Phillips County, Kansas: History and Information

Phillips County, Kansas

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

County Seat: Phillipsburg
Year Organized: 1872
Square Miles: 887

Court House:

301 State Street
County Courthouse
Phillipsburg, KS 67661-1941

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named in memory of William Phillips, a Free-State martyr, murdered September 1, 1856, in Leavenworth.

Demographics:

History

Phillips County, one of the northern tier, is the 5th county east from the Colorado line. It is bounded on the north by the State of Nebraska; on the east by Smith county; on the south by Rooks, and on the west by Norton. This county was created in 1867 and named in honor of William Phillips, a free-state martyr who was murdered at Leavenworth in 1856. The boundaries were defined as follows: "Commencing where the east line of range 16 west intersects the 40th degree of north latitude; thence south to the 1st standard parallel; thence vest to the east line of range 21 west, thence north to the 40th degree of north latitude; thence east to the place of beginning."

Geography

The general surface is gently rolling prairie, with limestone bluffs on the south sides of the principal streams. The bottom lands are narrow and comprise about 15 per cent. of the area. The timber belts along the streams contain all the principal varieties of wood native to the soil of the state. The north fork of the Solomon river enters on the western boundary 6 miles from the south line of the county and flows east into Smith county. Its numerous tributaries from the north cover the central part of the county. Prairie Dog creek flows across the northwestern corner. Magnesian limestone, potter's clay and clay for brick exist in commercial quantities. Bricks are manufactured in the county and have been used in the best buildings, including the courthouse. A bed of fine sand, suitable for glass making, exists in the east, and gypsum has been found in the south and northwest.

Neighboring Counties:

Harlan County, Nebraska (north)

Franklin County, Nebraska (northeast)

Smith County (east)

Rooks County (south)

Graham County (southwest)

Norton County (west)

Cities and Towns:

- Agra

city

Incorporated Area

- Arcade

township

- Beaver

township

- Bow Creek

township

- Crystal

township

- Dayton

township

- Deer Creek

township

- Freedom

township

- Glade

city

Incorporated Area

- Glenwood

township

- Granite

township

- Greenwood

township

- Kirwin

city

Incorporated Area

- Logan

city

Incorporated Area

- Long Island

city

Incorporated Area

- Mound

township

- Phillipsburg (County Seat)

city

Incorporated Area

- Plainview

township

- Plum

township

- Prairie View

city

Incorporated Area

- Rushville

township

- Speed

city

Incorporated Area

- Sumner

township

- Valley

township

County Resources:

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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Kansas Counties

Phillips County, Kansas

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

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Demographics:

History

Geography

Neighboring Counties:

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

Online High Schools

County Resource Guide