Grant County, Kansas

Grant County
County
Grant County Courthouse in Ulysses (2015)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°35′00″N101°19′59″W / 37.5833°N 101.333°W / 37.5833; -101.333
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	March 20, 1873
Named for	Ulysses S. Grant
Seat	Ulysses
Largest city	Ulysses
Area
• Total	575 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Land	575 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.06%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	7,352
• Estimate  (2023)	7,147
• Density	12.8/sq mi (4.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	GrantCoKS.org

Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and only city is Ulysses. ^[2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 7,352. ^[1] Both the county and its seat are named after Ulysses Grant, the 18th President of the United States.

History

See also: History of Kansas

In 1873, the part of Kansas west of Range 25 was divided into 25 new counties. The new counties were Decatur, Rawlins, Cheyenne, Sheridan, Thomas, Sherman, Lane, Buffalo, Foote, Meade, Scott, Sequoyah, Arapahoe, Seward, Wichita, Kearny, Greeley, Hamilton, Stanton, Kansas, Stevens, and Grant. ^[3]

Grant County, Kansas was named after Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877), and incumbent president at the time of the county's formation. ^[4] The initial survey establishing county boundaries was in the summer of 1874. ^[4]

In 1883, Kearny, Sequoyah, Arapahoe, Kansas, Stevens, Meade, Clark and Grant counties disappeared. Hamilton, Ford, Seward, and Hodgeman counties enlarged and Finney County was created. Grant County was split with the western portion becoming a part of Hamilton County and the eastern portion becoming a part of the newly created Finney County. ^[3]

On June 9, 1888, Grant County was again established as a Kansas county, with original county boundaries, with the first officers of the new Grant County being sworn in on June 18, 1888. ^[3]

Legend: Green Lines = present highways, Purple circles = springs, at least in wet years, Blue = creeks, major ravines, & river basins, Gold dot triangles = Indian camps, burial sites, Red 1 = Military Redoubt, Red 2 = "Old" Ulysses. Red 3 = Surprise-Tilden, Red 4 = Cincinnati-Appomattox, Red 5 = Lawson, Red 6 = Waterford, Red 7 = Zionville, Red 8 = Golden, Red 9 = Spanish sword found, Red 10 = Shockeyville, Red 11 = "New" Ulysses

In October 1888, the county seat election for Grant County resulted in victory for Ulysses, Kansas, election results were:. ^[3]

Town Name	Vote count
Ulysses	578
Appomattox	268
Shockeyville	41
Golswn	31
Spurgeon	2

In the 1930s, the prosperity of the area was severely affected by its location within the Dust Bowl. This catastrophe intensified the economic impact of the Great Depression in the region.

Early Day Settlements

• "Old" Ulysses, subsequently moved to New Ulysses in 1909 ^[4]
• Surprise-Tilden ^[4]
• Cincinnati-Appomattox ^[4]
• Shockey (Shockeyville) ^[4]
• Golden ^[4]
• Zionville ^[4]
• Lawson ^[4]
• Waterford ^[4]
• Gognac ^[4]
• Spurgeon ^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km²), of which 575 square miles (1,490 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.06%) is water. ^[5]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 160
• Kansas Highway 25

Adjacent counties

• Kearny County (north)
• Finney County (northeast)
• Haskell County (east)
• Stevens County (south)
• Stanton County (west)
• Hamilton County (northwest)

Demographics

Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	1,308		—
1900	422		−67.7%
1910	1,087		157.6%
1920	1,087		0.0%
1930	3,092		184.5%
1940	1,946		−37.1%
1950	4,638		138.3%
1960	5,269		13.6%
1970	5,961		13.1%
1980	6,977		17.0%
1990	7,159		2.6%
2000	7,909		10.5%
2010	7,829		−1.0%
2020	7,352		−6.1%
2023 (est.)	7,147	[6]	−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790-1960 [8] 1900-1990 [9] 1990-2000 [10] 2010-2020 [1]

As of the 2000 census, ^[11] there were 7,909 people, 2,742 households, and 2,097 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (5.4 people/km²). There were 3,027 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.00% White, 0.86% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.21% Black or African American, 19.46% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.67% of the population.

