Brown County, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Brown County is a county located in Northeast Kansas
, in the Central
United States
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,984. Its county seat
and most populous city is Hiawatha
. Brown County is the location of the Kickapoo Indian Reservation of Kansas, the majority of the Sac and Fox Reservation
and the majority of the Iowa Reservation of Kansas and Nebraska.
, county until 2000, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink without a food sales requirement.
has its source in the county. Brown State Fishing Lake
, formerly known as "Brown County State Park" is in the county, 8 miles (13 km) east of Hiawatha.
, there were 10,724 people, 4,318 households, and 2,949 families residing in the county. The population density
was 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 4,815 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup
of the county was 86.87% White
, 1.56% Black or African American
, 8.82% Native American
, 0.21% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.73% from other races
, and 1.81% from two or more races
. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 2.32% of the population.
There were 4,318 household
s out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples
living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.
The median income for a household
in the county was $31,971, and the median income for a family was $39,525. Males had a median income of $29,163 versus $19,829 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,163. About 10.60% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.
. The cities of Hiawatha
, Horton
, and Sabetha
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.
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 9,984. 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 Hiawatha
Hiawatha, Kansas
Hiawatha is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,172. It is the largest city on U.S. Route 36 between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado.Hiawatha is named after a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
. Brown County is the location of the Kickapoo Indian Reservation of Kansas, the majority of the Sac and Fox Reservation
Sac and Fox Reservation
The Sac and Fox Reservation of the Sac and Fox is a 23.639 sq mi tract located in southeastern Richardson County, Nebraska, and northeastern Brown County, Kansas. It was created as a consequence of the Platte Purchase of 1836....
and the majority of the Iowa Reservation of Kansas and Nebraska.
Law and government
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the 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 2000, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink without a food sales requirement.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 572.2 square miles (1,482 km²), of which 570.67 square miles (1,478 km²) (or 99.73%) is land and 1.52 square miles (3.9 km²) (or 0.27%) is water. The Wolf RiverWolf River (Kansas)
The Wolf River is a tributary of the Missouri River in northeastern Kansas in the United States, draining an area of in the Dissected Till Plains region....
has its source in the county. Brown State Fishing Lake
Brown State Fishing Lake
Brown State Fishing Lake is a protected area in Brown County, Kansas in the United States. The lake is 62 acres in area and up to 13 feet deep...
, formerly known as "Brown County State Park" is in the county, 8 miles (13 km) east of Hiawatha.
Adjacent counties
- Richardson County, NebraskaRichardson County, Nebraska-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,531 people, 3,993 households, and 2,567 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 4,560 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
(north) - Doniphan CountyDoniphan County, KansasDoniphan County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,945. Its county seat is Troy and its most populous city is Wathena. The county along with Buchanan, Andrew, and DeKalb counties in Missouri is included in...
(east) - Atchison CountyAtchison County, KansasAtchison County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 16,924. Its county seat and most populous city is Atchison. The county is named in honor of David Rice Atchison, a United States Senator from Missouri...
(southeast) - Jackson CountyJackson County, KansasJackson County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 13,462. Its county seat and most populous city is Holton...
(southwest) - Nemaha CountyNemaha County, KansasNemaha County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 10,178. The county seat is Seneca.- History :...
(west)
Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau- U.S. Route 36U.S. Route 36U.S. Route 36 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where it meets U.S. Route 34. Its eastern...
- U.S. Route 73U.S. Route 73U.S. Route 73 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 112 miles from northeast Kansas to southeast Nebraska. The highway's southern terminus is Bonner Springs, Kansas at Interstate 70. Its northern terminus is near Dawson, Nebraska at U.S. Highway 75.-Kansas:U.S. Route 73...
- U.S. Route 75U.S. Route 75U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
- U.S. Route 159U.S. Route 159U.S. Highway 159 is a "child" route of U.S. Highway 59. It currently runs for 85 miles from Nortonville, Kansas at U.S. Highway 59 to New Point, Missouri at U.S. Highway 59. The highway permits through traffic on U.S. 59 to bypass the cities of Atchison, Kansas and Saint Joseph,...
- Kansas Highway 20
- Kansas Highway 246
Demographics
As of the U.S. Census in 2000United 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 10,724 people, 4,318 households, and 2,949 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 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 4,815 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/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 86.87% 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...
, 1.56% 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...
, 8.82% 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...
, 0.21% 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,...
, 0.01% 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...
, 0.73% from other races
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...
, and 1.81% 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 2.32% of the population.
