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Smith County, Kansas

Smith County (standard abbreviation: SM) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 3,570 people lived there.[1] Its county seat is Smith Center.[2] The county is named after Maj. J. Nelson Smith, who was part of the 2nd Colorado Cavalry. He was killed in action at the Battle of Westport on October 21, 1864.

Smith County, Kansas
Map
Map of Kansas highlighting Smith County
Location in the state of Kansas
Map of the USA highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 1872
Seat Smith Center
Largest City Smith Center
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
897 sq mi (2,323 km²)
895 sq mi (2,318 km²)
1.5 sq mi (4 km²), 0.2
Population
 -  Density

Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Named for: J. Nelson Smith

The geographic center of the contiguous United States is in the county, near Lebanon.[3]

History

19th century

In 1872, Smith County was created. The first homestead in Smith County was in 1871. There were 3,800 people living there by 1875. The county grew to 15,000 people by 1889. Corn was the main crop, but drought and grasshoppers hurt the crops. When hardy Winter wheat was introduced to Kansas by Russian settlers, it eventually became the main crop in Smith County. The number of people living in Smith County has slowly gone down since 1900. This is due to advanced farming techniques that need fewer people to farm.[source?]

Brewster Higley wrote the song "Home on the Range" in 1873 in a cabin 9 miles northwest of Smith Center. It later became the Kansas State song.[4][5]

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 897 square miles (2,320 km2). Of that, 895 square miles (2,320 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.2%) is water.[6] The county is divided into 25 townships, each of which is listed below in the subdivisions section of this article.

The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is in the county, near the city of Lebanon.[7] The geographic center of North America is located in neighboring Osborne County.

The Solomon River runs through the southern part of the county. It provides a flat basin and water for irrigation.

Major highways

There are two major highways in the county. The main east–west route is U.S. Highway 36. It goes through Athol, Kensington, and Smith Center. The main north–south route is U.S. Highway 281. Kansas state highways K-8, K-9 and K-180 go to other areas of the county.

People

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
187066
—
188013,88320934.8%
189015,61312.5%
190016,3844.9%
191015,365−6.2%
192014,985−2.5%
193013,545−9.6%
194010,582−21.9%
19508,846−16.4%
19607,776−12.1%
19706,757−13.1%
19805,947−12.0%
19905,078−14.6%
20004,536−10.7%
20103,853−15.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[1]
 
Age pyramid

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential Elections Results
Presidential Elections Results[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 82.8% 1,763 15.8% 336 1.4% 30
2016 81.3% 1,661 14.5% 297 4.1% 84
2012 80.3% 1,624 17.7% 358 2.0% 41
2008 77.8% 1,719 20.2% 446 2.0% 45
2004 76.1% 1,803 22.8% 540 1.1% 27
2000 70.2% 1,534 24.5% 534 5.3% 116
1996 65.4% 1,628 25.6% 638 9.0% 224
1992 43.3% 1,236 27.7% 789 29.0% 827
1988 65.3% 1,951 33.6% 1,004 1.1% 33
1984 75.7% 2,332 22.2% 684 2.1% 63
1980 71.7% 2,415 21.4% 719 6.9% 234
1976 58.5% 2,009 38.8% 1,333 2.7% 94
1972 74.3% 2,600 23.4% 818 2.4% 83
1968 67.5% 2,558 24.8% 939 7.7% 293
1964 52.3% 2,026 46.7% 1,809 0.9% 36
1960 71.9% 3,013 27.6% 1,157 0.5% 22
1956 73.0% 3,142 26.5% 1,139 0.6% 26
1952 77.8% 3,623 21.2% 986 1.1% 51
1948 61.9% 2,760 35.7% 1,590 2.4% 106
1944 69.9% 3,282 29.3% 1,377 0.7% 34
1940 65.6% 3,630 33.5% 1,855 0.9% 50
1936 53.5% 3,292 46.3% 2,847 0.3% 17
1932 46.5% 2,870 51.1% 3,155 2.3% 144
1928 74.3% 4,021 24.7% 1,338 0.9% 50
1924 57.2% 3,226 29.0% 1,634 13.8% 777
1920 66.1% 3,251 31.2% 1,535 2.7% 132
1916 41.1% 2,605 54.1% 3,431 4.8% 306
1912 25.8% 970 40.9% 1,534 33.3% 1,250
1908 51.7% 1,843 44.7% 1,593 3.7% 132
1904 66.0% 2,254 17.5% 596 16.5% 564
1900 46.5% 1,770 51.9% 1,978 1.6% 61
1896 40.2% 1,385 58.6% 2,019 1.1% 39
1892 41.3% 1,389 58.7% 1,972
1888 51.7% 1,726 23.3% 777 25.0% 835

Smith County is very Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won Smith County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Since 1940, the only Democrat to win forty percent of the county’s vote was Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Education

Unified school districts

Communities

 
2005 KDOT Map of Smith County (map legend)

Cities

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Smith County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "Population and Geographic Centers" (PDF). www.census.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ Kansas Historical Society (October 2015). "Smith County, Kansas". Kansapedia. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  5. ↑ Kansas Historical Society (December 2014). "Brewster Higley". Kansapedia. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Geographic Center of the Lower 48 United States". Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

More reading

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