Barton County, Kansas

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Barton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Great Bend.<ref name="GR6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of the 2020 census, the county population was 25,493.<ref name="QF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The county is named in honor of Clara Barton, responsible for the founding of the American Red Cross, and the only county in Kansas to be named for a woman.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

History

Early history

Template:See also 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

File:Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Barton County.png
1915 Railroad Map of Barton County

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, Barton County was established and named for Clara Barton. It is the only Kansas county named for a woman.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties from Marion and McPherson counties chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company.<ref name="MarionCountyBook">Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.</ref> In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson; in 1880 it was extended to Lyons and in 1881 was extended to Ellinwood.<ref>Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners for the Year Ending December 1, 1886 in State of Kansas; Kansas Publishing House; 1886.</ref> The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion was abandoned in 1968.<ref name="Abandon Railway 1968">Railway Abandonment 1968</ref> In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase and Ellinwood.

21st century

In 2001, an F4 tornado hit Hoisington during Hoisington High School's prom.

Geography

Barton County was drawn in the shape of a Template:Convert square.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.6%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas,<ref>National Atlas Template:Webarchive</ref> U.S. Census Bureau<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Demographics

File:USA Barton County, Kansas age pyramid.svg
Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

Template:US Census population The Great Bend Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Barton County.

As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> there were 28,205 people, 11,393 households, and 7,530 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,888 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 92.98% White, 1.15% Black or African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.51% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.31% of the population.

There were 11,393 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.90% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,176, and the median income for a family was $39,929. Males had a median income of $28,803 versus $20,428 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,695. About 9.90% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Prior to 1940, Barton County was a Democratic-leaning swing county in presidential elections, being a national bellwether from 1912 to 1936. From 1940 on, it has become a Republican Party stronghold, with the solitary Democratic Party presidential candidate to carry it since then being Lyndon B. Johnson in his national landslide of 1964. Template:Hidden

Laws

Barton 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 2004.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Education

Colleges

Unified school districts

The five school districts are part of the special education area of Barton County called Barton County Special Services.

Communities

File:Map of Barton Co, Ks, USA.png
2005 map of Barton County<ref name="County-Map-Current"/> (map legend)

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Barton County.<ref name="County-Map-Current">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Cities

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Unincorporated communities

‡ 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. Template:Div col

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Townships

Barton County is divided into twenty-two townships. The cities of Ellinwood, Great Bend, and Hoisington 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.

Township FIPS Population
center 		Population Population
density
/km2 (/sq mi) 		Land area
km2 (sq mi)		 Water area
km2 (sq mi)		 Water % Geographic coordinates
Albion 00850 58 1 (2) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.05% Template:Coord
Beaver 04975 108 1 (3) 95 (37) 0 (0) 0.05% Template:Coord
Buffalo 09075 490 6 (14) 88 (34) 0 (0) 0.12% Template:Coord
Cheyenne 13025 238 1 (4) 174 (67) 13 (5) 6.80% Template:Coord
Clarence 13475 125 1 (3) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0% Template:Coord
Cleveland 14025 69 1 (2) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.12% Template:Coord
Comanche 15125 452 3 (7) 167 (64) 0 (0) 0.11% Template:Coord
Eureka 21750 116 1 (3) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.24% Template:Coord
Fairview 22400 Galatia 129 1 (4) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.03% Template:Coord
Grant 27475 79 1 (2) 92 (36) 0 (0) 0.10% Template:Coord
Great Bend 28325 1,839 18 (46) 104 (40) 1 (0) 0.50% Template:Coord
Independent 33975 Claflin 844 9 (24) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.04% Template:Coord
Lakin 38125 299 2 (4) 172 (67) 0 (0) 0.23% Template:Coord
Liberty 39875 321 4 (9) 88 (34) 0 (0) 0.21% Template:Coord
Logan 41750 176 2 (5) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.06% Template:Coord
North Homestead 51200 133 1 (4) 92 (36) 0 (0) 0.06% Template:Coord
Pawnee Rock 54900 Pawnee Rock 544 6 (15) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.05% Template:Coord
South Bend 66525 682 7 (19) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.17% Template:Coord
South Homestead 66725 343 4 (10) 90 (35) 1 (0) 1.23% Template:Coord
Union 72025 Susank 128 1 (4) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.20% Template:Coord
Walnut 74825 Albert, Olmitz 474 5 (13) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0% Template:Coord
Wheatland 77600 74 1 (2) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.14% Template:Coord
Sources: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

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See also

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References

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Further reading

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County
Trails

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County
Maps

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