There were 4,318 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 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% 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, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 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 $31,971, and the median income for a family was $39,525. Males had a median income of $29,163 versus $19,829 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 $15,163. About 10.60% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated cities
Name and population ( estimate):- HiawathaHiawatha, KansasHiawatha is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,172. It is the largest city on U.S. Route 36 between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado.Hiawatha is named after a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, (county seat) - SabethaSabetha, KansasSabetha is a city in Brown and Nemaha counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,571.- History :The town's settlement began circa 1854, with a name reportedly derived from the word Sabbath, the day the first settler arrived.On the evening of June 13,...
, , of which only a small portion lies in the county, the majority of the area and population being in Nemaha CountyNemaha County, KansasNemaha County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 10,178. The county seat is Seneca.- History :...
. - HortonHorton, KansasHorton is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 1,967 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Horton is located at...
, - EverestEverest, KansasEverest is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 314 at the 2000 census. Everest was named in honor of Colonel Aaron S. Everest, an attorney for the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad...
, - FairviewFairview, KansasFairview is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 271 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fairview is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, - MorrillMorrill, KansasMorrill is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. It was founded by T. J. Elliot, who named it in honor of his friend, Kansas governor Edmund Needham Morrill. The population was 277 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, - RobinsonRobinson, KansasRobinson is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 216 at the 2000 census. Robinson was named to honor the first governor of the State of Kansas, Charles Robinson...
, - ReserveReserve, KansasReserve is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 100 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Reserve is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, - PowhattanPowhattan, KansasPowhattan is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 91 at the 2000 census. The city was named for the father of Pocahontas and was originally a stagecoach station named Locknane.-Geography:...
, - WillisWillis, KansasWillis is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 69 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Willis is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, - HamlinHamlin, KansasHamlin is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 53 at the 2000 census. Hamlin was named in honor of Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln's vice-president.-Geography:Hamlin is located at ....
,
Townships
Brown County is divided into ten 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 Hiawatha
Hiawatha, Kansas
Hiawatha is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,172. It is the largest city on U.S. Route 36 between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado.Hiawatha is named after a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, Horton
Horton, Kansas
Horton is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 1,967 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Horton is located at...
, and Sabetha
Sabetha, Kansas
Sabetha is a city in Brown and Nemaha counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,571.- History :The town's settlement began circa 1854, with a name reportedly derived from the word Sabbath, the day the first settler arrived.On the evening of June 13,...
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlin | 29725 | 344 | 3 (8) | 106 (41) | 0 (0) | 0.18% | 39°57′1"N 95°36′40"W | |
| Hiawatha | 31700 | 739 | 4 (12) | 164 (63) | 0 (0) | 0.18% | 39°50′25"N 95°31′59"W | |
| Irving | 34500 | 311 | 2 (6) | 137 (53) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°57′24"N 95°23′36"W | |
| Mission | 47200 | 645 | 3 (8) | 219 (84) | 2 (1) | 0.73% | 39°43′14"N 95°32′12"W | |
| Morrill | 48325 | Morrill Morrill, Kansas Morrill is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. It was founded by T. J. Elliot, who named it in honor of his friend, Kansas governor Edmund Needham Morrill. The population was 277 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
503 | 5 (12) | 105 (41) | 0 (0) | 0.24% | 39°56′23"N 95°43′20"W |
| Padonia | 54025 | 259 | 2 (6) | 107 (41) | 0 (0) | 0.14% | 39°57′2"N 95°31′4"W | |
| Powhattan | 57375 | 874 | 4 (10) | 232 (90) | 0 (0) | 0.06% | 39°43′49"N 95°41′59"W | |
| Robinson | 60350 | Robinson Robinson, Kansas Robinson is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 216 at the 2000 census. Robinson was named to honor the first governor of the State of Kansas, Charles Robinson... |
452 | 4 (10) | 116 (45) | 0 (0) | 0.25% | 39°48′29"N 95°23′49"W |
| Walnut | 74875 | Fairview Fairview, Kansas Fairview is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 271 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fairview is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.... |
665 | 4 (11) | 161 (62) | 1 (0) | 0.46% | 39°50′53"N 95°42′27"W |
| Washington | 75525 | Everest Everest, Kansas Everest is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 314 at the 2000 census. Everest was named in honor of Colonel Aaron S. Everest, an attorney for the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad... |
541 | 5 (12) | 116 (45) | 0 (0) | 0.17% | 39°41′43"N 95°24′41"W |
| Sources: | ||||||||
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, KansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Brown County, Kansas, United States...
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
County- Brown County - Official Website
- Brown County - Directory of Public Officials
- Brown County - Information, Skyways
Maps
- Brown County Map, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
- Kansas School District Boundary Map, KSDE