Brown County, Kansas

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Brown County, Kansas
Brown County Courthouse in Hiawatha
Location in the state of Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded	August 25, 1855
Named for	Albert Gallatin Brown
Seat	Hiawatha
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	572.20 sq mi (1,482 km²) 570.67 sq mi (1,478 km²) 1.52 sq mi (4 km²), 0.27%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	9,984 17.9/sq mi (6.9/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.Brown.KansasGov.com

Brown County (county code BR) is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,984. Its county seat and most populous city is Hiawatha. Brown County is the location of the Kickapoo Indian Reservation of Kansas, the majority of the Sac and Fox Reservation and the majority of the Iowa Reservation of Kansas and Nebraska.

Law and government

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2000, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink without a food sales requirement.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 572.20 square miles (1,482.0 km²), of which 570.67 square miles (1,478.0 km²) (or 99.73%) is land and 1.52 square miles (3.9 km²) (or 0.27%) is water. The Wolf River has its source in the county. Brown State Fishing Lake, formerly known as "Brown County State Park" is in the county, 8 miles (13 km) east of Hiawatha.

Adjacent counties

• Richardson County, Nebraska (north)
• Doniphan County (east)
• Atchison County (southeast)
• Jackson County (southwest)
• Nemaha County (west)

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau

• U.S. Route 36
• U.S. Route 73
• U.S. Route 75
• U.S. Route 159
• Kansas Highway 20
• Kansas Highway 246

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	2,607		—
1870	6,823		161.7%
1880	12,817		87.8%
1890	20,319		58.5%
1900	22,369		10.1%
1910	21,314		−4.7%
1920	20,949		−1.7%
1930	20,553		−1.9%
1940	17,395		−15.4%
1950	14,651		−15.8%
1960	13,229		−9.7%
1970	11,685		−11.7%
1980	11,955		2.3%
1990	11,128		−6.9%
2000	10,724		−3.6%
2010	9,984		−6.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population pyramid

2005 KDOT Map of Brown County (map legend)

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 10,724 people, 4,318 households, and 2,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 4,815 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.87% White, 1.56% Black or African American, 8.82% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.

There were 4,318 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,971, and the median income for a family was $39,525. Males had a median income of $29,163 versus $19,829 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,163. About 10.60% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2006 estimate):

• Hiawatha, 3,237 (county seat)
• Sabetha, 2,519, of which only a small portion lies in the county, the majority of the area and population being in Nemaha County.
• Horton, 1,840
• Everest, 303
• Fairview, 258
• Morrill, 254
• Robinson, 198
• Reserve, 97
• Powhattan, 86
• Willis, 66
• Hamlin, 51

Unincorporated places

• Baker
• Fidelity
• Mercier (original name was Germantown)
• Padonia
• Pierce Junction

Townships

Brown County is divided into ten townships. The cities of Hiawatha, Horton, and Sabetha are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. 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
Hamlin	29725		344	3 (8)	106 (41)	0 (0)	0.18%	39°57′1″N 95°36′40″W
Hiawatha	31700		739	4 (12)	164 (63)	0 (0)	0.18%	39°50′25″N 95°31′59″W
Irving	34500		311	2 (6)	137 (53)	0 (0)	0.04%	39°57′24″N 95°23′36″W
Mission	47200		645	3 (8)	219 (84)	2 (1)	0.73%	39°43′14″N 95°32′12″W
Morrill	48325	Morrill	503	5 (12)	105 (41)	0 (0)	0.24%	39°56′23″N 95°43′20″W
Padonia	54025		259	2 (6)	107 (41)	0 (0)	0.14%	39°57′2″N 95°31′4″W
Powhattan	57375		874	4 (10)	232 (90)	0 (0)	0.06%	39°43′49″N 95°41′59″W
Robinson	60350	Robinson	452	4 (10)	116 (45)	0 (0)	0.25%	39°48′29″N 95°23′49″W
Walnut	74875	Fairview	665	4 (11)	161 (62)	1 (0)	0.46%	39°50′53″N 95°42′27″W
Washington	75525	Everest	541	5 (12)	116 (45)	0 (0)	0.17%	39°41′43″N 95°24′41″W
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html.

Education

Unified school districts

• Hiawatha USD 415
• Brown County USD 430

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, Kansas

Information on this and other counties in Kansas

• List of counties in Kansas
• List of Kansas county name etymologies
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kansas
• Kansas locations by per capita income

Other information for Kansas

• List of cities in Kansas
• List of unified school districts in Kansas
• List of colleges and universities in Kansas

Further reading

• History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
• Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Brown County, Kansas

County

• Brown County - Official Website
• Brown County - Directory of Public Officials
• Brown County - Information, Skyways

Maps

• Brown County Map, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
• Kansas School District Boundary Map, KSDE