Jefferson County, Kansas

Jefferson County (county code JF) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. At the 2010 census, the county population was 19,126.[1] Its county seat is Oskaloosa,[2] and its most populous city is Valley Falls.

Jefferson County
County
Jefferson County Courthouse in Oskaloosa
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°13′00″N 95°24′00″W
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedAugust 25, 1855
Named forThomas Jefferson
SeatOskaloosa
Largest cityValley Falls
Area
 • Total557 sq mi (1,440 km2)
 • Land533 sq mi (1,380 km2)
 • Water24 sq mi (60 km2)  4.3%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
18,975
 • Density36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitejfcountyks.com

History

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.

19th century

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 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Jefferson County was established, and was named for President Thomas Jefferson.[3] Settlement of the county was slowed by events prior to and during the Civil War, but the present day unincorporated community of Thompsonville (3 miles northwest of Perry on the Delaware River) was the first established in 1851 by Mormon settlers who initially refused to accompany the main group led by Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley. The settlement was first abandoned due to the violence resulting from the border wars, but was re-established when the Civil War ended.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 557 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 533 square miles (1,380 km2) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) (4.3%) is water.[4]

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18604,459—
187012,526180.9%
188015,56324.2%
189016,6206.8%
190017,5335.5%
191015,826−9.7%
192014,750−6.8%
193014,129−4.2%
194012,718−10.0%
195011,084−12.8%
196011,2521.5%
197011,9456.2%
198015,20727.3%
199015,9054.6%
200018,42615.9%
201019,1263.8%
2018 (est.)18,975[5]−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2016[1]
Population pyramid

Jefferson County is included in the Topeka, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

At the 2000 Census, there were 18,426 people, 6,830 households and 5,190 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 per square mile (13/km2). There were 7,491 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.70% White, 0.92% Native American, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.

There were 6,830 households, of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.20% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 20.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07.

27.40% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.

The median household income was $45,535 and the median family income was $50,557. Males had a median income of $36,174 compared with $25,468 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,373. About 5.30% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.90% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections
Presidential Elections Results
Presidential Elections Results[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 62.5% 5,213 30.2% 2,518 7.3% 606
2012 60.2% 4,827 37.2% 2,977 2.6% 209
2008 58.3% 5,220 39.6% 3,542 2.1% 188
2004 61.5% 5,408 37.0% 3,253 1.5% 132
2000 56.2% 4,423 38.1% 3,000 5.8% 454
1996 49.3% 3,781 36.0% 2,757 14.7% 1,130
1992 33.0% 2,569 32.6% 2,538 34.4% 2,673
1988 55.5% 3,605 43.3% 2,810 1.2% 77
1984 68.9% 4,524 30.3% 1,990 0.8% 49
1980 64.6% 4,046 28.4% 1,776 7.0% 441
1976 55.1% 3,225 42.2% 2,470 2.7% 156
1972 72.7% 3,679 24.4% 1,237 2.9% 145
1968 56.6% 2,781 27.6% 1,355 15.9% 779
1964 53.1% 2,380 46.1% 2,066 0.9% 39
1960 65.7% 3,353 34.1% 1,739 0.2% 9
1956 70.2% 3,677 29.3% 1,536 0.4% 22
1952 73.5% 3,980 26.1% 1,411 0.5% 26
1948 59.0% 2,986 39.7% 2,010 1.2% 62
1944 68.7% 3,504 30.9% 1,575 0.4% 19
1940 65.8% 4,330 33.6% 2,212 0.6% 38
1936 54.3% 3,711 45.4% 3,105 0.4% 25
1932 47.4% 2,974 50.8% 3,185 1.8% 112
1928 74.8% 4,810 24.9% 1,601 0.3% 22
1924 72.7% 4,422 21.7% 1,320 5.6% 340
1920 68.9% 3,463 30.5% 1,535 0.6% 31
1916 50.5% 3,174 46.4% 2,919 3.1% 193
1912 29.8% 1,155 39.6% 1,537 30.7% 1,190
1908 55.6% 2,270 42.1% 1,720 2.3% 95
1904 65.3% 2,568 30.5% 1,199 4.3% 168
1900 54.7% 2,374 44.0% 1,912 1.3% 57
1896 50.0% 2,322 49.0% 2,276 1.0% 47
1892 50.0% 2,026 50.0% 2,030[lower-alpha 1]
1888 57.0% 2,268 40.2% 1,601 2.8% 110

Like all of Kansas outside the eastern cities, Jefferson County is a Republican stronghold, having not been won by a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide – although it was one of three Kansas counties to give a plurality to Ross Perot in 1992.

Laws

Jefferson County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.[11]

Education

Unified school districts

Communities
2005 KDOT Map of Jefferson County (map legend)

Cities

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

Jefferson County is divided into twelve 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.

TownshipFIPSPopulation
center		 PopulationPopulation
density
/km2 (/sq mi)		 Land area
km2 (sq mi)		Water area
km2 (sq mi)		Water % Geographic coordinates
Delaware17425Valley Falls2,0349 (23)229 (88)0 (0)0.11%39°21′6″N 95°28′31″W
Fairview22525Rural Ozawkie1,51022 (56)70 (27)20 (8)22.20%39°10′49″N 95°26′50″W
Jefferson35250Winchester1,2408 (21)151 (58)0 (0)0.24%39°19′37″N 95°16′11″W
Kaw36125Grantville1,40916 (43)86 (33)2 (1)1.78%39°5′41″N 95°32′55″W
Kentucky36575Perry1,57617 (44)93 (36)14 (5)13.18%39°5′18″N 95°24′42″W
Norton51475Nortonville9559 (25)101 (39)0 (0)0.30%39°24′13″N 95°18′47″W
Oskaloosa53400Oskaloosa2,14214 (37)149 (58)0 (0)0.17%39°13′12″N 95°18′58″W
Ozawkie53950Ozawkie1,40815 (38)97 (37)14 (5)12.74%39°14′32″N 95°26′3″W
Rock Creek60575Meriden2,71819 (50)140 (54)1 (1)0.92%39°12′52″N 95°32′58″W
Rural61700Williamstown80410 (25)82 (32)1 (0)1.14%39°4′31″N 95°18′52″W
Sarcoxie63100Rural Lawrence95812 (31)80 (31)0 (0)0.45%39°5′13″N 95°14′50″W
Union72150McLouth1,67215 (39)111 (43)0 (0)0.30%39°12′41″N 95°12′26″W
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on 2002-08-02.

Notable people
  • John Curry (1897–1946), painter
  • Roger Barker (1903-1990), American environmental psychologist
  • Charles Roberts (1936-), American politician
  • Mary Lowman (1842-1912), first woman in Kansas to be elected mayor with a city council composed entirely of women.

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 168.
  4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Archived from the original on 2002-05-27. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  10. http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS
  11. "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
Notes
  1. This comprises 1,973 votes (48.6%) were for Populist James B. Weaver (who was supported by the state’s Democrats) and 57 votes (1.4%) for Prohibition Party candidate John Bidwell.

Further reading
See also: List of books about State of Kansas (which includes historical information about its counties and cities too)
County
Maps

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