Sumner County, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Sumner County is a county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

 located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Kansas
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...

. The county's population was 24,132 for the 2010 census. 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....

 is Wellington
Wellington, Kansas
Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,172.-19th century:...

. Sumner County is part of the Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Wichita metropolitan area
The Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties in south central Kansas, anchored by the city of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 659,372...

. It was named in honor of Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...

, a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1811–1874), who was a strong advocate of Kansas becoming a free state
Slave state
In the United States of America prior to the American Civil War, a slave state was a U.S. state in which slavery was legal, whereas a free state was one in which slavery was either prohibited from its entry into the Union or eliminated over time...

.

History

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington
Herington, Kansas
Herington is a city in Dickinson and Morris counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. Named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,526.-19th century:...

 to Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...

. This branch line connected Herington
Herington, Kansas
Herington is a city in Dickinson and Morris counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. Named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,526.-19th century:...

, Lost Springs
Lost Springs, Kansas
Lost Springs is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named for the old lost spring near the city. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70.-19th century:...

, Lincolnville
Lincolnville, Kansas
Lincolnville is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 203.-19th century:For millennia, the land that is currently Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the...

, Antelope
Antelope, Kansas
Antelope is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Kansas, United States. Antelope got its name from Antelope grazing near where the first school was being built.-19th century:...

, Marion
Marion, Kansas
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Francis Marion, a Brigadier General of the American Revolutionary War, known as the "Swamp Fox". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,927....

, Aulne
Aulne, Kansas
Aulne is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The Aulne name was suggested by officials of the railroad when it was built through Aulne.-19th century:...

, Peabody
Peabody, Kansas
Peabody is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It is named after F.H. Peabody, of Boston, former vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Peabody is well known in the region for its Independence Day Celebration on July 4, and its historic 1880's downtown main street...

, Elbing
Elbing, Kansas
Elbing is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. It is named after the city Elbląg in northern Poland, formerly Prussia. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 229.-History:...

, Whitewater
Whitewater, Kansas
Whitewater is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 718.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington through Whitewater to Caldwell...

, Furley
Furley, Kansas
Furley is an unincorporated community in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington through Furley to Caldwell. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas...

, Kechi
Kechi, Kansas
Kechi is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,909.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington through Kechi to Caldwell...

, Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

, Peck
Peck, Kansas
Peck is an unincorporated community on the Sedgwick County and Sumner County border in Kansas, United States.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington through Peck to Caldwell...

, Corbin
Corbin, Kansas
Corbin is a community in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. The post office was established February 6, 1884, and discontinued February 16, 1975. The nearby Spring Creek School is on the National Register of Historic Places.-19th century:...

, Wellington
Wellington, Kansas
Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,172.-19th century:...

, Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...

. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

. 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
Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
-OKT I:The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad , was originally created on May 29, 1980 after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad on March 31, 1980...

, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...

, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....

. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

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 1992, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.

The chance for a casino in Sumner County is on again, but the possibility of a Wyandotte tribe casino in nearby Sedgwick County has raised some questions.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1184.78 square miles (3,068.6 km²), of which 1181.81 square miles (3,060.9 km²) (or 99.75%) is land and 2.98 square miles (7.7 km²) (or 0.25%) is water.

Adjacent counties

  • Sedgwick County
    Sedgwick County, Kansas
    Sedgwick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 498,365 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Wichita. The county was named after General John Sedgwick...

     (north)
  • Butler County
    Butler County, Kansas
    Butler County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 65,880. Its county seat and most populous city is El Dorado. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.-19th century:It was named in...

     (northeast)
  • Cowley County
    Cowley County, Kansas
    Cowley County is a county located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 36,311. Its county seat and most populous city is Winfield...

     (east)
  • Kay County
    Kay County, Oklahoma
    Kay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 48,080. Its county seat is Newkirk. The largest city in Kay County is Ponca City.-19th century:...

    , Oklahoma
    Oklahoma
    Oklahoma 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)
  • Grant County
    Grant County, Oklahoma
    Grant 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:...

    , Oklahoma
    Oklahoma
    Oklahoma 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)
  • Harper County
    Harper County, Kansas
    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...

     (west)
  • Kingman County
    Kingman County, Kansas
    Kingman 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:...

     (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 25,946 people, 9,888 households, and 7,089 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 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
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...

, 0.71% Black
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...

 or African American
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...

, 1.05% Native American
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...

, 0.22% Asian
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...

, 0.05% Pacific Islander
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...

, 1.29% 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 2.06% from two or more races. 3.58% of the population were Hispanic
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...

 or Latino
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 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
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, 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
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 $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.

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2004 estimate):
  • Wellington
    Wellington, Kansas
    Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,172.-19th century:...

    , 8,277 (county seat)
  • Belle Plaine
    Belle Plaine, Kansas
    Belle Plaine is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,681.-Geography:Belle Plaine is located at...

