Sumner County, Kansas

Sumner County, Kansas
Location in the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded	20 December 1870
Named for	Charles Sumner
Seat	Wellington
Largest city	Wellington
Area
• Total	1,185 sq mi (3,069 km2)
• Land	1,182 sq mi (3,061 km2)
• Water	3.0 sq mi (8 km2), 0.3%
Population (est.)
• (2013)	23,591
• Density	20/sq mi (8/km²)
Congressional district	4th
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.co.sumner.ks.us

Sumner County (standard abbreviation: SU) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,132. Its county seat is Wellington.

Sumner County is part of the Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

1915 Railroad Map of Sumner County

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. 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

On February 26, 1867, Sumner County was created from parts of Marion County and Butler County. It was named in honor of Charles Sumner, a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1811–74), who was a strong advocate of Kansas becoming a free state.

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell. This branch line connected Herington, Lost Springs, Lincolnville, Antelope, Marion, Aulne, Peabody, Elbing, Whitewater, Furley, Kechi, Wichita, Peck, Corbin, Wellington, Caldwell. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas. This line is called the "OKT". The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and was 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, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

21st century

In December 2011, the Kansas Star Casino opened approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of the center of Mulvane, adjacent to an exit on the Kansas Turnpike that was added in the mid 1980s. The casino is located a couple blocks west of the turnpike exit.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,185 square miles (3,070 km²), of which 1,182 square miles (3,060 km²) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Sedgwick County (north)
• Butler County (northeast)
• Cowley County (east)
• Kay County, Oklahoma (southeast)
• Grant County, Oklahoma (southwest)
• Harper County (west)
• Kingman County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	22		—
1880	20,812		94,500.0%
1890	30,271		45.4%
1900	25,631		−15.3%
1910	30,654		19.6%
1920	29,213		−4.7%
1930	28,960		−0.9%
1940	26,163		−9.7%
1950	23,646		−9.6%
1960	25,316		7.1%
1970	23,553		−7.0%
1980	24,928		5.8%
1990	25,841		3.7%
2000	25,946		0.4%
2010	24,132		−7.0%
Est. 2014	23,528		−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Age pyramid

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,946 people, 9,888 households, and 7,089 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 10,877 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.62% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. 3.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,888 households out of which 34.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,415, and the median income for a family was $46,739. Males had a median income of $36,616 versus $23,020 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,305. About 7.20% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 6.80% 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.

Education

Unified school districts

• USD 263, Mulvane
• USD 353, Wellington
• USD 356, Conway Springs
• USD 357, Belle Plaine
• USD 358, Oxford
• USD 359, Argonia
• USD 360, Caldwell
• USD 509, South Haven

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Sumner County (map legend)

Cities

• Argonia
• Belle Plaine
• Caldwell
• Conway Springs
• Geuda Springs (partly in Cowley County)
• Hunnewell
• Mayfield
• Milan
• Mulvane
• Oxford
• South Haven
• Wellington

Unincorporated communities

• Anson
• Ashton
• Corbin
• Dalton
• Drury
• Milton
• Peck (partly in Sedgwick County
• Perth
• Portland
• Riverdale
• Rome
• Suppesville

Ghost towns

• Adamsville
• Bushnell
• Cicero
• Doster
• Ewell
• Metcalf
• Roland
• Sumner City
• Zyba

Townships

Sumner County is divided into thirty townships. The cities of Caldwell and Wellington 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
Avon	03575		319	3 (9)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.03%
Belle Plaine	05525		3,504	33 (87)	105 (40)	1 (0)	0.69%
Bluff	07750		74	1 (1)	136 (53)	0 (0)	0%
Caldwell	09925		200	1 (4)	136 (52)	0 (0)	0.02%
Chikaskia	13150		69	1 (2)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.02%
Conway	15300		1,286	14 (35)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0%
Creek	16300		241	3 (7)	95 (37)	0 (0)	0.05%
Dixon	18200		738	8 (20)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0%
Downs	18525		159	2 (5)	91 (35)	0 (0)	0%
Eden	19800		452	5 (12)	95 (37)	0 (0)	0%
Falls	22875		187	1 (3)	139 (54)	0 (0)	0%
Gore	26975		2,220	27 (70)	83 (32)	1 (1)	1.69%
Greene	28525		80	1 (2)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.10%
Guelph	29175		164	1 (3)	141 (55)	0 (0)	0%
Harmon	30125		277	3 (9)	79 (31)	0 (0)	0%
Illinois	33800		178	2 (5)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.05%
Jackson	34925		153	2 (4)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.02%
London	42400		774	7 (19)	107 (41)	1 (0)	0.93%
Morris	48375		35	0 (1)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0%
Osborne	53335		273	3 (8)	92 (35)	1 (0)	1.30%
Oxford	53875		1,403	14 (37)	99 (38)	1 (0)	1.08%
Palestine	54175		249	3 (9)	72 (28)	1 (0)	1.26%
Ryan	61950		239	3 (7)	92 (36)	0 (0)	0%
Seventy-Six	64000		238	3 (7)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0%
South Haven	66675		670	5 (12)	140 (54)	0 (0)	0%
Springdale	67575		761	8 (21)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0%
Sumner	69225		150	2 (4)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0%
Valverde	73350		147	2 (4)	93 (36)	1 (0)	0.76%
Walton	75300		431	3 (8)	139 (54)	0 (0)	0%
Wellington	76500		344	4 (11)	81 (31)	0 (0)	0.06%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sumner County, Kansas
• Chisholm Trail

Community information for Kansas

• Kansas locations by per capita income
• List of counties in Kansas
• List of cities in Kansas
• List of unincorporated communities in Kansas
• List of townships in Kansas
• List of ghost towns in Kansas

Education information for Kansas

• List of colleges and universities in Kansas
• List of high schools in Kansas
• List of unified school districts in Kansas

Historical information for Kansas

• List of museums in Kansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kansas

Further reading

Sumner County

• Standard Atlas of Sumner County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 100 pages; 1918.
• Standard Atlas of Sumner County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 68 pages; 1902.
• Edwards' Historical Atlas of Sumner County, Kansas; John P. Edwards; 59 pages; 1883.

Kansas

• 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

Country

• Sumner County - Official Website
• Sumner County - Directory of Public Officials

Historical

• Sumner County Historical and Genealogical Society
• Sumner County Historical and Genealogical Research Center
• Kansas State Historical Society

Maps

• Sumner County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society