Decatur County, Kansas
Decatur County (county code DC) is a county in Northwest Kansas. In 2020, 2,764 people lived there.[1] Its county seat is Oberlin. Oberlin is also the biggest city in Decatur County.[2] The county is named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr.
| Decatur County, Kansas | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Kansas | |
 Kansas's location in the U.S. | |
| Statistics | |
| Founded | March 20, 1873 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Oberlin |
| Largest City | Oberlin |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
894 sq mi (2,315 km²) 894 sq mi (2,315 km²) 0.6 sq mi (2 km²), 0.07% |
| Population - Density |
|
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Named for: Stephen Decatur, Jr. | |
History
Decatur County was created on March 20, 1873 and organized on December 15, 1879. It is named after the Navy war hero Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr..[3] He served during the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War and the War of 1812.
Oberlin was where the last Native American (specifically the Northern Cheyenne) Raid in Kansas happened.[4]
Geography
The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 894 square miles (2,320 km2). Of that, 894 square miles (2,320 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (0.07%) is water.[5]
People
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 4,180 | ||
| 1890 | 8,414 | 101.3% | |
| 1900 | 9,234 | 9.7% | |
| 1910 | 8,976 | −2.8% | |
| 1920 | 8,121 | −9.5% | |
| 1930 | 8,866 | 9.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,434 | −16.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,185 | −16.8% | |
| 1960 | 5,778 | −6.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,988 | −13.7% | |
| 1980 | 4,509 | −9.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,021 | −10.8% | |
| 2000 | 3,472 | −13.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,961 | −14.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1] | |||
Government
Decatur county is very Republican. The last time a democratic candidate won the county was in 1936 by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Presidential elections
Presidential Elections Results
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 84.1% 1,260 | 14.6% 218 | 1.3% 20 |
| 2016 | 83.0% 1,210 | 12.2% 178 | 4.7% 69 |
| 2012 | 79.5% 1,218 | 17.4% 266 | 3.1% 48 |
| 2008 | 76.8% 1,189 | 22.2% 343 | 1.0% 16 |
| 2004 | 77.9% 1,355 | 20.4% 355 | 1.7% 30 |
| 2000 | 71.4% 1,255 | 24.1% 424 | 4.6% 80 |
| 1996 | 68.1% 1,255 | 22.6% 417 | 9.3% 172 |
| 1992 | 45.0% 940 | 27.6% 576 | 27.4% 573 |
| 1988 | 60.1% 1,291 | 36.9% 793 | 3.0% 64 |
| 1984 | 78.2% 1,770 | 20.6% 467 | 1.2% 28 |
| 1980 | 73.0% 1,642 | 19.7% 443 | 7.3% 165 |
| 1976 | 52.7% 1,232 | 43.3% 1,011 | 4.0% 93 |
| 1972 | 70.2% 1,707 | 25.3% 616 | 4.4% 108 |
| 1968 | 65.7% 1,654 | 25.9% 652 | 8.4% 210 |
| 1964 | 51.0% 1,382 | 48.5% 1,314 | 0.6% 16 |
| 1960 | 63.8% 1,846 | 35.9% 1,038 | 0.3% 8 |
| 1956 | 68.6% 2,028 | 31.1% 920 | 0.3% 9 |
| 1952 | 74.5% 2,451 | 25.0% 821 | 0.5% 16 |
| 1948 | 51.4% 1,545 | 46.7% 1,402 | 1.9% 58 |
| 1944 | 59.9% 1,758 | 39.5% 1,159 | 0.6% 17 |
| 1940 | 56.2% 2,018 | 43.0% 1,546 | 0.8% 29 |
| 1936 | 42.1% 1,727 | 57.6% 2,362 | 0.4% 15 |
| 1932 | 36.3% 1,439 | 61.0% 2,422 | 2.7% 108 |
| 1928 | 66.5% 2,314 | 32.5% 1,129 | 1.0% 35 |
| 1924 | 46.9% 1,621 | 35.2% 1,218 | 17.9% 618 |
| 1920 | 51.6% 1,448 | 43.5% 1,221 | 5.0% 140 |
| 1916 | 27.7% 1,007 | 67.0% 2,431 | 5.3% 193 |
| 1912 | 14.9% 256 | 55.5% 955 | 29.6% 509 |
| 1908 | 39.3% 898 | 54.8% 1,250 | 5.9% 135 |
| 1904 | 59.7% 1,215 | 20.2% 411 | 20.1% 409 |
| 1900 | 41.8% 848 | 57.0% 1,158 | 1.2% 24 |
| 1896 | 36.4% 594 | 63.2% 1,032 | 0.4% 7 |
| 1892 | 38.6% 619 | 61.4% 985 | |
| 1888 | 57.4% 1,224 | 34.3% 731 | 8.3% 177 |
Education
Unified school districts
- Oberlin USD 294
- Prairie Heights USD 295, dissolved as of July 1, 2006; absorbed by USD 294.
Communities
Cities
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Decatur County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 102.
- ↑ Weiser, Kathy (March 2012). "Cheyenne Raid in Kansas". Legendsofkansas.com. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
More reading
- Handbook of Decatur County, Kansas; C.S. Burch Publishing Co; 25 pages; 1885.
- Standard Atlas of Decatur County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 80 pages; 1921.
- Standard Atlas of Decatur County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 69 pages; 1905.
Other websites
- County
- Maps
- Decatur County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society
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