Cloud County, Kansas

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Cloud County, Kansas
Cloud County Court House.JPG
Cloud County Courthouse in Concordia
Map of Kansas highlighting Cloud County
Location in the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded March 27, 1867
Named for Colonel William F. Cloud
Seat Concordia
Largest city Concordia
Area
 • Total 718 sq mi (1,860 km2)
 • Land 715 sq mi (1,852 km2)
 • Water 2.6 sq mi (7 km2), 0.4%
Population
 • (2010) 9,533
 • Density 13/sq mi (5/km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website cloudcountyks.org

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Cloud County (county code CD) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,533.[1] Its county seat and most populous city is Concordia.[2]

History

19th century

1915 Railroad Map of Cloud County

Cloud county was originally named "Shirley" county, but civic leaders feared that sounded too much like the name of a prostitute.[3] It was then renamed "Cloud" county in honor of Colonel William F. Cloud.[4]

Cloud County was formed from the existing Washington County, Kansas in a joint convention with Republic and Cloud counties. The county was legally organized on September 6, 1866 with Elk Creek designated as the temporary county seat.[5]

In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current BNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".

Law and government

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1998, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.[6]

Geography

2005 KDOT Map of Cloud County (map legend)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 715 square miles (1,850 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) (0.4%) is water.[7]

Geographic features

The Republican River passes through the county, entering from Republic County to the north and exiting to Clay County to the east. The Solomon River traverses the southwestern portion of the county, going from Mitchell County to Ottawa County. Jamestown Lake lies partially in the northwestern part of the county and partially in southwestern Republic county.

Major highways

Cloud County is bisected from north to south by U.S. Route 81, which runs through the town of Concordia and connects north to Belleville, Kansas or south to Salina, Kansas. The southern part of the county also has U.S. Route 24, connecting Clay Center, Kansas from the east and Beloit, Kansas to the west.

There are four other state highways in the county: K-9, K-28, K-189, and K-194.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 2,323 —
1880 15,343 560.5%
1890 19,295 25.8%
1900 18,071 −6.3%
1910 18,388 1.8%
1920 17,714 −3.7%
1930 18,006 1.6%
1940 17,247 −4.2%
1950 16,104 −6.6%
1960 14,407 −10.5%
1970 13,466 −6.5%
1980 12,494 −7.2%
1990 11,023 −11.8%
2000 10,268 −6.8%
2010 9,533 −7.2%
Est. 2014 9,385 [8] −1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[1]
Population pyramid

As of the U.S. Census in 2000,[13] there were 10,268 people, 4,163 households, and 2,697 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 4,838 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.30% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 4,163 households out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.40% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 23.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,758, and the median income for a family was $39,745. Males had a median income of $27,166 versus $20,114 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,536. About 6.40% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.10% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Unified school districts

Colleges and Universities

Historic

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

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Townships

Cloud County is divided into eighteen townships. The city of Concordia 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 FIPS Population
center		 Population Population
density
/km² (/sq mi)		 Land area
km² (sq mi)		 Water area
km² (sq mi)		 Water % Geographic coordinates
Arion 02275 105 1 (3) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.06% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Aurora 03450 169 2 (5) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.03% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Buffalo 09100 119 1 (3) 112 (43) 1 (0) 0.46% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Center 11625 172 1 (3) 141 (54) 0 (0) 0% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Colfax 14775 49 1 (1) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.05% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Elk 20150 845 12 (30) 72 (28) 1 (0) 1.08% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Grant 27525 479 5 (14) 92 (35) 2 (1) 1.75% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lawrence 38875 146 2 (4) 93 (36) 1 (0) 1.22% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lincoln 40525 378 6 (16) 61 (24) 1 (0) 1.21% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lyon 43425 103 1 (2) 142 (55) 0 (0) 0.02% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Meredith 45925 77 1 (2) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.03% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Nelson 49600 137 2 (4) 91 (35) 0 (0) 0% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Oakland 51750 52 1 (1) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.15% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Shirley 65375 178 2 (4) 110 (42) 1 (0) 0.60% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Sibley 65425 178 2 (5) 92 (35) 1 (1) 1.45% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Solomon 66250 664 5 (12) 141 (54) 0 (0) 0% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Starr 68050 653 7 (18) 92 (36) 0 (0) 0.21% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Summit 69050 50 0 (1) 139 (54) 0 (0) 0% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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Notable people

Frank Carlson was the 30th Governor of Kansas. He called Concordia his home, and the Frank Carlson Library is named in his honor.
See List of people from Cloud County, Kansas

Charles H. Blosser was an aviator who was awarded the Kansas Governor’s Aviation Honors Award and was inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1990. At one time, he was the oldest living licensed pilot in the United States.[15][16]

Napoleon Bonaparte Brown was a soldier, businessman, philanthropist, politician, and resident of Kansas and Missouri in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[17] He is most known as the namesake and builder of the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas, a majestic opera house completed in 1907 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater has been called "the most elegant theater between Kansas City and Denver."[17]

Frank Carlson was an American politician who served as the 30th Governor of Kansas and United States Representative and United States Senator from Kansas. He called Concordia his home.[18]

Larry Hartshorn was a former NFL Offensive Guard who played for the Chicago Cardinals in 1955 and 1957. He later played in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders in 1958. After his years in professional football, Hartshorn moved to Concordia to become a teacher and coach for 33 years at Concordia Junior-Senior High School, where he coached Keith Christensen. Hartshorn began the wrestling program in 1966, running it as head coach from 1966 to 1974. He continued to serve in various coaching and education capacities until his retirement.

Ernest C. Quigley was a basketball referee and as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He also worked as an American football coach and official. Quigley was raised in Concordia, Kansas where he was a prominent member of the high school football team in the 1890s.[19] In 1944 he became the athletic director at the University of Kansas.[20]

Popular Culture

Cloud County has also been listed as one of the locations for Smallville in the Superman story line.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Kansas Skyways "Cloud County History"
  5. ↑ History of the State of Kansas by William G. Cutler, Kansas Collection of Books
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Wings Over Kansas
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ It Takes People to Make a Town by Janet Pease Emery, p. 101, 1971
  20. ↑ Kansas State Historical Society "E.C. (Ernie) Quigley"

Further reading

External links

County
Maps
 Jewell County Republic County Washington County
Mitchell County Clay County
  Cloud County, Kansas  
Ottawa County
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