Haskell County, Kansas

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

Named: Named in honor of Dudley C. Haskell, of Lawrence, who died while serving the State as Congressman, December 16, 1883.

State & County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Haskell County, located in the southwestern part of the state, lies about 30 miles north of Oklahoma and 53 miles east of Colorado. It was created by the act of March 5, 1887, which defined the boundaries as follows: "Commencing at the intersection of the east line of range 31 west with the north line of township 27 south; thence south along range line to where it intersects the 6th standard parallel; thence west along the 6th standard parallel to its intersection with the east line of range 35 west; thence north along range line to where it intersects the north line of township 27 south; thence east to the place of beginning."

The boundaries as thus established are the same as those given to Arapahoe county in 1873. It is bounded on the north by Finney county; on the east by Gray and Meade; on the south by Seward, and on the west by Grant. It is exactly 24 miles square and has an area of 576 square miles, or 368,640 acres, and was named for Dudley C. Haskell, formerly a Congressman from Kansas.

 

The route of the Santa Fe trail cuts across the northern part of Haskell County, intersecting US 83 about five miles north of US 160.
The first county seat of Haskell county was Santa Fe, which won over Ivanhoe when the county was being organized. It was named for Dudley C. Haskell, a U. S. Congressman from Kansas. Lack of any railroads hampered the growth of the county. Freight and produce had to be hauled by wagon to Garden City, the nearest point on a railroad. Finally, in 1912 the AT&SF built a line from Dodge City to Elkhart. The new line missed the town of Santa Fe by seven miles.

Sublette and Satanta were soon thriving along the new line and an election was held in 1913 to select a new county seat. This was the first county election in which all Kansas women were eligible to vote. The county seat was moved to Sublette in 1920 after another hotly contested election. See Ghost Towns of Kansas, page 292, for more about the town of Santa Fe.

Description

Haskell County is "High Plains" country; it's one of Kansas' flattest with grain crops alternating with feedlots and pastureland. One of the best illustrations of the climate is the absolutely treeless golf course west of Satanta. The valley of the (usually dry) Cimarron River cuts across the extreme southwest corner of the county.

The US 56 and tracks of the Cimarron Valley railroad (once part of the Santa Fe) run side-by-side across the county serving the larger towns. US 83 runs arrow straight North and South. US 160 connects highway 56 with Ulysses.

Geography

The surface of Haskell county is generally level or gently rolling prairie. The only watercourse in the county is the Cimarron river, which flows across the extreme southwest corner, and the absence of streams means a corresponding scarcity of timber, though a few artificial groves have been planted. There are a few natural springs in the county, and good well water is obtained at a depth of from 50 to 100 feet.

Neighboring Counties:

• Finney County (north)
• Gray County (east)
• Meade County (southeast)
• Seward County (south)
• Stevens County (southwest)
• Grant County (west)
• Kearny County (northwest)

Cities:

County Resources:

Haskell  County - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912