Graham County, Kansas

County in Kansas, United States

County in Kansas

Graham County

County

Antelope Lake Park near Morland (2014)

Antelope Lake Park near Morland (2014)

Map of Kansas highlighting Graham County

Location within the U.S. state of Kansas

Kansas's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Kansas
Founded| February 26, 1887
Named for| John L. Graham
Seat| Hill City
Largest city| Hill City
Area

• Total| 899 sq mi (2,330 km2)
• Land| 899 sq mi (2,330 km2)
• Water| 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.03%%
Population

(2020)[1]

• Total| 2,415
• Density| 2.7/sq mi (1.0/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 1st
Website| grahamcountyks.com

Graham County (county code GH) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,415.[1] Its county seat and most populous city is Hill City.[2] The county is home to Nicodemus, founded 1877, which is the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the American Civil War.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Early history
* 1.2 19th century
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Adjacent counties
* 2.2 National protected area
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Government
* 4.1 Presidential elections
* 4.2 Laws
* 5 Education
* 5.1 Unified school districts
* 6 Communities
* 6.1 Cities
* 6.2 Unincorporated communities
* 6.3 Ghost towns
* 6.4 Townships
* 7 In art
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 Further reading
* 11 External links

## History

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### Early history

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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

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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. Graham County was organized in 1880.[3] In 1887, Graham County was established and named for Captain John L. Graham,[4] a Union soldier killed in action at the Battle of Chickamauga in Tennessee on September 19, 1863.

## Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 899 square miles (2,330 km2), of which 899 square miles (2,330 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.[5]

Graham County roughly contains 3600 quarter sections, and is the fourth county east of Colorado line and the second county south of the Nebraska line. The 100th meridian west passes nearly through its center. The average elevation in the county is 2,700 feet (820 m) above sea level. It is intersected by the south fork of Solomon River, and drained by Saline River.[6]

### Adjacent counties

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* Norton County (north)
* Phillips County (northeast)
* Rooks County (east)
* Ellis County (southeast)
* Trego County (south)
* Gove County (southwest)
* Sheridan County (west)
* Decatur County (northwest)

### National protected area

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* Nicodemus National Historic Site

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1880| 4,258| | —
1890| 5,029| | 18.1%
1900| 5,173| | 2.9%
1910| 8,700| | 68.2%
1920| 7,624| | −12.4%
1930| 7,772| | 1.9%
1940| 6,071| | −21.9%
1950| 5,020| | −17.3%
1960| 5,586| | 11.3%
1970| 4,751| | −14.9%
1980| 3,995| | −15.9%
1990| 3,543| | −11.3%
2000| 2,946| | −16.9%
2010| 2,597| | −11.8%
2020| 2,415| | −7.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1]
File:USA Graham County, Kansas age pyramid.svgPopulation pyramid

As of the 2000 census,[11] there were 2,946 people, 1,263 households, and 847 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1/km2). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.91% White, 3.22% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.78% of the population.

There were 1,263 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 5.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.50% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 23.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,286, and the median income for a family was $38,036. Males had a median income of $26,642 versus $18,222 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,050. About 8.60% of families and 11.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.

