Pawnee County, Kansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pawnee County
County
Pawnee County Courthouse in Larned (2009)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	February 26, 1867
Named for	Pawnee tribe
Seat	Larned
Largest city	Larned
Area
• Total	755 sq mi (1,960 km2)
• Land	754 sq mi (1,950 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)  0.05%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,253
• Density	8.3/sq mi (3.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 4th

Pawnee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Larned. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 6,253. The county is named after the Pawnee tribe.

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Pawnee County's economy, with the county being one of the state's leading producers of winter wheat. Other agricultural products include oilseed, grain, vegetables, melons, and cotton. The county also supports beef cattle ranching and feedlots.

History

Pawnee County was established in 1867 and organized in 1872. The county derives its name from the Pawnee Indian tribe, who historically inhabited the region. Prior to its establishment as Pawnee County, the area was contained in the old Washington County, Peketon County, and later Marion County.

Ford Larned was established near the site of present-day Larned, Kansas between 1859 and 1860 to provide protection for wagon trains traversing the Santa Fe Trail. Notably, in January 1863, a wagon train was stopped by a starving band Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. After refusing the Indians' request for supplies, the wagon train was attacked and all but one of the teamsters killed. The survivor sought refuge at Ford Larned.

Against this background of increasing tension in the region, Fort Larned became a base of operations for Major General Winfield Hancock's campaign against the Plains tribes. After Hancock requested reinforcements from U.S. Seventh Cavalry, led by Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer, Custer began a campaign against the Cheyenne culminating in their defeat in the Battle of the Washita River in Oklahoma.

Additionally, Fort Larned played a vital role in safeguarding railroad construction workers, distributing treaty-established annuities to the Indians, and serving as a Bureau of Indian Affairs office during the 1860s. While the fort officially closed in 1878, a detachment from Fort Dodge remained stationed there until 1883.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 755 square miles (1,960 km²), of which 754 square miles (1,950 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) (0.05%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Rush County (north)
• Barton County (northeast)
• Stafford County (east)
• Edwards County (south)
• Hodgeman County (west)
• Ness County (northwest)

National protected area

• Fort Larned National Historic Site

Demographics

Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,233 people, 2,739 households, and 1,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km²). There were 3,114 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.96% White, 5.00% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 1.22% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 4.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,739 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 32.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 112.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,175, and the median income for a family was $45,634. Males had a median income of $26,751 versus $20,931 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,584. About 5.40% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.00% of those under age 18 and 9.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Unified school districts

• Ft. Larned USD 495
• Pawnee Heights USD 496

Communities

2005 map of Pawnee County (map legend)

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Pawnee County.

Cities

• Burdett
• Garfield
• Larned (county seat)
• Rozel

Unincorporated communities

• Ash Valley
• Frizell
• Sanford
• Zook

Townships

Pawnee County is divided into twenty-one townships. The city of Larned is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Pawnee (Kansas) para niños