Washington County, Kansas

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

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named in honor of George Washington, the first president of the United States.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

The first territorial legislature in 1855, created a county named Washington, with the following described boundaries: "Commencing at the southern boundary of the territory of Kansas, 15 miles west of a due south course from the mouth of Walnut creek, on the Arkansas river, and running from thence north 100 miles, thence west to the east line of Arapahoe county, thence south along said line to the south line of Kansas, thence east along the said line to the place of beginning."

The southeast corner, as described by this act, was on the southern boundary of the state, about 6 miles west of the present line separating Sumner from Cowley county. The northeast corner was about 3 miles east of the little village of Waldeck in the present county of Marion. As originally created, this old Washington county included the present counties of Reno, Stafford, Pawnee, Edwards, Hodgeman, Kearny, Hamilton, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Gray, Ford, Kiowa, Pratt, Kingman, Harper, Barber, Comanche, Clark, Mead, Seward, Stevens and Morton; the southern part of McPherson, Rice, Barton, Russell Ness, Lane, Scott, Wichita and Greeley; nearly all of Sumner, Sedgwick and Harvey and a little of the southwest part of Marion. Peketon county (q. v.) was created by the legislature of 1860, and embraced all of Washington county as created by the act of 1855.

In 1859 the present county of Washington was created with the following boundaries: "Beginning at the northwest corner of Marshall county, thence west along the base line or northern boundary of the territory to the intersection of the 6th principal meridian; thence south along said principal meridian to the 1st standard parallel; thence east along said parallel to the southwest corner of Marshall county; thence north with the western boundary of Marshall county to the place of beginning."

The county was named in honor of George Washington. It was not organized at the time of its creation, but was known as Washington township of Marshall county, remaining practically unorganized territory until 1860. As at present organized, the county is bounded on the north by the State of Nebraska; on the east by Marshall county; on the south by Riley and Clay, and west by Cloud and Republic. It is 30 miles square and has an area of 900 square miles.

Settlers began to come into this area after the Kansas Territory was opened in 1854. However, most of the thousands of goldseekers traveled across Washington County in 1849 along the Oregon Trail on their way to California. Not until 1857 did the first settlers come in numbers to carve out farms in the rich creek and river valleys. Little did the gold seekers realize that the lush prairie grass covered a wealth far more precious and lasting that the glitter of metal.

Swedes, Germans, Dutch, Danes, Bohemians, French, Scots, English, and Irish settled in the county until it became a miniature melting pot all in itself.

The sixth principal meridian was established in the northwest corner of the county on June 11, 1856, and a red sandstone marker was set at this point. From this point all land in Kansas, Nebraska, three quarters of Colorado, most of Wyoming, and a small part of South Dakota was surveyed and numbered. A marker, dedicated on June 11, 1987, or 131 years after being set by Charles Manners, today marks this location.

- Mrs. Billie Jo Smart, Washington

Description

Washington, County, Kansas, is an agricultural area thirty miles square with twelve incorporated communities. Crops grown in the county include mainly wheat, milo or grain sorghum, corn, soybeans, alfalfa, prairie hay and some sunflowers. The county ranks high in the state in pork production. Many cow-calf herds roam the beautiful prairie grasslands.

The county is very diversified in industry ranging from metal fabrication companies, construction, silk screening, woodworking, pet wholesaling, pallet building, and machining companies.

The geography of the county finds us located in three geologic regions: the Smoky Hills, Flint Hills, and Glaciated Regions. This gives us a diverse geography of fertile river and creek valleys, to flatland regions, to rolling hills, varying across the county.

Geography

The surface of the county is rolling, except in the western part and along some of the streams, where it is hilly. The alluvial lands along the water courses average a half mile in width and aggregate about one-eighth of the area. Timber belts along the streams consist of elm, cottonwood, ash, walnut, box-elder, maple, honey-locust and bass-wood. The Little Blue river enters the county from the north about 11 miles west of the northeast corner and flows in a southeasterly direction into Marshall county. Its main tributary is Mill creek. Limestone and sandstone are plentiful in all portions; mineral paint exists near Hollenberg; there are several veins of cement stone; salt springs exist in Mill Creek townships; deposits of salt underlie the central and western portions, and a bed of gypsum 60 feet thick, underlies the northeastern portion, at a depth of 200 feet

Neighboring Counties:

• Jefferson County, Nebraska (north)
• Gage County, Nebraska (northeast)
• Marshall County (east)
• Riley County (southeast)
• Clay County (south)
• Cloud County (southwest)
• Republic County (west)
• Thayer County, Nebraska (northwest)

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

Washington County - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912