There were 2,742 households, out of which 43.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.40% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.50% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.80% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,854, and the median income for a family was $44,914. Males had a median income of $34,464 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,072. About 6.50% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Grant County is heavily Republican. Lyndon B. Johnson was the last Democrat to win the county, and Jimmy Carter narrowly lost the county in 1976. Michael Dukakis (as of 2020) is the last Democrat to win more than a quarter of the county's vote.

Presidential election results

United States presidential election results for Grant County, Kansas ^[12]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,752	80.89%	384	17.73%	30	1.39%
2020	1,936	77.41%	518	20.71%	47	1.88%
2016	1,804	75.51%	441	18.46%	144	6.03%
2012	1,811	78.53%	456	19.77%	39	1.69%
2008	1,995	74.97%	635	23.86%	31	1.16%
2004	2,169	78.64%	561	20.34%	28	1.02%
2000	2,126	74.44%	683	23.91%	47	1.65%
1996	1,772	66.52%	633	23.76%	259	9.72%
1992	1,561	51.71%	619	20.50%	839	27.79%
1988	1,654	63.69%	907	34.92%	36	1.39%
1984	2,043	76.26%	615	22.96%	21	0.78%
1980	1,711	66.01%	683	26.35%	198	7.64%
1976	1,226	50.62%	1,151	47.52%	45	1.86%
1972	1,469	73.19%	476	23.72%	62	3.09%
1968	1,121	57.16%	618	31.51%	222	11.32%
1964	727	40.96%	1,023	57.63%	25	1.41%
1960	1,235	63.59%	702	36.15%	5	0.26%
1956	1,058	69.47%	459	30.14%	6	0.39%
1952	1,277	71.02%	502	27.92%	19	1.06%
1948	742	53.34%	625	44.93%	24	1.73%
1944	566	66.35%	282	33.06%	5	0.59%
1940	614	61.03%	382	37.97%	10	0.99%
1936	476	43.59%	616	56.41%	0	0.00%
1932	395	33.70%	737	62.88%	40	3.41%
1928	635	76.41%	185	22.26%	11	1.32%
1924	459	67.11%	148	21.64%	77	11.26%
1920	339	73.70%	108	23.48%	13	2.83%
1916	200	44.54%	208	46.33%	41	9.13%
1912	56	20.82%	80	29.74%	133	49.44%
1908	178	54.77%	133	40.92%	14	4.31%
1904	81	65.85%	35	28.46%	7	5.69%
1900	58	51.79%	53	47.32%	1	0.89%
1896	51	45.95%	60	54.05%	0	0.00%
1892	151	53.55%	0	0.00%	131	46.45%
1888	390	50.45%	245	31.69%	138	17.85%

Laws

Grant 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. ^[13]

Education

Unified school districts

• Ulysses USD 214

Communities

2005 map of Grant County (map legend)

List of current townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Grant County. ^[14]

City

• Ulysses (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Hickok
• Ryus
• Stano
• Sullivans Tracks

Townships

Area affected by 1930s Dust Bowl

Grant County is divided into three 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.

Township	FIPS	Population center	Population	Population density /km2 (/sq mi)	Land area km2 (sq mi)	Water area km2 (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Lincoln	40725	Ulysses	7,058	19 (49)	372 (144)	0 (0)	0.10%	37°34′26″N101°20′30″W / 37.57389°N 101.34167°W / 37.57389; -101.34167
Sherman	64975		498	1 (2)	559 (216)	0 (0)	0.01%	37°39′23″N101°17′59″W / 37.65639°N 101.29972°W / 37.65639; -101.29972
Sullivan	68875		353	1 (2)	558 (215)	0 (0)	0.01%	37°28′12″N101°18′11″W / 37.47000°N 101.30306°W / 37.47000; -101.30306
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

• Dry counties

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; Grant County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Ulysses 1885-1909 From Boom to Bust; compiled by The Historic Adobe Museum Staff of Ulysses, Kansas; 2009.
4. Bessire, Fern (1982). Grant County, Kansas. Grant County History Commission.
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
10. "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 24, 2014.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
13. "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2008. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
14. "General Highway Map of Grant County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). February 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2023.

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

External links

County

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

Maps

• Grant County Map, GrantCoKs.org
• Grant County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

37°35′N101°20′W / 37.583°N 101.333°W / 37.583; -101.333