Chase County, Kansas

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Coordinates: 38°18′N 96°35′W / 38.300°N 96.583°W / 38.300; -96.583

Chase County, Kansas
ChaseCounty(KS)Courthouse.JPG
Map of Kansas highlighting Chase County
Location in the state of Kansas
Map of the U.S. highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded February 11, 1859
Named for Salmon P. Chase
Seat Cottonwood Falls
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
778.01 sq mi (2,015 km²)
775.89 sq mi (2,010 km²)
2.12 sq mi (5 km²), 0.27%
Population
 - (2010)
 - Density
2,790
4.0/sq mi (1.5/km²)
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website ChaseCountyKS.org

Chase County (county code CS) is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,790.1 Its county seat and most populous city is Cottonwood Falls.2 Chase County is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The county has been the subject of a book by William Least Heat-Moon. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne died in a 1931 plane crash in the county. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was established in the county in 1996. The center of population of Kansas is located in Chase County, about four miles north of Strong City.

Chase County should not be confused with the city of Chase, which is located in Rice County.

Contents

History

19th century

1893 Railroad Map.

For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1806, Zebulon Pike led the Pike expedition westward from St Louis, Missouri, of which part of their journey followed the Cottonwood River through Chase County.3 In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1859, Chase County was founded.

In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway extended a main line from Emporia to Newton.4 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.

The south-western border one mile "notch" into Marion County was established under unusual circumstances. A murder had occurred and Marion County didn't want to have the trial, so a section one mile wide and eighteen miles long was ceded to Chase County to ensure the murder had occurred there.5 The one mile strip of land remains in Chase County to this day.

Law and government

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1988, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.6

Geography

Chase County is centrally located in the eastern half of the state in the Flint Hills geologic region. It's located in the Neosho River drainage basin.7

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 778.01 square miles (2,015.0 km2), of which 775.89 square miles (2,009.5 km2) (or 99.73%) is land and 2.12 square miles (5.5 km2) (or 0.27%) is water.8

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas,9 U.S. Census Bureau10

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 1,046 12
—
1870 1,975 88.8%
1880 6,081 207.9%
1890 8,233 35.4%
1900 8,246 0.2%
1910 7,527 −8.7%
1920 7,144 −5.1%
1930 6,952 −2.7%
1940 6,345 −8.7%
1950 4,831 −23.9%
1960 3,921 −18.8%
1970 3,408 −13.1%
1980 3,309 −2.9%
1990 3,021 −8.7%
2000 3,030 0.3%
2010 2,790 −7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
Population pyramid
2005 KDOT Map of Chase County (map legend)

As of the U.S. Census in 2000,13 there were 3,030 people, 1,246 households, and 817 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,529 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.90% White, 1.02% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.56% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.

There were 1,246 households out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 31.10% 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 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 103.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,656, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $27,402 versus $21,528 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,422. About 4.10% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.00% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2006 estimate):14

Unincorporated places

Ghost towns

Townships

Chase County is divided into nine townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. 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
Bazaar 04700 81 0 (1) 293 (113) 0 (0) 0.17% 38°15′55″N 96°32′3″W / 38.26528°N 96.53417°W / 38.26528; -96.53417
Cedar 11225 116 1 (2) 142 (55) 0 (0) 0.22% 38°8′54″N 96°46′30″W / 38.14833°N 96.77500°W / 38.14833; -96.77500
Cottonwood 15875 184 1 (2) 209 (81) 0 (0) 0.23% 38°17′23″N 96°45′44″W / 38.28972°N 96.76222°W / 38.28972; -96.76222
Diamond Creek 17975 237 1 (2) 373 (144) 1 (0) 0.24% 38°25′31″N 96°40′35″W / 38.42528°N 96.67639°W / 38.42528; -96.67639
Falls 22850 Cottonwood Falls 1,163 9 (23) 131 (51) 1 (0) 0.42% 38°21′55″N 96°32′27″W / 38.36528°N 96.54083°W / 38.36528; -96.54083
Homestead 32950 52 0 (1) 141 (54) 0 (0) 0.27% 38°10′56″N 96°42′14″W / 38.18222°N 96.70389°W / 38.18222; -96.70389
Matfield 45125 155 0 (1) 316 (122) 1 (0) 0.29% 38°8′59″N 96°30′56″W / 38.14972°N 96.51556°W / 38.14972; -96.51556
Strong 68600 Strong City 740 4 (11) 172 (67) 0 (0) 0.24% 38°24′20″N 96°32′18″W / 38.40556°N 96.53833°W / 38.40556; -96.53833
Toledo 70775 302 1 (3) 233 (90) 1 (0) 0.44% 38°24′49″N 96°23′50″W / 38.41361°N 96.39722°W / 38.41361; -96.39722
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. 

Education

Unified school districts

District Office In Neighboring County

Literature

Made famous by William Least Heat-Moon's epic book PrairyErth: A Deep Map (1991).

NRHP sites

The following sites in Chase County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

State Historical Markers

Historical Maps

See also

Portal icon Kansas portal

Information on this and other counties in Kansas

Other information for Kansas

References

  1. ^ "2010 County Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  3. ^ 1806 Pike Expedition map through Chase County.
  4. ^ Santa Fe Rail History
  5. ^ Kansas State Historical Society - Marion County
  6. ^ "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-26. 
  7. ^ Wikisource-logo.svg "Chase". The American Cyclopædia. 1879. 
  8. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  9. ^ National Atlas
  10. ^ U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files
  11. ^ Google Maps Street View
  12. ^ The census population cited for 1860 includes Otoe county which was annexed before 1870. In 1860, the census population was 808 for Chase and 238 for Otoe.
  13. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  14. ^ "Population Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division.  Annual estimates of the population to 2006-07-01. Released 2007-06-28.

Further reading

External links

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 Morris County Morris County Lyon County
Marion County Lyon County
  Chase County, Kansas  
Butler County Butler County Greenwood County
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