Kansas State...
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Kansas Counties
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Hamilton County, Kansas
Hamilton County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Syracuse
Year Organized: 1886
Square Miles: 998 |
Court House: 219 N Main, PO Box 1167
County Courthouse
Syracuse, KS 67878-1167
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Named: In honor of General Alexander Hamilton, the great American
statesman; he was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, July 11, 1804.
State & County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts
History
Hamilton County, one of the western border tier, was erected by the act of March 6, 1873, which defined the boundaries as follows: "Commencing at the intersection of the east line of range 39 west with the 4th standard parallel thence south along said range line to its intersection with the north
line of township 27 south; thence along said township line to the west boundary of the State of Kansas; thence north along said west boundary line of the State of Kansas to where it is intersected by the 4th standard parallel; thence east to the place of beginning."
In 1883, when several of the western counties were discontinued by act of the legislature, the boundaries of Hamilton were extended to include the western half of the present counties of Grant and Kearny and all of the present county of Stanton, but by the act of March 5, 1887, the original
boundaries were restored. At present the county is bounded on the north by Greeley county; on the east by Kearny; on the south by Stanton, and on the west by the State of Colorado. It was named for Alexander Hamilton, one of the founders of the American republic, who was killed in a duel with Aaron
Burr.
Geography
The surface of the county is level in the northern part and rolling prairie in the southern. The Arkansas river enters the county from the west, near the center, and flows in a southeasterly direction until it enters Kearny county. Along this river the bottom lands are from 2 to 4 miles wide.
There is little native timber, but a number of artificial groves have been planted. White magnesian limestone is abundant in the bluffs along the river and some gypsum deposits have been found.
Description
The Arkansas river, the Santa Fe railroad, and highway US 50, running
almost together, divide the county and join all of its towns. If you
leave the valley, you'll be in the rolling high plains.
- For about five miles just west of Syracuse, highway US 50
follows the original path of the mountain route of the Santa Fe
Trail.
- If you look off to the North from highway US 50 in Coolidge, you
can see the old stone water tower.
- If you're feeling a little more adventurous, take the river road
along the south side of the river from Syracuse to Coolidge. You'll
have cottonwoods on one side and pastures on the other.
- There is a sinkhole about seven miles south of Coolidge. It's
not very impressive, but the drive down to see it gives a good sense
of the countryside.
- In 1900, Mayline was a tiny town on the AT&SF halfway between
Kendall and Syracuse. The 1927-1928 Report from the State Board of
Agriculture makes no mention of it.
- The Northrup Theater in Syracuse opened April 7, 1930 with
"Footlights and Fools" starring Colleen Moore. The ornate "art deco"
paint job on the interior was added in the forties. The building has
been restored and is operated by the Chamber of Commerce.
- The Donahue Memorial Hospital in Syracuse has been replaced but
the gracious old three-story brick building still stands on a
tree-covered site high above most of town.
Neighboring Counties:
- Greeley County (north)
- Wichita County (northeast)
- Kearny County (east)
- Grant County (southeast)
- Stanton County (south)
- Prowers County, Colorado (west)
Cities:
| - Bear Creek |
township |
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| - Coolidge |
city |
Incorporated Area |
| - Kendall |
township |
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| - Medway |
township |
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| - Richland |
township |
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| - Syracuse (County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Hamilton County - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we’ve given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the “characteristic features of
our country!”
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn’t the only reason to explore counties’ role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today’s counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990’s political slogan “Think globally, act locally.” |
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Penn Foster High School
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