Ness County, Kansas

Ness County
County
Ness County Courthouse in Ness City (2016)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°27′29″N99°41′15″W / 38.4581°N 99.6875°W / 38.4581; -99.6875
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	February 26, 1867
Named for	Noah V. Ness
Seat	Ness City
Largest city	Ness City
Area
• Total	1,075 sq mi (2,780 km2)
• Land	1,075 sq mi (2,780 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.02%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	2,687
• Density	2.5/sq mi (1.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	nesscountyks.com

Ness County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Ness City. ^[2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,687. ^[1] The county was named for Noah Ness, a corporal of the 7th Kansas Cavalry. ^[3]

History

See also: History of Kansas

Ness County was established on February 26, 1867. ^[4] It was the site of an 1867 confrontation between the Cheyenne and Sioux tribes and General Winfield Scott Hancock at the Indian Village on Pawnee Fork, where the fighting helped inform George A. Custer's tactics throughout his career. ^[4]

The county was first organized in 1873 but disorganized a year later. It was reorganized on April 14, 1880. ^[4] The founding of Ness City, the county seat, followed closely after the county's organization in 1867. ^[5] Ross Calhoun, the "Father of Ness City," arrived in 1877 or 1878, opened the first general store, and formally laid out the town in October 1878, inviting settlers to join him. ^[5] A bitter county seat fight ensued between Ness City, Sidney, and Clarinda, lasting from 1880 to 1883, with accusations of bribery and fraud, before Ness City was confirmed as the county seat. ^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,075 square miles (2,780 km²), of which 1,075 square miles (2,780 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.02%) is water. ^[6]

Adjacent counties

• Trego County (north)
• Ellis County (northeast)
• Rush County (east)
• Pawnee County (southeast)
• Hodgeman County (south)
• Finney County (southwest)
• Lane County (west)
• Gove County (northwest)

Demographics

Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	3,722		—
1890	4,944		32.8%
1900	4,535		−8.3%
1910	5,883		29.7%
1920	7,490		27.3%
1930	8,358		11.6%
1940	6,864		−17.9%
1950	6,322		−7.9%
1960	5,470		−13.5%
1970	4,791		−12.4%
1980	4,498		−6.1%
1990	4,033		−10.3%
2000	3,454		−14.4%
2010	3,107		−10.0%
2020	2,687		−13.5%
2023 (est.)	2,618	[7]	−2.6%
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 3,454 people, 1,516 households, and 977 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km²). There were 1,835 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.23% White, 0.06% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,516 households, out of which 26.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 4.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 33.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.90% under the age of 18, 4.60% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 24.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,340, and the median income for a family was $39,775. Males had a median income of $27,892 versus $20,037 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,787. About 6.50% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.50% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential election results

United States presidential election results for Ness County, Kansas ^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,173	88.20%	128	9.62%	29	2.18%
2020	1,339	88.50%	149	9.85%	25	1.65%
2016	1,228	84.46%	162	11.14%	64	4.40%
2012	1,209	83.73%	218	15.10%	17	1.18%
2008	1,207	79.15%	289	18.95%	29	1.90%
2004	1,407	77.39%	382	21.01%	29	1.60%
2000	1,420	75.69%	383	20.42%	73	3.89%
1996	1,336	68.16%	428	21.84%	196	10.00%
1992	967	43.60%	565	25.47%	686	30.93%
1988	1,230	56.58%	887	40.80%	57	2.62%
1984	1,779	75.32%	540	22.86%	43	1.82%
1980	1,657	67.49%	616	25.09%	182	7.41%
1976	1,016	46.52%	1,106	50.64%	62	2.84%
1972	1,539	68.37%	652	28.96%	60	2.67%
1968	1,352	58.23%	767	33.03%	203	8.74%
1964	1,034	39.54%	1,562	59.73%	19	0.73%
1960	1,683	63.39%	960	36.16%	12	0.45%
1956	1,876	70.79%	758	28.60%	16	0.60%
1952	2,288	76.27%	664	22.13%	48	1.60%
1948	1,689	58.10%	1,130	38.87%	88	3.03%
1944	1,745	65.45%	876	32.86%	45	1.69%
1940	1,826	58.68%	1,230	39.52%	56	1.80%
1936	1,302	39.19%	2,002	60.26%	18	0.54%
1932	1,409	42.65%	1,772	53.63%	123	3.72%
1928	2,058	71.51%	784	27.24%	36	1.25%
1924	1,629	64.64%	541	21.47%	350	13.89%
1920	1,402	69.30%	492	24.32%	129	6.38%
1916	927	37.62%	1,213	49.23%	324	13.15%
1912	232	18.13%	458	35.78%	590	46.09%
1908	635	47.96%	461	34.82%	228	17.22%
1904	687	58.82%	188	16.10%	293	25.09%
1900	511	44.90%	583	51.23%	44	3.87%
1896	354	39.03%	526	57.99%	27	2.98%
1892	495	44.43%	0	0.00%	619	55.57%
1888	891	57.26%	470	30.21%	195	12.53%

