Hodgeman County, Kansas

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

Named: Named in honor of Amos Hodgman, Captain of Company H, Seventh Kansas Cavalry. He died on October 16, 1863, near Oxford, Miss., of wounds received in an action at Wyatt, Miss., October 10,1863. The name should be spelled Hodgman without the e--it was so spelled in the original statute of 1868 which created the county, but by accident--probably--in the statute which defined its boundaries in 1873, the e was inserted. Of course it is legally Hodgeman, and must remain orthographically incorrect until changed by legislative enactment.

State & County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Hodgeman County.—The territory now included in Hodgeman county was first embraced in Hageman county (q. v.), which was erected by the act of Feb. 26, 1867. By the act of March 6, 1873, Hodgeman county was called into existence with the following boundaries: "Commencing at a point where the 4th standard parallel intersects the east line of range 21 west; thence south along range line to its intersection with the north line of township 25 south; thence west along township line to where it intersects the east line of range 27 west; thence north along range line to its intersection with the 4th standard parallel; thence east along the line of the 4th standard parallel to the place of beginning."

The county was named for Amos Hodgman, captain of Company H, Seventh Kansas cavalry, who was wounded at Wyatt, Miss., Oct. 10, 1863, and died on the 16th. The original act gave the name as "Hodgman," but a subsequent legislature placed the letter "e" at the end of the first syllable, and that form has remained. In 1883 the county was enlarged, but in 1887 the original boundaries as established in 1873 were restored. Hodgeman county is bounded on the north by Ness county; on the east by Pawnee and Edwards; on the south by Ford, and on the west by Gray and Finney.

Geography

It has an area of 864 square miles and an elevation of about 2,500 feet above the sea level. The general surface is undulating prairie. Along the streams are belts of timber, the principal varieties being ash, oak, cottonwood, box-elder and hackberry, the total area of natural timber being about 5,000 acres. The Pawnee river flows through the northern part; Buckner creek rises near the southwest corner and flows in a northeasterly direction through the county, and the southeastern part is watered by the Saw Log creek. These streams with their tributaries form an abundant natural water supply. The climate is healthful and invigorating, there being neither swamps nor marshes to breed malaria. The bottom lands average nearly a mile in width and constitute about one-tenth of the entire area. Limestone and a soft sandstone are found in the bluffs along the streams, native lime is plentiful, and there is some gypsum near the center of the county.

Neighboring Counties:

• Ness County (north)
• Pawnee County (east)
• Edwards County (southeast)
• Ford County (south)
• Gray County (southwest)
• Finney County (west)

Cities:

County Resources:

Hodgeman County - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912