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Butler County, Kansas | |
Butler County Courthouse in El Dorado (2011)
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Location in the state of Kansas | |
Kansas's location in the U.S. | |
Founded | August 25, 1855 |
---|---|
Named for | Andrew Pickens Butler |
Seat | El Dorado |
Largest city | Andover |
Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,447 sq mi (3,748 km²) 1,430 sq mi (3,704 km²) 17 sq mi (44 km²), 1.2 |
Population - (2020) - Density |
67,380 |
Congressional district | 4th |
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Butler County (county code BU) is a county in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Kansas and is the largest county in the state by total area.[1] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 67,380.[2] Its county seat and most populous city is El Dorado.[3]
History[]
Early history[]
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. 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 1848, after the Mexican–American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Spain brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.
19th century[]
In 1855, Butler County was founded. It was named in honor of a U.S. Senator from South Carolina, Andrew Butler (1796–1857), who was one of the authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and a strong advocate of Kansas becoming a slave state.[4]
In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado, in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to Arkansas City.[5] The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942.[6] The original branch line connected Florence, Burns, De Graff, El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Rock, Akron, Winfield, Arkansas City.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north–south from Herington to Caldwell.[7] This branch line connected Herington, Lost Springs, Lincolnville, Antelope, Marion, Aulne, Peabody, Elbing, Whitewater, Furley, Kechi, Wichita, Peck, Corbin, Wellington, Caldwell. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas. This line is called the "OKT". The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
21st century[]
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Butler County (near Potwin, Towanda, Augusta, Douglass), with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).[8][9] A pumping station named Burns was built 2 miles north of Potwin, and new power lines were built from a high-voltage line 0.3 mile east of De Graff.[10]
In an unusual technical glitch, a farmstead about 4 miles northeast of Potwin became the default site of 600 million IP addresses (due to their lack of fine granularity) when the Massachusetts-based digital mapping company MaxMind changed the putative geographic center of the contiguous United States from 39.8333333,-98.585522 to 38.0000,-97.0000.[11][12]
Geography[]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,447 square miles (3,750 km2), of which 1,430 square miles (3,700 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.2%) is water.[13] It is the largest county by area in Kansas.
Adjacent counties[]
- Chase County (northeast)
- Greenwood County (east)
- Elk County (southeast)
- Cowley County (south)
- Sumner County (southwest)
- Harvey County (west)
- Sedgwick County (west)
- Marion County (northwest)
Major highways[]
Sources: National Atlas,[14] U.S. Census Bureau[15]
- Interstate 35
- U.S. Route 54
- U.S. Route 77
- Kansas Highway 96
- Kansas Highway 177
- Kansas Highway 196
- Kansas Highway 254
Demographics[]
Historical populations | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1860 | 437 | ||
1870 | 3,035 | 594.5% | |
1880 | 18,586 | 512.4% | |
1890 | 24,055 | 29.4% | |
1900 | 23,363 | −2.9% | |
1910 | 23,059 | −1.3% | |
1920 | 43,842 | 90.1% | |
1930 | 35,904 | −18.1% | |
1940 | 32,013 | −10.8% | |
1950 | 31,001 | −3.2% | |
1960 | 38,395 | 23.9% | |
1970 | 38,658 | 0.7% | |
1980 | 44,782 | 15.8% | |
1990 | 50,580 | 12.9% | |
2000 | 59,482 | 17.6% | |
2010 | 65,880 | 10.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[16] 1790-1960[17] 1900-1990[18] 1990-2000[19] 2010-2020[2] |
Butler County is part of the Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.
2000 census[]
As of the U.S. Census in 2000,[20] 59,482 people, 21,527 households, and 16,059 families resided in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile (16/km2). There were 23,176 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km2). The county's racial makeup was 94.94% White, 1.38% Black or African American, 0.91% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.69% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.
There were 21,527 households, of which 37.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.40% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males.
The county's median household income was $45,474, and the median family income was $53,632. Males had a median income of $38,675 versus $26,109 for females. The county's per capita income was $20,150. About 5.40% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.00% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.