## Government

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### Presidential elections

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United States presidential election results for Graham County, Kansas[12] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 1,080  | 80.78% | 228  | 17.05%  | 29  | 2.17%
2016 | 1,025  | 79.83% | 188  | 14.64%  | 71  | 5.53%
2012 | 1,056  | 78.81% | 256  | 19.10%  | 28  | 2.09%
2008 | 1,060  | 74.49% | 325  | 22.84%  | 38  | 2.67%
2004 | 1,082  | 75.14% | 334  | 23.19%  | 24  | 1.67%
2000 | 1,058  | 71.78% | 346  | 23.47%  | 70  | 4.75%
1996 | 1,031  | 63.41% | 432  | 26.57%  | 163  | 10.02%
1992 | 752  | 39.33% | 554  | 28.97%  | 606  | 31.69%
1988 | 1,139  | 60.97% | 702  | 37.58%  | 27  | 1.45%
1984 | 1,423  | 74.00% | 480  | 24.96%  | 20  | 1.04%
1980 | 1,450  | 70.90% | 473  | 23.13%  | 122  | 5.97%
1976 | 1,112  | 53.26% | 936  | 44.83%  | 40  | 1.92%
1972 | 1,440  | 73.32% | 488  | 24.85%  | 36  | 1.83%
1968 | 1,308  | 60.72% | 597  | 27.72%  | 249  | 11.56%
1964 | 1,194  | 49.58% | 1,193  | 49.54%  | 21  | 0.87%
1960 | 1,572  | 62.96% | 918  | 36.76%  | 7  | 0.28%
1956 | 1,676  | 69.49% | 725  | 30.06%  | 11  | 0.46%
1952 | 1,859  | 72.62% | 686  | 26.80%  | 15  | 0.59%
1948 | 1,380  | 59.28% | 913  | 39.22%  | 35  | 1.50%
1944 | 1,651  | 66.52% | 814  | 32.80%  | 17  | 0.68%
1940 | 1,804  | 60.97% | 1,135  | 38.36%  | 20  | 0.68%
1936 | 1,462  | 45.66%  | 1,734  | 54.15% | 6  | 0.19%
1932 | 1,284  | 37.07%  | 2,082  | 60.10% | 98  | 2.83%
1928 | 1,832  | 61.68% | 1,087  | 36.60%  | 51  | 1.72%
1924 | 1,631  | 53.78% | 629  | 20.74%  | 773  | 25.49%
1920 | 1,658  | 64.06% | 762  | 29.44%  | 168  | 6.49%
1916 | 1,150  | 35.63%  | 1,801  | 55.79% | 277  | 8.58%
1912 | 327  | 20.27%  | 636  | 39.43% | 650  | 40.30%
1908 | 911  | 52.24% | 723  | 41.46%  | 110  | 6.31%
1904 | 921  | 64.72% | 244  | 17.15%  | 258  | 18.13%
1900 | 561  | 44.03%  | 694  | 54.47% | 19  | 1.49%
1896 | 343  | 34.33%  | 648  | 64.86% | 8  | 0.80%
1892 | 436  | 44.40%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 546  | 55.60%
1888 | 797  | 49.35% | 342  | 21.18%  | 476  | 29.47%

### Laws

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Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Graham County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1992, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink without a food sales requirement.[13]

## Education

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### Unified school districts

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* Graham County USD 281

## Communities

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File:Map of Graham Co, Ks, USA.png2005 KDOT Map of Graham County (map legend)

### Cities

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* Bogue
* Hill City
* Morland

### Unincorporated communities

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* Millbrook
* Nicodemus
* Penokee
* St. Peter
* Studley (western edge of county, bordering Sheridan County)

### Ghost towns

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* Fagan
* Gettysburg
* Houston
* Olean
* Roscoe
* Smithfield
* Springfield
* Togo
* Turnerville
* Wild Horse, Kansas

### Townships

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Graham County is divided into thirteen 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

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Allodium | 01325 |  | 46 | 0 (1) | 175 (67) | 0 (0) | 0.06% | 39°29′23″N 100°4′42″W﻿ / ﻿39.48972°N 100.07833°W﻿ / 39.48972; -100.07833
Bryant | 08850 |  | 115 | 0 (1) | 233 (90) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°11′22″N 100°5′7″W﻿ / ﻿39.18944°N 100.08528°W﻿ / 39.18944; -100.08528
Gettysburg | 26175 |  | 83 | 0 (1) | 227 (88) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°23′11″N 100°1′50″W﻿ / ﻿39.38639°N 100.03056°W﻿ / 39.38639; -100.03056
Graham | 27175 |  | 53 | 0 (1) | 186 (72) | 0 (0) | 0.02% | 39°31′3″N 99°47′51″W﻿ / ﻿39.51750°N 99.79750°W﻿ / 39.51750; -99.79750
Happy | 29950 |  | 72 | 0 (1) | 233 (90) | 0 (0) | 0.05% | 39°12′17″N 99°53′7″W﻿ / ﻿39.20472°N 99.88528°W﻿ / 39.20472; -99.88528
Hill City | 32200 | Hill City | 1,747 | 16 (41) | 112 (43) | 0 (0) | 0.15% | 39°22′17″N 99°50′29″W﻿ / ﻿39.37139°N 99.84139°W﻿ / 39.37139; -99.84139
Indiana | 34000 |  | 42 | 0 (1) | 174 (67) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 39°29′28″N 99°57′59″W﻿ / ﻿39.49111°N 99.96639°W﻿ / 39.49111; -99.96639
Millbrook | 46625 |  | 150 | 1 (2) | 159 (62) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°19′1″N 99°55′2″W﻿ / ﻿39.31694°N 99.91722°W﻿ / 39.31694; -99.91722
Morland | 48250 |  | 68 | 0 (1) | 286 (111) | 0 (0) | 0.05% | 39°13′46″N 99°41′15″W﻿ / ﻿39.22944°N 99.68750°W﻿ / 39.22944; -99.68750
Nicodemus | 50575 |  | 52 | 1 (2) | 84 (32) | 0 (0) | 0.03% | 39°24′40″N 99°38′55″W﻿ / ﻿39.41111°N 99.64861°W﻿ / 39.41111; -99.64861
Pioneer | 55900 |  | 57 | 0 (1) | 161 (62) | 0 (0) | 0.02% | 39°31′1″N 99°40′2″W﻿ / ﻿39.51694°N 99.66722°W﻿ / 39.51694; -99.66722
Solomon | 66300 | Morland | 209 | 1 (3) | 159 (61) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 39°18′57″N 100°4′44″W﻿ / ﻿39.31583°N 100.07889°W﻿ / 39.31583; -100.07889
Wildhorse | 79225 | Bogue | 252 | 2 (5) | 137 (53) | 0 (0) | 0.06% | 39°20′45″N 99°40′13″W﻿ / ﻿39.34583°N 99.67028°W﻿ / 39.34583; -99.67028
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on August 2, 2002.

