Morton County | |
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![]() Morton County Courthouse in Elkhart (2009) | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Kansas | |
![]() Kansas's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 37°12′N101°48′W / 37.200°N 101.800°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | February 20, 1886 |
Named for | Oliver Morton |
Seat | Elkhart |
Largest city | Elkhart |
Area | |
• Total | 730 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
• Land | 730 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
• Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) 0.03% |
Population | |
• Total | 2,701 |
• Density | 3.7/sq mi (1.4/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Area code | 620 |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | mtcoks.com |
Morton County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Elkhart. [2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,701. [1] The county was named after Oliver Morton, the 14th governor of the state of Indiana.
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 territorial gain in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas.
From 1821 to late 1860s, the Santa Fe Trail was active across Morton County.
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1886, Morton County was established, and named for Oliver Morton, who was a United States senator from Indiana from 1867 to 1877. [3] In 1886, the community of Richfield was established as the county seat. [4]
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. Morton County was the most devastated county in the Dust Bowl and lost almost one-half of its population in the 1930s. The U.S. government purchased some of the impacted and abandoned land and eventually incorporated it into the Comanche National Grassland. [5]
In 1961, the county seat was moved from Richfield to Elkhart. [4]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 730 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 730 square miles (1,900 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water. [6] The county is the location of the 8 Mile Corner tripoint, where Kansas borders Colorado and Oklahoma.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 724 | — | |
1900 | 304 | −58.0% | |
1910 | 1,333 | 338.5% | |
1920 | 3,177 | 138.3% | |
1930 | 4,092 | 28.8% | |
1940 | 2,186 | −46.6% | |
1950 | 2,610 | 19.4% | |
1960 | 3,354 | 28.5% | |
1970 | 3,576 | 6.6% | |
1980 | 3,454 | −3.4% | |
1990 | 3,480 | 0.8% | |
2000 | 3,496 | 0.5% | |
2010 | 3,233 | −7.5% | |
2020 | 2,701 | −16.5% | |
2023 (est.) | 2,580 | [7] | −4.5% |
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010-2020 [1] |
As of the census [12] of 2000, there were 3,496 people, 1,306 households, and 961 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (1.9 people/km2). There were 1,519 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.39% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 1.14% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 7.52% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 14.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,306 households, out of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.20% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,232, and the median income for a family was $43,494. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $19,474 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,076. About 8.50% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.
Morton County is usually won by the Republican candidate for president. Jimmy Carter almost carried the county in 1976, but Gerald Ford eventually won by .2%. The last time a Democrat won Morton County was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 1,034 | 86.31% | 150 | 12.52% | 14 | 1.17% |
2016 | 995 | 82.92% | 147 | 12.25% | 58 | 4.83% |
2012 | 1,072 | 83.88% | 189 | 14.79% | 17 | 1.33% |
2008 | 1,153 | 82.24% | 229 | 16.33% | 20 | 1.43% |
2004 | 1,287 | 81.66% | 276 | 17.51% | 13 | 0.82% |
2000 | 1,203 | 77.26% | 321 | 20.62% | 33 | 2.12% |
1996 | 1,073 | 67.87% | 376 | 23.78% | 132 | 8.35% |
1992 | 915 | 54.79% | 398 | 23.83% | 357 | 21.38% |
1988 | 1,074 | 64.35% | 569 | 34.09% | 26 | 1.56% |
1984 | 1,533 | 81.80% | 322 | 17.18% | 19 | 1.01% |
1980 | 1,157 | 69.61% | 414 | 24.91% | 91 | 5.48% |
1976 | 738 | 48.91% | 735 | 48.71% | 36 | 2.39% |
1972 | 1,165 | 72.68% | 363 | 22.65% | 75 | 4.68% |
1968 | 770 | 51.03% | 475 | 31.48% | 264 | 17.50% |
1964 | 609 | 39.01% | 938 | 60.09% | 14 | 0.90% |
1960 | 918 | 60.67% | 586 | 38.73% | 9 | 0.59% |
1956 | 814 | 64.76% | 436 | 34.69% | 7 | 0.56% |
1952 | 893 | 69.93% | 362 | 28.35% | 22 | 1.72% |
1948 | 624 | 52.61% | 545 | 45.95% | 17 | 1.43% |
1944 | 617 | 62.51% | 367 | 37.18% | 3 | 0.30% |
1940 | 643 | 55.72% | 503 | 43.59% | 8 | 0.69% |
1936 | 636 | 41.81% | 876 | 57.59% | 9 | 0.59% |
1932 | 621 | 34.63% | 1,093 | 60.96% | 79 | 4.41% |
1928 | 1,010 | 78.78% | 259 | 20.20% | 13 | 1.01% |
1924 | 669 | 55.02% | 286 | 23.52% | 261 | 21.46% |
1920 | 783 | 72.97% | 266 | 24.79% | 24 | 2.24% |