Government[]
Presidential elections[]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 22,634 | 69.60% | 9,181 | 28.23% | 705 | 2.17% |
2016 | 19,073 | 68.96% | 6,573 | 23.77% | 2,011 | 7.27% |
2012 | 18,157 | 69.61% | 7,282 | 27.92% | 646 | 2.48% |
2008 | 18,155 | 65.13% | 9,159 | 32.86% | 559 | 2.01% |
2004 | 18,438 | 70.16% | 7,495 | 28.52% | 347 | 1.32% |
2000 | 13,377 | 63.69% | 6,755 | 32.16% | 870 | 4.14% |
1996 | 13,979 | 58.70% | 7,294 | 30.63% | 2,543 | 10.68% |
1992 | 9,166 | 38.79% | 7,029 | 29.75% | 7,434 | 31.46% |
1988 | 10,976 | 57.60% | 7,690 | 40.35% | 390 | 2.05% |
1984 | 12,976 | 66.33% | 6,371 | 32.56% | 217 | 1.11% |
1980 | 10,210 | 55.33% | 6,875 | 37.26% | 1,368 | 7.41% |
1976 | 8,390 | 48.45% | 8,540 | 49.32% | 386 | 2.23% |
1972 | 11,045 | 67.39% | 4,669 | 28.49% | 675 | 4.12% |
1968 | 7,893 | 50.79% | 5,952 | 38.30% | 1,696 | 10.91% |
1964 | 6,364 | 40.97% | 9,061 | 58.34% | 107 | 0.69% |
1960 | 10,059 | 58.37% | 7,112 | 41.27% | 61 | 0.35% |
1956 | 9,591 | 60.73% | 6,158 | 38.99% | 45 | 0.28% |
1952 | 10,179 | 65.04% | 5,359 | 34.24% | 113 | 0.72% |
1948 | 6,551 | 50.58% | 6,269 | 48.40% | 132 | 1.02% |
1944 | 7,064 | 53.50% | 6,084 | 46.08% | 55 | 0.42% |
1940 | 7,619 | 49.60% | 7,615 | 49.58% | 126 | 0.82% |
1936 | 6,204 | 39.99% | 9,283 | 59.84% | 27 | 0.17% |
1932 | 6,116 | 43.70% | 7,447 | 53.22% | 431 | 3.08% |
1928 | 10,168 | 79.43% | 2,533 | 19.79% | 101 | 0.79% |
1924 | 7,367 | 57.93% | 3,642 | 28.64% | 1,707 | 13.42% |
1920 | 6,821 | 60.56% | 4,112 | 36.51% | 331 | 2.94% |
1916 | 3,614 | 43.16% | 4,248 | 50.73% | 511 | 6.10% |
1912 | 971 | 18.30% | 2,005 | 37.79% | 2,330 | 43.91% |
1908 | 3,049 | 53.97% | 2,290 | 40.54% | 310 | 5.49% |
1904 | 3,306 | 61.90% | 1,540 | 28.83% | 495 | 9.27% |
1900 | 2,947 | 50.64% | 2,752 | 47.29% | 120 | 2.06% |
1896 | 2,414 | 44.91% | 2,926 | 54.44% | 35 | 0.65% |
1892 | 2,650 | 48.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,800 | 51.38% |
1888 | 3,172 | 55.36% | 1,616 | 28.20% | 942 | 16.44% |
1884 | 3,179 | 58.42% | 1,799 | 33.06% | 464 | 8.53% |
1880 | 2,398 | 60.68% | 1,120 | 28.34% | 434 | 10.98% |
Like of most of Kansas’ counties, Butler county is solidly Republican. In 2008, John McCain carried the county by a nearly two-to-one margin over Barack Obama. Since 1992, no Democratic candidate has received so much as forty percent of the county's vote.[22] The last Democratic candidate to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.[23]
Laws[]
Butler 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.[24]
Education[]
College[]
- Butler County Community College in El Dorado
Unified school districts[]
- Bluestem USD 205
- Remington USD 206
- Circle USD 375
- Andover USD 385
- Rose Hill USD 394
- Douglass USD 396
- Augusta USD 402
- El Dorado USD 490
- Flinthills USD 492
- School district office in neighboring county
- Peabody–Burns USD 398
- Central USD 462
Private schools[]
- Berean Academy in Elbing
Communities[]
Cities[]
- Andover
- Augusta
- Benton
- Cassoday
- Douglass
- Elbing
- El Dorado
- Latham
- Leon
- Potwin
- Rose Hill
- Towanda
- Whitewater
Unincorporated places[]
†This populated place is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.
