Sheridan County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Buffalo Hunters' Home inSheridan (1873) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°21′N100°26′W / 39.35°N 100.43°W /39.35; -100.43 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Named after | Philip Sheridan |
| Seat | Hoxie |
| Largest city | Hoxie |
| Area | |
• Total | 896 sq mi (2,320 km2) |
| • Land | 896 sq mi (2,320 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.78 km2) 0.03% |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,447 |
| • Density | 2.7/sq mi (1.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | County Website |
Sheridan County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat isHoxie.[2] As of the2020 census, the county population was 2,447.[1] The county was named in honor ofPhilip Sheridan, a Union general during theCivil War.
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 while 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 milesLouisiana Purchase for 2.83cents peracre.
In 1854, theKansas Territory was organized, then in 1861Kansas became the 34thU.S. state. In 1873, the remaining unorganized western part of the state was divided into 22 new counties, includingSheridan County.[3] Sheridan County was then organized in 1880, with the county seat at Kenneth.[4] After it became apparent in 1886, that the railroad line coming to the area would run south of Kenneth to the new town of Hoxie, the residents of Kenneth accepted an offer to get new lots in Hoxie (and move their buildings at no expense), and the county seat transferred to Hoxie. The Lincoln-Colorado railroad line opened through the county in 1888, and formally became part of theUnion Pacific Railroad in the late 1890s.
The population of Sheridan County grew in the early 20th century and peaked in 1930 at 6,038 residents. Since then the population has steadily declined, as part of the generaldepopulation of the Great Plains.
The rail line stayed in operation in Sheridan County until 1998. After flooding east ofPlainville in the1993 floods damaged the line, the railroad concluded it would not be cost effective to rebuild, and the entire line from Plainville toColby was abandoned by 1998.[5][6]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 896 square miles (2,320 km2), of which 896 square miles (2,320 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.03%) is water.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,567 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,733 | 138.2% | |
| 1900 | 3,819 | 2.3% | |
| 1910 | 5,651 | 48.0% | |
| 1920 | 5,484 | −3.0% | |
| 1930 | 6,038 | 10.1% | |
| 1940 | 5,312 | −12.0% | |
| 1950 | 4,607 | −13.3% | |
| 1960 | 4,267 | −7.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,859 | −9.6% | |
| 1980 | 3,544 | −8.2% | |
| 1990 | 3,043 | −14.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,813 | −7.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,556 | −9.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,447 | −4.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,423 | [8] | −1.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of thecensus[13] of 2000, there were 2,813 people, 1,124 households, and 795 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km2). There were 1,263 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.65%White, 0.14%Black orAfrican American, 0.07%Native American, 0.07%Asian, 0.14%Pacific Islander, 0.36% fromother races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 1,124 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% weremarried couples living together, 4.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 23.70% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 20.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,547, and the median income for a family was $38,292. Males had a median income of $26,351 versus $16,250 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,299. About 12.00% of families and 15.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 27.30% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 623 | 61.99% | 337 | 33.53% | 45 | 4.48% |
| 1892 | 325 | 41.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 466 | 58.91% |
| 1896 | 282 | 40.46% | 384 | 55.09% | 31 | 4.45% |
| 1900 | 445 | 46.31% | 499 | 51.93% | 17 | 1.77% |
| 1904 | 607 | 57.92% | 293 | 27.96% | 148 | 14.12% |
| 1908 | 639 | 48.89% | 631 | 48.28% | 37 | 2.83% |
| 1912 | 195 | 18.19% | 509 | 47.48% | 368 | 34.33% |
| 1916 | 760 | 37.49% | 1,189 | 58.66% | 78 | 3.85% |
| 1920 | 1,194 | 69.54% | 477 | 27.78% | 46 | 2.68% |
| 1924 | 1,320 | 59.11% | 542 | 24.27% | 371 | 16.61% |
| 1928 | 1,450 | 60.52% | 930 | 38.81% | 16 | 0.67% |
| 1932 | 878 | 32.43% | 1,773 | 65.50% | 56 | 2.07% |
| 1936 | 1,007 | 40.26% | 1,442 | 57.66% | 52 | 2.08% |
| 1940 | 1,492 | 62.06% | 903 | 37.56% | 9 | 0.37% |
| 1944 | 1,342 | 66.87% | 658 | 32.79% | 7 | 0.35% |
| 1948 | 1,097 | 52.69% | 966 | 46.40% | 19 | 0.91% |
| 1952 | 1,581 | 73.88% | 555 | 25.93% | 4 | 0.19% |
| 1956 | 1,324 | 67.41% | 633 | 32.23% | 7 | 0.36% |
| 1960 | 1,047 | 51.93% | 954 | 47.32% | 15 | 0.74% |
| 1964 | 808 | 43.75% | 1,028 | 55.66% | 11 | 0.60% |
| 1968 | 1,002 | 58.36% | 563 | 32.79% | 152 | 8.85% |
| 1972 | 1,134 | 64.40% | 552 | 31.35% | 75 | 4.26% |
| 1976 | 838 | 49.15% | 793 | 46.51% | 74 | 4.34% |
| 1980 | 1,202 | 71.00% | 391 | 23.10% | 100 | 5.91% |
| 1984 | 1,274 | 73.86% | 419 | 24.29% | 32 | 1.86% |
| 1988 | 901 | 57.90% | 600 | 38.56% | 55 | 3.53% |
| 1992 | 739 | 45.17% | 347 | 21.21% | 550 | 33.62% |
| 1996 | 1,053 | 74.15% | 264 | 18.59% | 103 | 7.25% |
| 2000 | 1,132 | 76.02% | 281 | 18.87% | 76 | 5.10% |
| 2004 | 1,144 | 81.37% | 239 | 17.00% | 23 | 1.64% |
| 2008 | 1,108 | 80.52% | 254 | 18.46% | 14 | 1.02% |
| 2012 | 1,154 | 85.99% | 168 | 12.52% | 20 | 1.49% |
| 2016 | 1,197 | 87.12% | 127 | 9.24% | 50 | 3.64% |
| 2020 | 1,282 | 88.72% | 147 | 10.17% | 16 | 1.11% |
| 2024 | 1,229 | 89.51% | 126 | 9.18% | 18 | 1.31% |
Sheridan County is overwhelmingly Republican. SinceMichael Dukakis in the heavilydrought-influenced 1988 election won almost 39 percent of the county's vote, no Democratic presidential candidate has topped 22 percent, and in 2016Hillary Clinton’s share plummeted into single digits. This county was Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump's second strongest in the state in2024, afterWallace County, which gave Trump over 90% of the vote.[15]
Although theKansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Sheridan County has remained a prohibition, or"dry", county.[16]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Sheridan County.[17]
Sheridan County is divided into fourteentownships. 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.
Places adjacent to Sheridan County, Kansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofSheridan County, Kansas,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
