Chase County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
Courthouse.JPG) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:38°18′N96°35′W / 38.300°N 96.583°W /38.300; -96.583 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | February 11, 1859 |
| Named after | Salmon P. Chase |
| Seat | Cottonwood Falls |
| Largest city | Cottonwood Falls |
| Area | |
• Total | 778 sq mi (2,020 km2) |
| • Land | 773 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
| • Water | 4.7 sq mi (12 km2) 0.6% |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,572 |
• Estimate (2023)[2] | 2,579 |
| • Density | 3.3/sq mi (1.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 620 |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | chasecountyks.com |
Chase County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat and most populous city isCottonwood Falls.[3] As of the2020 census, the county population was 2,572.[1] The county was named forSalmon Chase, a U.S. Senator from Ohio that was a Kansas statehood advocate.
For manymillennia, theGreat Plains ofNorth America was inhabited bynomadicNative Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, theKingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts ofNorth America. In 1762, after theFrench and Indian War, France secretly cededNew France toSpain, per theTreaty of Fontainebleau. 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 formodern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mileLouisiana Purchase for 2.83cents peracre. In 1848, after theMexican–American War, theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo withMexico brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas. In 1854, theKansas Territory was organized, then in 1861Kansas became the 34thU.S. state.
In 1806,Zebulon Pike led thePike Expedition westward fromSt Louis, Missouri, of which part of their journey followed theCottonwood River through modern Chase County.[4]
In 1859,Chase County was established within theKansas Territory.
In 1871, theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway extended a main line fromEmporia toNewton.[5] In 1887,Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line fromNeva (3 miles west ofStrong City) toSuperior, Nebraska. This branch line connectedStrong 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 time, the line fromNeva toLost 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, theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged withBurlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the currentBNSF Railway.
The south-western border one mile "notch" intoMarion 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 permanently ceded to Chase County to ensure the murder had occurred there.[6]
In 1931,Notre Dame coachKnute Rockne died in a plane crash a few miles southwest of Bazaar, in Chase County, Kansas.
In 1991, the county was the subject of the book:PrairyErth: (A Deep Map).
In 1996, theTallgrass Prairie National Preserve was established in the county.
Thecenter of population of Kansas is located inCottonwood Falls, Kansas, about four miles north ofStrong City.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 778 square miles (2,020 km2), of which 773 square miles (2,000 km2) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km2) (0.6%) is water.[11]
Chase County is centrally located in the eastern half of the state in theFlint Hills geologic region. It's located in theNeosho Riverdrainage basin.[12]
Sources: National Atlas,[13] U.S. Census Bureau[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,046 | — | |
| 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% | |
| 2020 | 2,572 | −7.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,579 | [2] | 0.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the2000 census,[19] there were 3,030 people, 1,246 households, and 817 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). There were 1,529 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 96.90%White, 1.02%Black orAfrican American, 0.56%Native American, 0.13%Asian, 0.56% from other races, and 0.83% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.75% of the population.
There were 1,246households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% weremarried 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.
Themedian 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. Theper capita income for the county was $17,422. About 4.10% of families and 8.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.00% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Chase County is a Republican stronghold. The last Democrat to carry this county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 1,126 | 54.11% | 593 | 28.50% | 362 | 17.40% |
| 1892 | 891 | 47.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 990 | 52.63% |
| 1896 | 812 | 44.74% | 981 | 54.05% | 22 | 1.21% |
| 1900 | 1,084 | 52.49% | 956 | 46.30% | 25 | 1.21% |
| 1904 | 1,217 | 64.39% | 562 | 29.74% | 111 | 5.87% |
| 1908 | 1,021 | 53.04% | 834 | 43.32% | 70 | 3.64% |
| 1912 | 476 | 25.41% | 812 | 43.35% | 585 | 31.23% |
| 1916 | 1,356 | 44.14% | 1,584 | 51.56% | 132 | 4.30% |
| 1920 | 1,659 | 63.15% | 904 | 34.41% | 64 | 2.44% |
| 1924 | 1,822 | 62.61% | 758 | 26.05% | 330 | 11.34% |
| 1928 | 2,079 | 72.79% | 739 | 25.88% | 38 | 1.33% |
| 1932 | 1,485 | 45.96% | 1,703 | 52.71% | 43 | 1.33% |
| 1936 | 1,610 | 48.42% | 1,706 | 51.31% | 9 | 0.27% |
| 1940 | 1,871 | 57.78% | 1,344 | 41.51% | 23 | 0.71% |
| 1944 | 1,510 | 59.99% | 998 | 39.65% | 9 | 0.36% |
| 1948 | 1,432 | 58.93% | 961 | 39.55% | 37 | 1.52% |
| 1952 | 1,815 | 77.76% | 513 | 21.98% | 6 | 0.26% |
| 1956 | 1,553 | 74.45% | 529 | 25.36% | 4 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 1,276 | 64.06% | 708 | 35.54% | 8 | 0.40% |
| 1964 | 902 | 50.31% | 886 | 49.41% | 5 | 0.28% |
| 1968 | 1,038 | 62.61% | 462 | 27.86% | 158 | 9.53% |
| 1972 | 1,184 | 76.04% | 315 | 20.23% | 58 | 3.73% |
| 1976 | 922 | 57.59% | 643 | 40.16% | 36 | 2.25% |
| 1980 | 1,073 | 66.94% | 413 | 25.76% | 117 | 7.30% |
| 1984 | 1,162 | 74.01% | 393 | 25.03% | 15 | 0.96% |
| 1988 | 884 | 60.63% | 538 | 36.90% | 36 | 2.47% |
| 1992 | 610 | 36.20% | 470 | 27.89% | 605 | 35.91% |
| 1996 | 778 | 50.19% | 496 | 32.00% | 276 | 17.81% |
| 2000 | 848 | 64.39% | 391 | 29.69% | 78 | 5.92% |
| 2004 | 1,055 | 70.29% | 418 | 27.85% | 28 | 1.87% |
| 2008 | 976 | 70.52% | 383 | 27.67% | 25 | 1.81% |
| 2012 | 875 | 68.84% | 358 | 28.17% | 38 | 2.99% |
| 2016 | 969 | 70.78% | 316 | 23.08% | 84 | 6.14% |
| 2020 | 1,123 | 75.32% | 345 | 23.14% | 23 | 1.54% |
| 2024 | 1,090 | 74.56% | 348 | 23.80% | 24 | 1.64% |
Following amendment to theKansas 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.[21]
School districts include:[22]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Chase County.[23]
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.
Chase County is divided into ninetownships. None of the cities within the county are consideredgovernmentally 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.
Chase County was made famous byWilliam Least Heat-Moon's epic bookPrairyErth: A Deep Map (1991).
The following sites in Chase County are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places:
|
Places adjacent to Chase County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofChase County, Kansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This community also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