1916 | 405 | 42.41% | 457 | 47.85% | 93 | 9.74% |
1912 | 120 | 33.99% | 144 | 40.79% | 89 | 25.21% |
1908 | 154 | 50.49% | 140 | 45.90% | 11 | 3.61% |
1904 | 53 | 54.08% | 44 | 44.90% | 1 | 1.02% |
1900 | 51 | 60.00% | 34 | 40.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
1896 | 52 | 58.43% | 36 | 40.45% | 1 | 1.12% |
1892 | 106 | 57.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 78 | 42.39% |
1888 | 333 | 58.01% | 205 | 35.71% | 36 | 6.27% |
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. Morton 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. [14]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Morton County. [15]
Morton County is divided into six 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cimarron | 13350 | 67 | 0 (1) | 173 (67) | 0 (0) | 0% | 37°4′11″N101°46′45″W / 37.06972°N 101.77917°W | |
Jones | 35650 | 17 | 0 (0) | 140 (54) | 0 (0) | 0% | 37°1′4″N101°56′56″W / 37.01778°N 101.94889°W | |
Richfield | 59225 | 218 | 0 (1) | 649 (251) | 0 (0) | 0% | 37°14′37″N101°42′36″W / 37.24361°N 101.71000°W | |
Rolla | 60925 | Rolla | 650 | 2 (5) | 373 (144) | 0 (0) | 0% | 37°6′46″N101°37′42″W / 37.11278°N 101.62833°W |
Taloga | 69975 | Elkhart | 2,437 | 17 (44) | 142 (55) | 0 (0) | 0% | 37°0′22″N101°53′42″W / 37.00611°N 101.89500°W |
Westola | 77225 | 107 | 0 (1) | 412 (159) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 37°14′19″N101°58′40″W / 37.23861°N 101.97778°W |
Cimarron County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its county seat is Boise City. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,296, making it the least-populous county in Oklahoma; and indeed, throughout most of its history, it has had both the smallest population and the lowest population density of any county in Oklahoma. Located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Cimarron County contains the only community in the state (Kenton) that observes the Mountain Time Zone. Black Mesa, the highest point in the state, is in the northwest corner of the county. The Cimarron County community of Regnier has the distinction of being the driest spot in Oklahoma ranked by lowest annual average precipitation, at just 15.62 inches; at the same time, Boise City is the snowiest location in Oklahoma ranked by highest annual average snowfall, at 31.6 inches.
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Phillips County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Phillipsburg. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 4,981. The county was named after William Phillips, a free-state abolition journalist and colonel in the American Civil War.
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Osage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Lyndon, and its most populous city is Osage City. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 15,766. The county was originally organized in 1855 as Weller County, then renamed in 1859 after the Osage tribe.
Labette County is a county located in Southeast Kansas. Its county seat is Oswego, and its most populous city is Parsons. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 20,184. The county was named after LaBette creek, the second-largest creek in the county, which runs roughly NNW-SSE from near Parsons to Chetopa. The creek in turn was named after French-Canadian fur trapper Pierre LaBette who had moved to the area, living along the Neosho River, and marrying into the Osage tribe in the 1830s and 1840s.
Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Holton. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 13,232. The county, first named Calhoun County for pro-slavery South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun, was renamed in 1859 for President Andrew Jackson. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Indian Reservation, near the center of the county, comprises about 18.5% of the county's area.
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Syracuse. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,518. The county was founded in 1873 and named for Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States.
Gray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Cimarron. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,653. The county was named after Alfred Gray, a 19th century Kansas politician.
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.
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.
Chautauqua County is a county located in Southeast Kansas, United States. Its county seat and most populous city is Sedan. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 3,379. The county is named for Chautauqua County, New York, the birthplace of Edward Jaquins, a Kansas politician who was instrumental in getting the county established.
Elkhart is a city in and the county seat of Morton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,888. The south edge of the city is the Kansas-Oklahoma state border, and the city is 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from the Kansas-Colorado border.
Richfield is a city in Morton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 30.