Ness County is presently overwhelmingly Republican, although it was won by Jimmy Carter for the Democratic Party as recently as 1976. However, apart from Carter and Lyndon Johnson in 1964, no Democrat since 1940 has reached forty percent of the county's ballots. Since Carter's win, however, Michael Dukakis in 1988 which was during a major drought in the Great Plains, had reached so much as 26 percent of the county's vote. In 2016, Hillary Clinton received less than half even this modest figure.

Laws

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the 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. ^[14]

Education

Unified school districts

• Western Plains USD 106
• Ness City USD 303

School district office in neighboring county

• La Crosse USD 395

Communities

2005 map of Ness County (map legend)

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Ness County. ^[15]

Cities

• Bazine
• Brownell
• Ness City (county seat)
• Ransom
• Utica

Unincorporated communities

• Arnold
• Beeler

Ghost towns

• Nonchalanta ^[16]

Townships

Ness County is divided into ten 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.

Sources: 2000 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Township	FIPS	Population center	Population	Population density /km2 (/sq mi)	Land area km2 (sq mi)	Water area km2 (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Bazine	04800	Bazine	441	1 (4)	312 (120)	0 (0)	0%	38°27′30″N99°41′15″W / 38.45833°N 99.68750°W / 38.45833; -99.68750
Center	11925	Ness City	1,567	13 (33)	124 (48)	0 (0)	0.01%	38°27′40″N99°53′45″W / 38.46111°N 99.89583°W / 38.46111; -99.89583
Eden	19775		14	0 (1)	266 (103)	0 (0)	0%	38°28′57″N100°8′49″W / 38.48250°N 100.14694°W / 38.48250; -100.14694
Forrester	23875		109	1 (1)	206 (80)	0 (0)	0%	38°30′45″N99°59′28″W / 38.51250°N 99.99111°W / 38.51250; -99.99111
Franklin	24475		132	0 (1)	372 (144)	0 (0)	0.02%	38°21′22″N99°54′25″W / 38.35611°N 99.90694°W / 38.35611; -99.90694
Highpoint	32100		93	0 (1)	312 (121)	0 (0)	0.08%	38°20′13″N99°42′26″W / 38.33694°N 99.70722°W / 38.33694; -99.70722
Johnson	35550		76	0 (1)	308 (119)	0 (0)	0.05%	38°18′37″N100°5′25″W / 38.31028°N 100.09028°W / 38.31028; -100.09028
Nevada	50125	Ransom	479	2 (4)	278 (107)	0 (0)	0.04%	38°37′55″N99°55′22″W / 38.63194°N 99.92278°W / 38.63194; -99.92278
Ohio	52400	Utica	345	1 (3)	298 (115)	0 (0)	0%	38°38′28″N100°7′45″W / 38.64111°N 100.12917°W / 38.64111; -100.12917
Waring	75400	Brownell	142	0 (1)	308 (119)	0 (0)	0.03%	38°37′50″N99°42′56″W / 38.63056°N 99.71556°W / 38.63056; -99.71556

See also

• Kansas portal

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; Ness County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Kansas Place-Names,John Rydjord, University of Oklahoma Press, 1972, ISBN   0-8061-0994-7
4. "Ness County, Kansas - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society". www.kshs.org. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
5. Gribben, Brian. "Research Guides: Kansas Heritage: Ness County". fhsuguides.fhsu.edu. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
11. "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 27, 2014.
12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
13. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
14. "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
15. "General Highway Map of Ness County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). December 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 4, 2023.
16. Not a lot left of Nonchalanta but memories; March 13, 2016.

Notes

Further reading

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

• Handbook of Ness County, Kansas; C.S. Burch Publishing Co; 42 pages; 1887.
• Standard Atlas of Ness County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 64 pages; 1906.

External links

County

• Ness County - Official Website
• Ness County - Directory of Public Officials

Maps

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

38°28′N99°55′W / 38.467°N 99.917°W / 38.467; -99.917