kansas from the east and Beloit, Kansas to the west.

There are four other state highways in the county: K-9, K-28, K-189, and K-194.

Adjacent counties

 * Republic County (north)
 * Washington County (northeast)
 * Clay County (east)
 * Ottawa County (south)
 * Mitchell County (west)
 * Jewell County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 10,268 people, 4,163 households, and 2,697 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 /mi2. There were 4,838 housing units at an average density of 7 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.30% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 4,163 households, out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.40% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 23.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,758, and the median income for a family was $39,745. Males had a median income of $27,166 versus $20,114 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,536. About 6.40% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.10% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Cloud County is a Republican Stronghold. The Last democrat to carry this county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Cloud 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.

Colleges

 * Cloud County Community College in Concordia
 * Historic
 * Miltonvale Wesleyan College (closed 1972)
 * Concordia Normal School (closed 1876)
 * Concordia Business College (closed sometime after 1930)

Unified school districts

 * Clifton-Clyde USD 224
 * Concordia USD 333
 * Southern Cloud USD 334

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

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

 * Aurora
 * Clyde
 * Concordia (county seat)
 * Glasco
 * Jamestown
 * Miltonvale
 * Simpson‡

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

 * Ames†
 * Hollis
 * Huscher
 * Rice
 * St. Joseph

Ghost towns

 * Macyville
 * Sibley
 * Yuma

Townships
Cloud County is divided into eighteen townships. The city of Concordia 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.

Notable people

 * See List of people from Cloud County, Kansas

Charles H. Blosser was an aviator who was awarded the Kansas Governor's Aviation Honors Award and was inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1990. At one time, he was the oldest living licensed pilot in the United States.

Napoleon Bonaparte Brown was a soldier, businessman, politician, and resident of Kansas and Missouri in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is most known as the namesake and builder of the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas, a majestic opera house completed in 1907 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater has been called "the most elegant theater between Kansas City and Denver."

Frank Carlson was an American politician who served as the 30th Governor of Kansas and United States Representative and United States Senator from Kansas. He called Concordia his home.

Larry Hartshorn was a former NFL Offensive Guard who played for the Chicago Cardinals in 1955 and 1957. He later played in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders in 1958. After his years in professional football, Hartshorn moved to Concordia to become a teacher and coach for 33 years at Concordia Junior-Senior High School, where he coached Keith Christensen. Hartshorn began the wrestling program in 1966, running it as head coach from 1966 to 1974. He continued to serve in various coaching and education capacities until his retirement.

Ernest C. Quigley was a basketball referee and as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He also worked as an American football coach and official. Quigley was raised in Concordia, Kansas where he was a prominent member of the high school football team in the 1890s. In 1944 he became the athletic director at the University of Kansas.

Popular culture
Cloud County has also been listed as one of the locations for Smallville in the Superman story line.

title: Cloud County, Kansas