Harper County, Kansas

Harper County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Named:  The county was named in memory of Marion Harper, first sergeant of Company E, Second Regiment Kansas Cavalry. He was mortally wounded at Waldron, Ark., December 29, 1863, and died the following day. His comrades say he took his death cooly. When brought in wounded, he proposed a wager that in so many hours he would be dead; the bet was taken, and Marion Harper won.

State & County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Harper County, located in the central part of the southern tier of counties, is bounded on the north by Kingman county, on the east by Sumner, on the south by the State of Oklahoma and on the west by Barber county. It was first organized in 1873 and named in honor of Marion Harper, of the Second Kansas cavalry. As first described the boundaries of Harper included the southern tier of townships in what is now Kingman county. The bill fixing the final boundaries passed the legislature in 1879. The organization of 1873 proved to be one of the most gigantic frauds ever perpetrated in connection with county organizations. There was not at that time a single resident in the county, and it was heavily bonded immediately. In 1873 three men from Cherokee county named Boyd, Wiggins and Homer, having laid a scheme to organize some of the uninhabited lands of southwestern Kansas for the purpose of exploitation, came into the territory which is now Harper county, where they met a trapper by the name of George Lutz, who took them to his camp. Taking Lutz into their scheme, a petition was drawn up asking that John Davis be appointed special census taker, and that H. H. Weaver, H. P. Fields and Samuel Smith be appointed special county commissioners. These names were copied from a Cincinnati directory. The petition further asked that Bluff City, "centrally located in the county, and being the largest and most important business point in the county," be made the temporary county seat. To this petition was attached 40 names. The governor granted the petition and a census report was sent in which showed 641 names, of persons declared to be "bona fide" residents. The county was then declared organized.

 

The organization of this county was one of the most glaring frauds ever perpetrated in the State. Attorney-General Williams, in his official report, says: "It is not pretended that Harper county ever had an inhabitant." The form of its organization was legal on paper, and that is all. In 1878 the organization became legal.

Geography

The general surface of the county is rolling, with long gentle slopes. Bottom lands, which comprise about 15 per cent. of the total area, average a mile in width. The timber is very sparse, most of it being cottonwood. There are several artificial plantings. Red sandstone, mineral paint and salt are found in large quantities and are of superior quality. The largest stream is the Chikaskia river, which flows across the northeast corner. Bluff creek and its numerous tributaries practically form the water system of the county. This stream crosses the county in a southeasterly direction.

Neighboring Counties:

• Kingman County (north)
• Sumner County (east)
• Grant County, Oklahoma (southeast)
• Alfalfa County, Oklahoma (southwest)
• Barber County (west)

Cities:

County Resources:

Harper County - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912