Wilson County, Kansas

Wilson County
Wilson County
County
	Brown Hotel in Neodesha (2017)
	Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
	Kansas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 37°34′00″N 95°44′00″W / 37.5667°N 95.7333°W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	1855
Named for	Hiero T. Wilson
Seat	Fredonia
Largest city	Neodesha
Area
• Total	575 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Land	570 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Water	4.7 sq mi (12 km2) 0.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	8,624
• Density	15.1/sq mi (5.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	wilsoncountykansas.org

Wilson County is a county located in Southeast Kansas. Its county seat is Fredonia.^[2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 8,624.^[1] The county was named after Hiero Wilson, a colonel in the American Civil War.

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.

19th century

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 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized. In 1855, Wilson County was established and included what is now Wilson County and Montgomery County. It was named for Colonel Hiero T. Wilson. He was a successful Indian trader who had been the first white settler of Fort Scott, Kansas and had served as postmaster and sutler at the fort. He could speak Cherokee, Creek, and Osage and the Osage called him "Big White Chief". He was a delegate to the Lecompton Constitutional Convention.^[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km²), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km²) (0.8%) is water.^[4]

Adjacent counties

Woodson County (north)
Allen County (northeast)
Neosho County (east)
Montgomery County (south)
Elk County (west)
Greenwood County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	27		—
1870	6,694		24,692.6%
1880	13,775		105.8%
1890	15,286		11.0%
1900	15,621		2.2%
1910	19,810		26.8%
1920	21,157		6.8%
1930	18,646		−11.9%
1940	17,723		−5.0%
1950	14,815		−16.4%
1960	13,077		−11.7%
1970	11,317		−13.5%
1980	12,128		7.2%
1990	10,289		−15.2%
2000	10,332		0.4%
2010	9,409		−8.9%
2020	8,624		−8.3%
2023 (est.)	8,382	^[5]	−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[6] 1790-1960^[7] 1900-1990^[8] 1990-2000^[9] 2010-2020^[1]

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 10,332 people, 4,203 households, and 2,849 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (6.9 people/km²). There were 4,937 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.78% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 1.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,203 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,747, and the median income for a family was $36,990. Males had a median income of $27,255 versus $18,670 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,910. About 7.50% of families and 11.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential election results

United States presidential election results for Wilson County, Kansas^[11]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,153	79.74%	723	18.29%	78	1.97%
2016	2,788	77.64%	594	16.54%	209	5.82%
2012	2,825	76.00%	818	22.01%	74	1.99%
2008	2,850	69.16%	1,170	28.39%	101	2.45%
2004	3,263	74.19%	1,060	24.10%	75	1.71%
2000	2,748	67.11%	1,186	28.96%	161	3.93%
1996	2,458	56.41%	1,297	29.77%	602	13.82%
1992	1,925	41.53%	1,331	28.72%	1,379	29.75%
1988	2,743	63.12%	1,545	35.55%	58	1.33%
1984	3,663	72.23%	1,344	26.50%	64	1.26%
1980	3,328	69.32%	1,205	25.10%	268	5.58%
1976	2,682	55.67%	2,047	42.49%	89	1.85%
1972	3,568	74.80%	1,043	21.87%	159	3.33%
1968	3,340	63.35%	1,276	24.20%	656	12.44%
1964	2,919	52.54%	2,592	46.65%	45	0.81%
1960	4,333	67.77%	2,034	31.81%	27	0.42%
1956	4,502	73.00%	1,645	26.67%	20	0.32%
1952	5,180	73.18%	1,845	26.07%	53	0.75%
1948	3,868	59.45%	2,538	39.01%	100	1.54%
1944	4,248	68.57%	1,912	30.86%	35	0.56%
1940	5,288	64.42%	2,859	34.83%	62	0.76%
1936	4,829	55.59%	3,816	43.93%	42	0.48%
1932	3,422	44.93%	4,001	52.53%	193	2.53%
1928	5,603	78.46%	1,465	20.52%	73	1.02%
1924	4,596	65.00%	1,736	24.55%	739	10.45%
1920	4,024	66.23%	1,768	29.10%	284	4.67%
1916	2,970	41.81%	3,494	49.18%	640	9.01%
1912	849	19.92%	1,304	30.60%	2,108	49.47%
1908	2,428	53.14%	1,777	38.89%	364	7.97%
1904	2,583	63.37%	1,034	25.37%	459	11.26%
1900	2,193	55.58%	1,711	43.36%	42	1.06%
1896	1,852	48.38%	1,959	51.18%	17	0.44%
1892	1,803	51.80%	0	0.00%	1,678	48.20%
1888	2,191	55.48%	1,035	26.21%	723	18.31%