## In art

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Noted regional artist Birger Sandzén frequently painted landscapes in Graham County, where his wife's parents moved in 1906.[14] Examples include Still Water currently profiled in the collection at Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art which depicts Wild Horse Creek in the county.[14]

## See also

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* USS Graham County (LST-1176)

Community information for Kansas

* Kansas locations by per capita income
* List of counties in Kansas
* List of townships in Kansas
* List of cities in Kansas
* List of unincorporated communities 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

|

## References

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1. ^ a b c "QuickFacts; Graham County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. Standard Publishing Company. p. 771\. ISBN 9780722249055.
4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 140.
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Graham. II. A N. W. unsettled county of Kansas" . The American Cyclopædia.
7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
13. ^ "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
14. ^ a b North, 24-27

Notes

## Further reading

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See also: List of books about Kansas, including historical information about its counties and cities

* North, Bill (2003). ...to build up a rich collection...:Selected Works From the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. ISBN 1-890751-11-1.; 156 pages; 2003.
* Standard Atlas of Graham County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 61 pages; 1906.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Graham County, Kansas.

County

* Graham County - Official Website
* Graham County - Directory of Public Officials

Historical

* Graham County Historical Society

Maps

* Graham County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
* Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
* Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

Places adjacent to Graham County, Kansas

|  | Norton County | Phillips County

|
|

|  |
Sheridan County |

Graham County, Kansas

| Rooks County
|  |
Gove County | Trego County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Graham County, Kansas, United States

County seat: Hill City

Cities|

* Bogue
* Hill City
* Morland

Map of Kansas highlighting Graham CountyMap of Kansas highlighting Graham County

Unincorporated
communities|

* Nicodemus†
* Penokee
* St. Peter

Ghost towns|

* Fargo
* Happy
* Houston
* Kebar
* Millbrook
* Olean
* Roscoe
* Togo
* Turnerville
* Whitfield
* Wild Horse

Townships|

* Allodium
* Bryant
* Gettysburg
* Graham
* Happy
* Hill City
* Indiana
* Millbrook
* Morlan
* Nicodemus
* Pioneer
* Solomon
* Wildhorse

Footnotes|

†This community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

* United States portal

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* e

State of Kansas

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Society|

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Largest
cities|

* (1) Wichita
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* (31) Andover
* (32) Lansing
* (33) Merriam
* (34) Atchison
* (35) Haysville
* (36) Parsons
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* (40) Augusta
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* (42) Wellington
* (43) Fort Scott
* (44) Park City
* (45) Bonner Springs
* (46) Valley Center
* (47) Pratt
* (48) Bel Aire
* (49) Roeland Park
* (50) Abilene

Counties|

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Lists|

* List of counties in Kansas
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* List of cities in Kansas
* List of census-designated places in Kansas
* List of unincorporated communities in Kansas
* List of ghost towns in Kansas
* Lists of people from Kansas

Coordinates: 39°21′N 99°53′W﻿ / ﻿39.350°N 99.883°W﻿ / 39.350; -99.883
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
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