    , 1,649
  • Conway Springs
    Conway Springs, Kansas
    Conway Springs is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,272.-Geography:Conway Springs is located at...

    , 1,281
  • Caldwell
    Caldwell, Kansas
    Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...

    , 1,242
  • Oxford
    Oxford, Kansas
    Oxford is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,049.-Geography:Oxford 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 1,173...

    , 1,134
  • Argonia
    Argonia, Kansas
    Argonia is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 501.-Geography:Argonia 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 534...

    , 511
  • South Haven
    South Haven, Kansas
    South Haven is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 363.-Geography:South Haven is located at...

    , 378
  • Geuda Springs
    Geuda Springs, Kansas
    Geuda Springs is a city in Cowley and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 185.-Geography:Geuda Springs is located at...

    , 210 (of which a small portion lies in Cowley County
    Cowley County, Kansas
    Cowley County is a county located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 36,311. Its county seat and most populous city is Winfield...

    )
  • Milan
    Milan, Kansas
    Milan is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 82.-Geography:Milan is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

    , 135
  • Mayfield
    Mayfield, Kansas
    Mayfield is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 113, which is the same as the previous 2000 census.-Geography:Mayfield is located at...

    , 111
  • Mulvane
    Mulvane, Kansas
    Mulvane is a city in Sedgwick and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,111.-History:...

    , 5,755
  • Hunnewell
    Hunnewell, Kansas
    Hunnewell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 67.-History:Hunnewell was named for Boston financier and railway owner H. H. Hunnewell....

    , 82

Townships

Sumner County is divided into thirty townships
Civil 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 Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...

 and Wellington
Wellington, Kansas
Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,172.-19th century:...

 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.
align="bottom"|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% 37°15′58"N 97°18′56"W
Belle Plaine 05525 3,504 33 (87) 105 (40) 1 (0) 0.69% 37°24′33"N 97°17′19"W
Bluff 07750 74 1 (1) 136 (53) 0 (0) 0 % 37°3′19"N 97°44′18"W
Caldwell 09925 200 1 (4) 136 (52) 0 (0) 0.02% 37°3′42"N 97°37′52"W
Chikaskia 13150 69 1 (2) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.02% 37°10′4"N 97°38′4"W
Conway 15300 1,286 14 (35) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°24′33"N 97°39′4"W
Creek 16300 241 3 (7) 95 (37) 0 (0) 0.05% 37°20′10"N 97°44′18"W
Dixon 18200 738 8 (20) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°15′55"N 97°45′44"W
Downs 18525 159 2 (5) 91 (35) 0 (0) 0 % 37°10′43"N 97°31′12"W
Eden 19800 452 5 (12) 95 (37) 0 (0) 0 % 37°25′45"N 97°45′36"W
Falls 22875 187 1 (3) 139 (54) 0 (0) 0 % 37°4′48"N 97°31′52"W
Gore 26975 2,220 27 (70) 83 (32) 1 (1) 1.69% 37°26′56"N 97°12′28"W
Greene 28525 80 1 (2) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0.10% 37°10′28"N 97°18′26"W
Guelph 29175 164 1 (3) 141 (55) 0 (0) 0 % 37°4′10"N 97°19′21"W
Harmon 30125 277 3 (9) 79 (31) 0 (0) 0 % 37°21′31"N 97°19′6"W
Illinois 33800 178 2 (5) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.05% 37°25′20"N 97°31′6"W
Jackson 34925 153 2 (4) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0.02% 37°10′36"N 97°24′38"W
London 42400 774 7 (19) 107 (41) 1 (0) 0.93% 37°26′4"N 97°24′32"W
Morris 48375 35 0 (1) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°10′35"N 97°44′17"W
Osborne 53335 273 3 (8) 92 (35) 1 (0) 1.30% 37°15′11"N 97°32′9"W
Oxford 53875 1,403 14 (37) 99 (38) 1 (0) 1.08% 37°16′29"N 97°10′31"W
Palestine 54175 249 3 (9) 72 (28) 1 (0) 1.26% 37°21′7"N 97°13′5"W
Ryan 61950 239 3 (7) 92 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°15′37"N 97°38′51"W
Seventy-Six 64000 238 3 (7) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°21′15"N 97°24′40"W
South Haven 66675 670 5 (12) 140 (54) 0 (0) 0 % 37°2′44"N 97°24′51"W
Springdale 67575 761 8 (21) 93 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°21′57"N 97°38′54"W
Sumner 69225 150 2 (4) 94 (36) 0 (0) 0 % 37°21′8"N 97°31′12"W
Valverde 73350 147 2 (4) 93 (36) 1 (0) 0.76% 37°11′5"N 97°12′13"W
Walton 75300 431 3 (8) 139 (54) 0 (0) 0 % 37°4′43"N 97°11′36"W
Wellington 76500 344 4 (11) 81 (31) 0 (0) 0.06% 37°16′17"N 97°25′16"W

Unified school districts


Further reading


External links

Country
Historical
Maps





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