Wilson County is overwhelmingly Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Wilson County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and none have passed 36 percent since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Laws

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1998, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.^[12]

Education

Unified school districts

Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Wilson County.^[16]

Cities

Unincorporated communities

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Townships

Wilson County is divided into fifteen townships. The cities of Fredonia and Neodesha 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.

Sources: 2000 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Township	FIPS	Population	Population density /km² (/sq mi)	Land area km² (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Cedar	11375	701	8 (19)	93 (36)	0.11%	37°31′21″N 95°40′14″W / 37.52250°N 95.67056°W / 37.52250; -95.67056 (Cedar Twp.)
Center	12225	618	6 (16)	103 (40)	0.14%	37°31′5″N 95°49′11″W / 37.51806°N 95.81972°W / 37.51806; -95.81972 (Center Twp.)
Chetopa	13000	188	2 (5)	93 (36)	0.11%	37°30′28″N 95°34′14″W / 37.50778°N 95.57056°W / 37.50778; -95.57056 (Chetopa Twp.)
Clifton	14250	414	4 (12)	93 (36)	0.53%	37°41′56″N 95°42′23″W / 37.69889°N 95.70639°W / 37.69889; -95.70639 (Clifton Twp.)
Colfax	14825	452	4 (10)	123 (47)	0.17%	37°40′55″N 95°36′20″W / 37.68194°N 95.60556°W / 37.68194; -95.60556 (Colfax Twp.)
Duck Creek	18800	103	1 (3)	93 (36)	0.23%	37°26′14″N 95°54′58″W / 37.43722°N 95.91611°W / 37.43722; -95.91611 (Duck Creek Twp.)
Fall River	22825	398	3 (8)	131 (51)	0.16%	37°32′21″N 95°55′33″W / 37.53917°N 95.92583°W / 37.53917; -95.92583 (Fall River Twp.)
Guilford	29200	205	2 (6)	93 (36)	0.06%	37°36′32″N 95°43′22″W / 37.60889°N 95.72278°W / 37.60889; -95.72278 (Guilford Twp.)
Neodesha	49675	583	6 (17)	90 (35)	0.52%	37°25′29″N 95°40′52″W / 37.42472°N 95.68111°W / 37.42472; -95.68111 (Neodesha Twp.)
Newark	50200	226	2 (6)	92 (36)	0.18%	37°25′30″N 95°34′56″W / 37.42500°N 95.58222°W / 37.42500; -95.58222 (Newark Twp.)
Pleasant Valley	56650	201	2 (4)	123 (47)	0.09%	37°36′25″N 95°36′21″W / 37.60694°N 95.60583°W / 37.60694; -95.60583 (Pleasant Valley Twp.)
Prairie	57425	118	2 (4)	78 (30)	0.28%	37°36′17″N 95°49′26″W / 37.60472°N 95.82389°W / 37.60472; -95.82389 (Prairie Twp.)
Talleyrand	69900	232	3 (7)	92 (36)	0.06%	37°25′19″N 95°48′25″W / 37.42194°N 95.80694°W / 37.42194; -95.80694 (Talleyrand Twp.)
Verdigris	73500	394	4 (10)	103 (40)	0.27%	37°39′29″N 95°53′51″W / 37.65806°N 95.89750°W / 37.65806; -95.89750 (Verdigris Twp.)
Webster	76300	51	1 (2)	77 (30)	0.15%	37°42′0″N 95°50′1″W / 37.70000°N 95.83361°W / 37.70000; -95.83361 (Webster Twp.)