Harper County, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Harper County is a county located in South Central Kansas
, in the Central
United States
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,034. Its county seat
and most populous city is Anthony
. Harper County was named for Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry
, who died of wounds suffered near Waldron, Arkansas
, in December 1863.
Harper County was settled starting in 1877, and the county was organized for a second time in 1878. Since Bluff City could not be shown to have existed, Anthony
was designated as the temporary county seat. In an election in 1879, Anthony won as county seat even though 2,960 votes were cast in a county with 800 legal voters.
, county until 2006, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.
As of the U.S. Census in 2000
, there were 6,536 people, 2,773 households, and 1,807 families residing in the county. The population density
was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 3,270 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup
of the county was 97.23% White
, 0.83% Native American
, 0.23% Black or African American
, 0.14% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.38% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races
. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 2,773 household
s out of which 27.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples
living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 32.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 22.00% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household
in the county was $29,776, and the median income for a family was $39,866. Males had a median income of $27,869 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,368. About 8.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
. The cities of Anthony
and Harper
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.
Additional information
Maps
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, in the Central
Central United States
The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the Southern United States; the term is also sometimes used...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,034. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and most populous city is Anthony
Anthony, Kansas
Anthony is a city in and the county seat of Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,269.-19th century:...
. Harper County was named for Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry
2nd Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
The 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 2nd Kansas Cavalry was organized at Kansas City, Kansas beginning on November 8, 1861 but its designation was changed to 9th Kansas Infantry on February 4, 1862....
, who died of wounds suffered near Waldron, Arkansas
Waldron, Arkansas
Waldron is a city in Scott County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,508 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Scott County.-Geography:Waldron is located at ....
, in December 1863.
19th century
The original organization of Harper County was one of the largest frauds in county government. In 1873, a group of three men organized Harper County, designating the then fictitious city of Bluff City as the county seat. The petition for organization used several names out of a Cincinnati telephone directory to represent as residents of Harper County. In 1874, the state attorney general investigated, and found not a single resident of the county. The "founders" of the county had sold $40,000 worth of bonds.Harper County was settled starting in 1877, and the county was organized for a second time in 1878. Since Bluff City could not be shown to have existed, Anthony
Anthony, Kansas
Anthony is a city in and the county seat of Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,269.-19th century:...
was designated as the temporary county seat. In an election in 1879, Anthony won as county seat even though 2,960 votes were cast in a county with 800 legal voters.
Law and government
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Harper County remained a prohibition, or "dry"Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
, county until 2006, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 802.95 square miles (2,079.6 km²), of which 801.44 square miles (2,075.7 km²) (or 99.81%) is land and 1.51 square miles (3.9 km²) (or 0.19%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Kingman CountyKingman County, KansasKingman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,858. The largest city and county seat is Kingman.-History:...
(north) - Sumner CountySumner County, KansasSumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 24,132 for the 2010 census. Its county seat is Wellington. Sumner County is part of the Wichita, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named in honor of Charles Sumner, a U.S...
(east) - Grant CountyGrant County, OklahomaGrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010 census, the population was 4,527. Its county seat is Medford.-History:...
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
(southeast) - Alfalfa CountyAlfalfa County, OklahomaAlfalfa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population is 6,105. Its county seat is Cherokee. Alfalfa County was formed in 1907 from Woods County. The county is named after William H...
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
(southwest) - Barber CountyBarber County, KansasBarber County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,861. Its county seat and most populous city is Medicine Lodge...
(west)
Demographics
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, there were 6,536 people, 2,773 households, and 1,807 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 3,270 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of the county was 97.23% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 0.83% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.23% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.14% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 0.38% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 2,773 household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s out of which 27.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 32.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 22.00% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
in the county was $29,776, and the median income for a family was $39,866. Males had a median income of $27,869 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $16,368. About 8.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated cities
Name and population (2004 estimate):- AnthonyAnthony, KansasAnthony is a city in and the county seat of Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,269.-19th century:...
, 2,307 (county seat) - HarperHarper, KansasHarper is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,473.-Geography:Harper is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,567...
, 1,511 - AtticaAttica, KansasAttica is a town in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 626.-History:Land for the City of Attica was purchased in late June, 1884 and became the end of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. The town was incorporated later, on February 16th...
, 616 - Bluff CityBluff City, KansasBluff City is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 65.-Geography:Bluff City is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 80...
, 78 - DanvilleDanville, KansasDanville is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38.-Geography:Danville is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 59...
, 58 - WaldronWaldron, KansasWaldron is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11.-History:The ashes of evangelist Tammy Faye Messner were interred in the Messner family plot in Waldron in 2007.-Geography:...
, 17 - FreeportFreeport, KansasFreeport is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5, making it the smallest incorporated city in the state of Kansas.-Geography:Freeport is located at...
, 6
Townships
Harper County is divided into six townshipsCivil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
. The cities of Anthony
Anthony, Kansas
Anthony is a city in and the county seat of Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,269.-19th century:...
and Harper
Harper, Kansas
Harper is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,473.-Geography:Harper is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,567...
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 | FIPS | Population center |
Population | Population density /km² (/sq mi) |
Land area km² (sq mi) | Water area km² (sq mi) | Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Township 1 | 71201 | 1,000 | 2 (6) | 468 (181) | 1 (0) | 0.12% | 37°15′23"N 98°14′0"W | |
| Township 2 | 71205 | 144 | 0 (1) | 363 (140) | 1 (0) | 0.23% | 37°4′23"N 98°14′22"W | |
| Township 3 | 71209 | 394 | 1 (3) | 383 (148) | 2 (1) | 0.44% | 37°7′58"N 98°2′7"W | |
| Township 4 | 71213 | 232 | 1 (2) | 297 (115) | 0 (0) | 0.06% | 37°7′2"N 97°51′45"W | |
| Township 5 | 71217 | 463 | 2 (4) | 277 (107) | 0 (0) | 0.16% | 37°15′47"N 97°56′23"W | |
| Township 6 | 71221 | 296 | 1 (3) | 280 (108) | 0 (0) | 0.06% | 37°20′26"N 97°58′17"W | |
| Sources: | ||||||||
Education
Unified school districts
See also
- Dry counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Harper County, Kansas
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
Official sitesAdditional information
Maps
- Harper County Map, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
- Kansas School District Boundary Map, KSDE