Cherokee County, Kansas Explained

County:Cherokee County
State:Kansas
Type:County
Ex Image:Tri-state markers 2006-07-03.jpg
Ex Image Cap:Tri-State Marker (2006)
Founded:February 18, 1860
Named For:Cherokee Native Americans
Seat Wl:Columbus
Largest City Wl:Baxter Springs
Area Total Sq Mi:591
Area Land Sq Mi:588
Area Water Sq Mi:3.5
Area Percentage:0.6%
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:19362
Population Density Sq Mi:32.9
Area Codes:620
District:2nd
Time Zone:Central
Coordinates:37.1667°N -145°W

Cherokee County is a U.S. county located in Southeast Kansas. Its county seat is Columbus,[1] and its most populous city is Baxter Springs. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 19,362.[2] The county was named for the Cherokee tribe.

History

See also: History of Kansas.

19th century

In 1803, United States acquired from France the 828,000-square mile Louisiana Purchase, the former French lands west of the Mississippi River, for 2.83 cents per acre. This territory included most of the land for modern-day Kansas.

In the 1830s, the United States conducted Indian Removal of the Five Civilized Tribes from the Southeast region, to extinguish their land claims and allow European-American settlement in the area. They were given lands in what was called Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, mostly in present-day Oklahoma. This part of Kansas was included at the time in the Cherokee Neutral Lands, and the county was named after this tribe.

In 1854, the U.S. organized the Kansas Territory. Settlers began to move into the territory, with violence breaking out between supporters of slavery and those who wanted to abolish it. In 1861, Kansas was admitted as the 34th U.S. state; its constitution prohibited slavery. In 1860, Cherokee County was established.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.6%) is water.[3]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas,[4] U.S. Census Bureau[5]

Demographics

As of the 2000 census,[6] there were 22,605 people, 8,875 households, and 6,239 families residing in the county. The population density was 38/mi2. There were 10,031 housing units at an average density of 17/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 92.27% White, 0.61% Black or African American, 3.45% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.

There were 8,875 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,505, and the median income for a family was $37,284. Males had a median income of $29,045 versus $19,675 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,710. About 11.40% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

For most of its history, Cherokee County had more of a Democratic lean in presidential elections than the rest of the state, particularly before 1968. Since then, it has only voted for Democratic candidates twice. In 1976 & 1992, it was their second and fourth best county in the state, respectively. From 1996 on, the county has swung powerfully Republican similar to the rest of Southeast Kansas, with Hillary Clinton posting the worst percentage for a Democratic candidate ever at only 23.3%.

Laws

Although the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Cherokee County voters chose to remain a prohibition, or "dry", county on Sunday until 2012.[7]

Education

Unified school districts

Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Cherokee County.[8]

Cities

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.

Ghost towns

Townships

Cherokee County is divided into fourteen townships. The cities of Baxter Springs, Columbus, Galena, Scammon, and Weir 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 Population
center
Population Population
density
/km2 (/sq mi)
Land area
km2 (sq mi)
Water area
km2 (sq mi)
Water %Geographic coordinates
Cherokee 12800 336 6 (15) 57 (22) 0 (0) 0.08% 37.3092°N -94.76°W
Crawford 16225 646 7 (18) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.24% 37.1558°N -94.7864°W
Garden 25250 3,039 41 (105) 75 (29) 2 (1) 2.80% 37.0486°N -94.6883°W
Lola 42350 382 3 (9) 115 (44) 1 (0) 0.50% 37.1736°N -95.0042°W
Lowell 43075 672 20 (52) 33 (13) 1 (0) 3.04% 37.1031°N -94.6731°W
Lyon 43400 528 4 (11) 130 (50) 0 (0) 0.08% 37.0386°N -94.8769°W
Mineral 47000 254 3 (8) 79 (31) 0 (0) 0.15% 37.2589°N -94.7914°W
Neosho 49725 306 2 (5) 157 (61) 2 (1) 1.08% 37.0542°N -95.0269°W
Pleasant View 56675 658 5 (13) 136 (52) 0 (0) 0.14% 37.2844°N -94.6669°W
Ross 61350 893 6 (17) 140 (54) 1 (0) 0.71% 37.2747°N -94.8986°W
Salamanca 62575 569 6 (17) 89 (34) 0 (0) 0.07% 37.1675°N -94.8769°W
Shawnee 64475 505 6 (15) 90 (35) 1 (0) 0.61% 37.1583°N -94.6717°W
Sheridan 64625 249 1 (4) 172 (67) 1 (1) 0.79% 37.2614°N -95.0042°W
Spring Valley 67725 1,007 8 (21) 122 (47) 0 (0) 0.36% 37.0531°N -94.7681°W
Sources: Web site: Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files . https://web.archive.org/web/20020802223743/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html . dead . August 2, 2002 . U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division .

See also

References

Notes

Further reading

External links

County
Historical
Maps

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150509170006/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 9, 2015 .
  2. Web site: QuickFacts; Cherokee County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010 . United States Census Bureau . August 15, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210815221436/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/cherokeecountykansas/POP010220 . August 15, 2021 . live.
  3. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  4. http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ National Atlas
  5. https://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/ U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files
  6. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .
  7. Web site: Map of Wet and Dry Counties. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025184558/http://ksrevenue.org/pdf/abcwetdrymap.pdf . October 25, 2012 . live. Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. December 2012. December 26, 2013.
  8. Web site: General Highway Map of Cherokee County, Kansas . Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) . https://web.archive.org/web/20240601173750/https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/cherokee.PDF . June 1, 2024 . May 2011 . live.
  9. Book: Rydjord, John. Kansas Place-Names. 1972. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. 494. 0-8061-0994-7.
  10. http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/27/2506628/former-residents-say-goodbye-to.html Former residents say goodbye to contaminated town of Treece; The Wichita Eagle; September 27, 2012.