Osage County, Kansas Explained

County:Osage County
State:Kansas
Nickname:Land of Lakes [1]
Type:County
Ex Image:Osage County Courthouse Kansas.jpg
Ex Image Cap:Osage County Courthouse in Lyndon (2009)
Founded:1859
Named For:Osage Nation
Seat Wl:Lyndon
Largest City Wl:Osage City
Area Total Sq Mi:720
Area Land Sq Mi:706
Area Water Sq Mi:14
Area Percentage:2.0%
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:15766
Pop Est Footnotes:[2]
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Est:15824
Population Density Sq Mi:22.3
District:2nd
Time Zone:Central

Osage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Lyndon,[3] and its most populous city is Osage City. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 15,766.[4] The county was originally organized in 1855 as Weller County, then renamed in 1859 after the Osage tribe.[5]

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

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 1859, Osage County was established.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (2.0%) is water.[6]

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Osage County is included in the Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the 2000 census,[7] there were 16,712 people, 6,490 households, and 4,737 families residing in the county. The population density was 24/mi2. There were 7,018 housing units at an average density of 10/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.53% of the population.

There were 6,490 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.00% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,928, and the median income for a family was $44,581. Males had a median income of $30,670 versus $22,981 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,691. About 6.40% of families and 8.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.40% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Osage County is strongly Republican. In only six presidential elections from 1880 to the present day has the county failed to back the Republican Party candidate, most recently in Lyndon B. Johnson's national landslide of 1964.

Laws

Osage 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.[8]

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 56% to 44% despite backing Donald Trump with 71% of the vote to Joe Biden's 27% in the 2020 presidential election.[9]

Education

Unified school districts

Media

Osage County is served by a weekly newspaper, The Osage County Herald-Chronicle. The newspaper has a circulation of approximately 4,500, making it the 3rd largest paid weekly publication in the state of Kansas.

The Herald-Chronicle was created by the merger of The Osage County Herald and The Osage County Chronicle in February 2007.

Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Osage County.[10]

Cities

Unincorporated communities

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Townships

Osage County is divided into sixteen townships. The city of Osage City is considered governmentally independent and is 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
00450 618 7 (19) 86 (33) 0 (0) 0.10% 38.5725°N -95.5367°W
Arvonia 02550 136 1 (3) 112 (43) 13 (5) 10.13% 38.4811°N -95.8706°W
Barclay 04175 239 2 (5) 124 (48) 0 (0) 0.14% 38.5617°N -95.8667°W
Burlingame 09375 1,768 9 (25) 186 (72) 1 (0) 0.43% 38.7847°N -95.8681°W
Dragoon 18575 214 2 (6) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.07% 38.7206°N -95.8211°W
Elk 20175 1,723 12 (32) 140 (54) 0 (0) 0.30% 38.7892°N -95.5661°W
Fairfax 22150 513 5 (12) 111 (43) 5 (2) 4.14% 38.7094°N -95.6675°W
Grant 27850 297 3 (8) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.25% 38.6403°N -95.8733°W
Junction 35725 1,210 9 (24) 129 (50) 0 (0) 0.15% 38.6742°N -95.5689°W
Lincoln 40925 134 2 (4) 83 (32) 0 (0) 0.10% 38.4853°N -95.5547°W
Melvern 45725 812 7 (18) 115 (44) 0 (0) 0.13% 38.5022°N -95.6472°W
Olivet 52725 263 2 (5) 143 (55) 17 (7) 10.70% 38.4981°N -95.7475°W
Ridgeway 59825 2,661 25 (64) 108 (42) 2 (1) 2.00% 38.8156°N -95.6822°W
Scranton 63700 1,273 14 (36) 92 (36) 1 (0) 0.91% 38.7917°N -95.7528°W
Superior 69500 293 3 (8) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.30% 38.6456°N -95.7928°W
Valley Brook 73200 1,524 15 (38) 104 (40) 0 (0) 0.46% 38.6122°N -95.6764°W
Sources: Web site: Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files. U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20020802223743/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html. August 2, 2002.

See also

Further reading

External links

County
Other
Maps

38.65°N -139°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Osage County, Kansas - Home .
  2. Web site: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 . March 24, 2024 . United States Census Bureau.
  3. Web site: Find a County. June 7, 2011. National Association of Counties.
  4. Web site: QuickFacts; Osage County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010 . United States Census Bureau . August 18, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210819023918/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/osagecountykansas/POP010220 . August 19, 2021 . live.
  5. Web site: Osage County Website . May 16, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927145540/http://www.osage.kansasgov.com/MV2Base.asp?VarCN=18 . September 27, 2007 .
  6. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  7. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  8. Web site: Map of Wet and Dry Counties. Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. December 28, 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20071008013617/http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm. October 8, 2007.
  9. News: 14 of the 19 Kansas counties that rejected an anti-abortion amendment voted for Trump in 2020. Business Insider. Panetta. Grace. August 3, 2022. August 3, 2022.
  10. Web site: General Highway Map of Osage County, Kansas . Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) . https://web.archive.org/web/20240521000739/https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/osage.PDF . May 21, 2024 . August 2008 . live.