Barton County, Kansas

Barton County
County
Barton County Courthouse in Great Bend (1979)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°28′N98°46′W / 38.467°N 98.767°W / 38.467; -98.767
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	February 26, 1867
Named for	Clara Barton
Seat	Great Bend
Largest city	Great Bend
Area
• Total	901 sq mi (2,330 km2)
• Land	895 sq mi (2,320 km2)
• Water	5.2 sq mi (13 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	25,493
• Density	28.5/sq mi (11.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	620
Congressional district	1st
Website	BartonCounty.org

Barton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Great Bend. ^[2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 25,493. ^[1] 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. ^[3]

History

Early history

See also: History of Kansas

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

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. ^[4]

In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties from Marion County and McPherson County chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company. ^[5] In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson, in 1880 it was extended to Lyons, in 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood. ^[6] The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion, was abandoned in 1968. ^[7] 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, 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 30-by-30-mile (48 by 48 km) square. ^[8] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 901 square miles (2,330 km²), of which 895 square miles (2,320 km²) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km²) (0.6%) is water. ^[9] The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County.

Adjacent counties

• Ellis County (northwest)
• Russell County (north)
• Ellsworth County (northeast)
• Rice County (southeast)
• Stafford County (south)
• Pawnee County (southwest)
• Rush County (west)

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, ^[10] U.S. Census Bureau ^[11]

• U.S. Route 56
• U.S. Route 281
• Kansas Highway 4
• Kansas Highway 96
• Kansas Highway 156

Demographics

Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	10,318		—
1890	13,172		27.7%
1900	13,784		4.6%
1910	17,876		29.7%
1920	18,422		3.1%
1930	19,776		7.3%
1940	25,010		26.5%
1950	29,909		19.6%
1960	32,368		8.2%
1970	30,663		−5.3%
1980	31,343		2.2%
1990	29,382		−6.3%
2000	28,205		−4.0%
2010	27,674		−1.9%
2020	25,493		−7.9%
2023 (est.)	24,899	[12]	−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [13] 1790-1960 [14] 1900-1990 [15] 1990-2000 [16] 2010-2020 [1]

The Great Bend Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Barton County.

As of the 2000 census, ^[17] there were 28,205 people, 11,393 households, and 7,530 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12 people/km²). There were 12,888 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5.4/km²). 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.

Presidential election results

United States presidential election results for Barton County, Kansas ^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	8,608	77.20%	2,340	20.99%	202	1.81%
2016	7,888	76.29%	1,839	17.79%	612	5.92%
2012	7,874	76.14%	2,297	22.21%	170	1.64%
2008	7,802	70.56%	3,027	27.38%	228	2.06%
2004	8,666	74.03%	2,874	24.55%	166	1.42%
2000	7,302	66.65%	3,238	29.56%	415	3.79%
1996	7,855	64.92%	3,121	25.80%	1,123	9.28%
1992	5,113	37.65%	3,846	28.32%	4,623	34.04%
1988	7,741	59.20%	5,024	38.42%	310	2.37%
1984	10,232	75.58%	3,111	22.98%	195	1.44%
1980	9,147	66.03%	3,663	26.44%	1,042	7.52%
1976	7,311	55.63%	5,497	41.83%	334	2.54%
1972	8,479	68.87%	3,481	28.27%	352	2.86%
1968	6,700	54.88%	4,464	36.57%	1,044	8.55%
1964	4,826	39.49%	7,340	60.06%	55	0.45%
1960	7,599	55.61%	6,036	44.17%	30	0.22%
1956	8,644	66.17%	4,378	33.51%	41	0.31%
1952	9,380	70.43%	3,847	28.88%	92	0.69%
1948	6,191	53.37%	5,307	45.75%	102	0.88%
1944	5,547	59.36%	3,761	40.25%	37	0.40%
1940	6,011	54.43%	4,982	45.11%	50	0.45%
1936	3,534	37.13%	5,978	62.81%	5	0.05%
1932	3,365	40.85%	4,776	57.98%	97	1.18%
1928	4,966	63.94%	2,777	35.75%	24	0.31%
1924	4,109	56.49%	1,605	22.06%	1,560	21.45%
1920	3,993	68.77%	1,688	29.07%	125	2.15%
1916	2,891	44.46%	3,292	50.63%	319	4.91%
1912	692	17.01%	2,069	50.85%	1,308	32.15%
1908	1,729	44.83%	2,004	51.96%	124	3.21%
1904	1,939	58.19%	1,235	37.06%	158	4.74%
1900	1,564	46.46%	1,772	52.64%	30	0.89%
1896	1,215	42.56%	1,616	56.60%	24	0.84%
1892	1,381	43.10%	0	0.00%	1,823	56.90%
1888	1,353	49.16%	1,228	44.62%	171	6.21%

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. ^[19]

Education

Colleges

• Barton Community College

Unified school districts

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

• Central Plains USD 112
• Ellinwood USD 355
• Great Bend USD 428
• Hoisington USD 431
• Otis-Bison USD 403 (Rush County)

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Barton County (map legend)

‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

• Albert
• Claflin
• Ellinwood
• Galatia
• Great Bend (county seat)
• Hoisington
• Olmitz
• Pawnee Rock
• Susank

Unincorporated communities

• Beaver†
• Boyd
• Dubuque‡
• Dundee
• Heizer
• Hitschmann
• Odin†
• Redwing
• Stickney