- Beaumont†
- Bois d'Arc
- Brainerd
- De Graff
- Gordon
- Haverhill
- Keighley
- Lorena
- Midian
- Pontiac
- Rosalia†
Ghost towns[]
- Aikman
- Alki
- Amador
- Browntown
- Chelsea (now lies under El Dorado Lake)
- Durachen
- Frazier
- Lorena
- Magna City
- Midian
- Oil Hill
- Oil Valley
- Ophir
- Plum Grove
- Providence
- Ramsey
- Salter
- Vanora
- Wingate
Townships[]
Butler County is divided into twenty-nine townships. The cities of Augusta and El Dorado 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Augusta | 03325 | 1,405 | 17 (43) | 84 (32) | 1 (0) | 0.68% | ||
Benton | 06200 | Benton | 2,211 | 24 (61) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | |
Bloomington | 07500 | 544 | 6 (15) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | ||
Bruno | 08825 | Andover | 9,744 | 107 (278) | 91 (35) | 0 (0) | 0.10% | |
Chelsea | 12750 | 190 | 1 (2) | 261 (101) | 17 (7) | 6.15% | ||
Clay | 13575 | 83 | 1 (2) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.22% | ||
Clifford | 14175 | 259 | 2 (6) | 108 (42) | 0 (0) | 0.18% | ||
Douglass | 18425 | Douglass | 2,306 | 25 (64) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.32% | |
El Dorado | 20100 | 1,700 | 12 (32) | 140 (54) | 2 (1) | 1.46% | ||
Fairmount | 22275 | Elbing | 511 | 5 (14) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.14% | |
Fairview | 22450 | 491 | 5 (14) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.14% | ||
Glencoe | 26400 | 239 | 1 (4) | 161 (62) | 1 (0) | 0.60% | ||
Hickory | 31750 | 90 | 1 (1) | 162 (62) | 1 (0) | 0.67% | ||
Lincoln | 40500 | 317 | 1 (3) | 257 (99) | 2 (1) | 0.64% | ||
Little Walnut | 41625 | Leon | 1,002 | 11 (28) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.44% | |
Logan | 41775 | 154 | 2 (4) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.16% | ||
Milton | 46875 | Whitewater | 1,136 | 12 (31) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.15% | |
Murdock | 49225 | 378 | 4 (10) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | ||
Pleasant | 56200 | Rose Hill (part) | 4,649 | 50 (129) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.11% | |
Plum Grove | 56850 | Potwin | 661 | 7 (19) | 92 (36) | 1 (0) | 0.58% | |
Prospect | 57775 | 2,033 | 10 (26) | 203 (78) | 16 (6) | 7.20% | ||
Richland | 59250 | Rose Hill (part) | 2,399 | 26 (66) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.02% | |
Rock Creek | 60475 | 299 | 3 (8) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | ||
Rosalia | 61125 | 589 | 4 (9) | 162 (63) | 1 (0) | 0.58% | ||
Spring | 67275 | 1,566 | 17 (43) | 94 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.13% | ||
Sycamore | 69700 | Cassoday | 333 | 1 (3) | 295 (114) | 2 (1) | 0.76% | |
Towanda | 71150 | Towanda | 2,727 | 29 (76) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.14% | |
Union | 72050 | Latham | 226 | 1 (4) | 161 (62) | 1 (0) | 0.72% | |
Walnut | 74900 | 760 | 8 (21) | 92 (36) | 1 (0) | 0.77% | ||
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html. |
See also[]
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Butler 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
References[]
- ^ "Kansas Land Area County Rank". http://www.usa.com/rank/kansas-state--land-area--county-rank.htm.
- ^ a b "QuickFacts; Butler County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/butlercountykansas/POP010220.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
- ^ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc.. Standard Publishing Company. pp. 261. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C.
- ^ Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.
- ^ Railway Abandonment 1942
- ^ "Rock Island Rail History". http://home.covad.net/~scicoatnsew/rihist4.htm.
- ^ Keystone Pipeline - Marion County Commission calls out Legislative Leadership on Pipeline Deal; April 18, 2010. Archived October 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Keystone Pipeline - TransCanada inspecting pipeline; December 10, 2010.
- ^ Keystone Pipeline - Burns Pumping Station - New Powerline Map; Trow Engineering Consultants and TransCanda; 2010.
- ^ Hill, Kashmir (2016-04-10). "How an internet mapping glitch turned a random Kansas farm into a digital hell". Fusion. http://fusion.net/story/287592/internet-mapping-glitch-kansas-farm/.
- ^ Kansas couple sues over internet glitch targeting their home; The Wichita Eagle; August 8, 2016.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html.
- ^ National Atlas Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files". https://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ks190090.txt.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
- ^ The New York Times Electoral Map (Zoom in on Kansas)
- ^ David Leip's Presidential Election Atlas - 1976 statistics
- ^ "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm.
Further reading[]
Template:Kansas books
- History of Butler County, Kansas; Vol P Mooney; Standard Publishing; 869 pages; 1916.
- An Illustrated Hand Book, Compiled from the Official Statistics, Descriptive of Butler County, Kansas; 66 pages; T.B. Murdock; 1887.
- Standard Atlas of Butler County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 69 pages; 1905.
- Standard Atlas of Butler County, Kansas; Walter F. McGinnis & I.C. Thomas; 59 pages; 1885.
External links[]
- County
- Historical
- Maps
- Butler County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society
Harvey County | Marion County | Chase County | ||
Sedgwick County | Greenwood County | |||
Butler County, Kansas | ||||
Sumner County | Cowley County | Elk County |
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