Morris County, Kansas

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Morris County, Kansas
Map of Kansas highlighting Morris County
Location in the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded February 11, 1859
Named for Thomas Morris
Seat Council Grove
Largest city Council Grove
Area
 • Total 703 sq mi (1,821 km2)
 • Land 695 sq mi (1,800 km2)
 • Water 7.6 sq mi (20 km2), 1.1%
Population
 • (2010) 5,923
 • Density 8.5/sq mi (3/km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.morriscountyks.org

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Morris County (standard abbreviation: MR) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,923.[1] The largest city and county seat is Council Grove.

History

Early history

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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. 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 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Spain brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

19th century

1845 Santa Fe Trail crossing Morris County
1915-1918 Railroad Map of Morris County

The county was established on ancient grounds of the Kaw American Indian tribe. Settlers and the Kaw lived in increasingly uneasy relationship as settlers encroached on native lands.[citation needed]

Council Grove, established by European Americans in 1825, was an important supply station on the Santa Fe Trail. The town was also the site of an encampment by John C. Fremont in 1845 and in 1849 the Overland Mail established a supply headquarters there.[citation needed]

From 1821 to 1866, the Santa Fe Trail was active across Morris County.[2]

The county was originally organized as Wise County in 1855. The county was named for Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise. When Wise presided over the hanging of abolitionist John Brown at Harpers Ferry in 1859, abolition supporters renamed it to Morris County in honor of Thomas Morris, a former United States Senator from Ohio who was an opponent of slavery.[citation needed]

From 1846 to 1873, a Kaw Indian Reservation was centered around Council Grove, Kansas on 20 square miles of land.[3] In 1851, the Methodist Church established an Indian Mission in Morris County.[citation needed]

Between 1877 and 1879, Benjamin "Pap" Singleton, a former slave who escaped to freedom in 1846, staked out a settlement in Morris County for freedmen known as "Exodusters". Thousands of families migrated from the post-Reconstruction South to seek more opportunities and better living conditions in the Midwest.[citation needed]

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Topeka to Herington.[4] This main line connected Topeka, Valencia, Willard, Maple Hill, Vera, Paxico, McFarland, Alma, Volland, Alta Vista, Dwight, White City, Latimer, Herington. The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

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.

20th century

The National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed through Herington, Delavan, Council Grove.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 703 square miles (1,820 km2), of which 695 square miles (1,800 km2) is land and 7.6 square miles (20 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 770 —
1870 2,225 189.0%
1880 9,265 316.4%
1890 11,381 22.8%
1900 11,967 5.1%
1910 12,397 3.6%
1920 12,005 −3.2%
1930 11,859 −1.2%
1940 10,363 −12.6%
1950 8,485 −18.1%
1960 7,392 −12.9%
1970 6,432 −13.0%
1980 6,419 −0.2%
1990 6,198 −3.4%
2000 6,104 −1.5%
2010 5,923 −3.0%
Est. 2014 5,698 [6] −3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[1]
Age pyramid

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 6,104 people, 2,539 households, and 1,777 families residing in the county. The population density was 9 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 3,160 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.49% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,539 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,163, and the median income for a family was $39,717. Males had a median income of $28,912 versus $21,239 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,491. About 6.70% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1992, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.[12]

Education

Unified school districts

District Office In Neighboring County

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Morris County (map legend)

Cities

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Unincorporated community

Townships

Morris County is divided into eleven townships. The cities of Council Grove and Herington 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.

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
Highland 31975 94 1 (3) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.03% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Overland 53750 60 1 (2) 88 (34) 0 (0) 0.01% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 1 71202 551 2 (4) 356 (138) 1 (0) 0.28% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 2 71206 688 3 (7) 270 (104) 12 (5) 4.37% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 3 71210 503 5 (12) 109 (42) 0 (0) 0.06% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 4 71214 252 2 (4) 155 (60) 0 (0) 0.02% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 5 71218 686 7 (19) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.02% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 6 71222 111 1 (4) 78 (30) 0 (0) 0.18% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 7 71227 258 2 (4) 170 (66) 0 (0) 0.10% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 8 71232 212 1 (3) 186 (72) 0 (0) 0.08% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Township 9 71237 368 2 (5) 202 (78) 0 (0) 0.08% Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

See also

Further reading

Morris County
Kansas
Trails

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ History of the Cottonwood Crossing Chapter, Santa Fe Trail Association.
  3. ↑ Morris County History; legendsofkansas.com
  4. ↑ Rock Island Rail History
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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.

External links

County
Maps
 Geary County Wabaunsee County
Dickinson County
  Morris County, Kansas  
Marion County Chase County Lyon County
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