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%	38°33′37″N98°51′31″W / 38.56028°N 98.85861°W / 38.56028; -98.85861
Beaver	04975		108	1 (3)	95 (37)	0 (0)	0.05%	38°38′42″N98°39′18″W / 38.64500°N 98.65500°W / 38.64500; -98.65500
Buffalo	09075		490	6 (14)	88 (34)	0 (0)	0.12%	38°24′23″N98°51′47″W / 38.40639°N 98.86306°W / 38.40639; -98.86306
Cheyenne	13025		238	1 (4)	174 (67)	13 (5)	6.80%	38°31′46″N98°38′25″W / 38.52944°N 98.64028°W / 38.52944; -98.64028
Clarence	13475		125	1 (3)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0%	38°23′58″N98°58′25″W / 38.39944°N 98.97361°W / 38.39944; -98.97361
Cleveland	14025		69	1 (2)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.12%	38°39′8″N98°31′27″W / 38.65222°N 98.52417°W / 38.65222; -98.52417
Comanche	15125		452	3 (7)	167 (64)	0 (0)	0.11%	38°17′50″N98°35′59″W / 38.29722°N 98.59972°W / 38.29722; -98.59972
Eureka	21750		116	1 (3)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.24%	38°28′49″N98°51′37″W / 38.48028°N 98.86028°W / 38.48028; -98.86028
Fairview	22400	Galatia	129	1 (4)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.03%	38°38′52″N98°58′8″W / 38.64778°N 98.96889°W / 38.64778; -98.96889
Grant	27475		79	1 (2)	92 (36)	0 (0)	0.10%	38°33′49″N98°58′15″W / 38.56361°N 98.97083°W / 38.56361; -98.97083
Great Bend	28325		1,839	18 (46)	104 (40)	1 (0)	0.50%	38°23′5″N98°44′50″W / 38.38472°N 98.74722°W / 38.38472; -98.74722
Independent	33975	Claflin	844	9 (24)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.04%	38°32′36″N98°31′36″W / 38.54333°N 98.52667°W / 38.54333; -98.52667
Lakin	38125		299	2 (4)	172 (67)	0 (0)	0.23%	38°22′59″N98°33′58″W / 38.38306°N 98.56611°W / 38.38306; -98.56611
Liberty	39875		321	4 (9)	88 (34)	0 (0)	0.21%	38°18′33″N98°51′29″W / 38.30917°N 98.85806°W / 38.30917; -98.85806
Logan	41750		176	2 (5)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.06%	38°28′59″N98°31′40″W / 38.48306°N 98.52778°W / 38.48306; -98.52778
North Homestead	51200		133	1 (4)	92 (36)	0 (0)	0.06%	38°33′44″N98°45′59″W / 38.56222°N 98.76639°W / 38.56222; -98.76639
Pawnee Rock	54900	Pawnee Rock	544	6 (15)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.05%	38°16′59″N98°59′12″W / 38.28306°N 98.98667°W / 38.28306; -98.98667
South Bend	66525		682	7 (19)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.17%	38°18′42″N98°45′56″W / 38.31167°N 98.76556°W / 38.31167; -98.76556
South Homestead	66725		343	4 (10)	90 (35)	1 (0)	1.23%	38°29′9″N98°46′38″W / 38.48583°N 98.77722°W / 38.48583; -98.77722
Union	72025	Susank	128	1 (4)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.20%	38°38′46″N98°45′59″W / 38.64611°N 98.76639°W / 38.64611; -98.76639
Walnut	74825	Albert, Olmitz	474	5 (13)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0%	38°28′16″N98°58′8″W / 38.47111°N 98.96889°W / 38.47111; -98.96889
Wheatland	77600		74	1 (2)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.14%	38°39′45″N98°51′48″W / 38.66250°N 98.86333°W / 38.66250; -98.86333
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on August 2, 2002.

See also

• Kansas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Barton County, Kansas

Community information for Kansas

• Kansas locations by per capita income
• List of counties in Kansas
• List of townships in Kansas
• List of cities in Kansas
• List of unincorporated communities in Kansas
• List of ghost towns in Kansas

References

1. "QuickFacts; Barton County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. Standard Publishing Company. pp.  153.
4. Brackman, Barbara (1997). Kansas Trivia. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 26. ISBN   9781418553814.
5. Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.
6. Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners for the Year Ending December 1, 1886 in State of Kansas; Kansas Publishing House; 1886.
7. Railway Abandonment 1968
8. History of the State of Kansas: Containing a Full Account of Its Growth from an Uninhabited Territory to a Wealthy and Important State. A. T. Andreas. 1883. p.  762.
9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
10. National Atlas Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
11. "U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files". Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
12. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
14. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
15. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
16. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
17. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
18. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
19. "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2007.

Further reading

See also: List of books about Kansas, including historical information about its counties and cities

See also: List of books about Santa Fe Trail

County

• Atlas and Plat Book of Barton County, Kansas; Kenyon Co; 55 pages; 1916.
• Plat Book of Barton County, Kansas; North West Publishing Co; 47 pages; 1902.

Trails

• The Story of the Marking of the Santa Fe Trail by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas and the State of Kansas; Almira Cordry; Crane Co; 164 pages; 1915.
• The National Old Trails Road To Southern California, Part 1 (LA to KC); Automobile Club Of Southern California; 64 pages; 1916.

External links

County

• Barton County - Official
• Barton County - Directory of Public Officials

Maps

• Barton County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society