Republic County (standard abbreviation: RP) is a county located in the state of Kansas, south from the Nebraska state line. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,980. The largest city and county seat is Belleville.
History
Early history
For millennia, the Great Plains of North America were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th to 18th centuries, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France ceded New France to Spain, by the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, the land that included modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase.
Prior to the arrival of settlers of European ancestry, the area was inhabited by Indian tribes including the Pawnee, Iowa, and Otoe. One should also consider that other nomadic Indian tribes pursuing the buffalo, including the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, and Wichita, may have made the area their home at one time or another.
In 1854, under the provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Kansas Territory was organized. In 1860, Republic County was established by the Kansas legislature. And, in 1861, Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. The county is named for the Republican River, which enters at the northwestern corner of the county, flowing slightly east of south, and leaving the county about eight miles east of the southwest corner.
Daniel and Conrad Myers were the first settlers of European ancestry, arriving in February of 1861. By 1868, Republic County was holding elections. Daniel Myers was elected judge of the Probate court and Conrad Myers to a seat on the County commission. At the election in 1869, the permanent location of the county seat was voted on with the following result: Belleville 59 and New Scandinavia 42, with a couple of votes going to other locations.
Following the Civil War and during the latter half of the 19th century, Belleville and the surrounding area became a destination for European immigrants, notably from Sweden and Bohemia (now Czech Republic).
In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs, Hope, Navarre, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage, Manchester, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale, Aurora, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line".
In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and was renamed the BNSF Railway, although most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 720.31 square miles (1,865.6Â km2), of which 716.38 square miles (1,855.4Â km2) (or 99.45%) is land and 3.93 square miles (10.2Â km2) (or 0.55%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Thayer County, Nebraska (north)
- Jefferson County, Nebraska (northeast)
- Washington County (east)
- Cloud County (south)
- Jewell County (west)
- Nuckolls County, Nebraska (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,835 people, 2,557 households, and 1,685 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 3,113 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.56% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.1% were of German, 13.6% Swedish, 12.4% Czech, 9.2% English, 9.0% Irish and 8.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 2,557 households out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 4.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 31.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the county, the population was spread out with 22.30% under the age of 18, 4.50% from 18 to 24, 22.10% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 26.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,494, and the median income for a family was $39,215. Males had a median income of $25,260 versus $17,274 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,433. About 6.00% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
Like most of Kansas, excepting the eastern cities, Republic County is overwhelmingly Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won the county with the exception of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916. Since 1996, the Republican candidate has garnered seventy percent of the county’s vote, and the only Democrat since 1980 to exceed one quarter of the vote was Michael Dukakis in 1988 â€" and Dukakis’ vote was inflated by a major drought on the Great Plains.
Republic County was a prohibition ("dry") county until 1986 when the Kansas Constitution was amended allowing the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.
Education
Unified school districts
- Pike Valley USD 426
- Republic County USD 109
Communities
Incorporated cities
Unincorporated cities
- Kackley
- Norway
- Talmo
- Wayne
Ghost town
- White Rock
Townships
Republic County is divided into twenty townships. The city of Belleville 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.
Notable people
Arts and entertainment
- Robert Gordon, actor (1895â€"1971)
- Greta Granstedt, actress
- Harry A. Pollard, silent film actor
- Steve Tamerius, Emmy-winning TV writer with "Jeopardy!"
Athletes
- Herb Bradley, Major League Baseball player
- Thomas Bushby, player for the Cincinnati "Football" Reds in 1934 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1935.
- Lloyd Cardwell, American football player
- Larry Cheney, Major League Baseball player
- Dean Nesmith, professional football player, Olympic athletic trainer
- Ronald Severa, Olympic water polo player, 1956 and 1960.
- Anthony Zuzzio, offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions.
Clergy
- Allen Wikgren, pastor and Bible scholar
- Richard B. Wilke, former pastor in Scandia, writer of the Disciple ministry series
Journalists
- J. C. Humphrey, founder of the Belleville Telescope newspaper
Medicine
- C. M. Arbuthnot, early physician and pharmacist in the county
Philanthropy
- Elizabeth A. Johnson, Kansas history advocate
Politicians
- Clay Aurand, member of Kansas Legislature
- Charles H. Blosser (1895â€"1989), namesake of Blosser Municipal Airport in Concordia, Kansas
- Edwin C. Johnson, Governor of Colorado
- William C. Perry, 34th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
- Isaac O. Savage, state senator in the Kansas legislature
Settlers
- Ransom Henry Gile, early settler in Scandia
- Thomas Lovewell, founded settlement of White Rock, namesake of Lovewell Reservoir
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Republic County, Kansas
References
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
- County
- Republic County - Official Website
- Republic County - Directory of Public Officials
- Other
- Republic County Historical Society Museum
- Maps
- Republic County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society
