Harper County, Kansas

Harper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Anthony. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,485. The county was named for Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry, who died in battle during the Civil War.Kansas Place-Names, John Rydjord, University of Oklahoma Press, 1972,

History

Early history

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, Harper County was established.

The original organization of Harper County was one of the largest frauds in county government. In 1873, a group of three men organized Harper County, designating the then fictitious city of "Bluff City" as the county seat. The petition for organization used several names out of a Cincinnati city directory to represent as residents of Harper County. In 1874, the state attorney general investigated, and found not a single resident of the county. The "founders" of the county had sold $40,000 worth of bonds.

Harper County was settled starting in 1877, and the county was organized for a second time in 1878 by the Glenn and Robinson families. Since Bluff City could not be shown to have existed, Anthony was designated as the temporary county seat. In an election in 1879, Anthony won as county seat even though 2,960 votes were cast in a county with 800 legal voters.

21st century Due to new and high-paying jobs at area oil fields and wind farms, Harper County experienced an economic boom; as of 2012, rental housing and office space in towns such as Danville, Harper, and Anthony had more than quadrupled in price, in properties ranging from double-wide trailers to a Carnegie library. However, by 2016, the oil fracking boom had largely played out and the economies of Harper and adjacent counties suffered under the impact.Downward flow's ripples: Oil, gas downturn hitting counties on many levels, Kansas Agland, Amy Bickel, February 13, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Earthquakes, due to induced seismicity from injection wells, had also substantially reduced in frequency and intensity, due to a Kansas Corporation Commission order mandating cutbacks in volumes and pressures. SandRidge Energy, which along with Chesapeake Energy was one of the two major producers in Harper county, appealed the order, but soon went into bankruptcy.Fracking divides small town of Anthony, Kansas, University Daily Kansan, Rebecca Dowd, July 12, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2017.Increasing Number Of Earthquakes Prompts New Regulations In Kansas, Oklahoma Oil Industries, KMUW, Abigail Beckman, January 11, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017.SandRidge Energy emerges from bankruptcy, The Oklahoman, Adam Wilmoth, October 4, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties Kingman County (north) Sumner County (east) Grant County, Oklahoma (southeast) Alfalfa County, Oklahoma (southwest) Barber County (west)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Harper County, Kansas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)7,6536,9556,3225,5824,71498.39%97.63%96.73%92.51%85.94%Black or African American alone (NH)24131521160.31%0.18%0.23%0.35%0.29%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)18465259740.23%0.65%0.80%0.98%1.35%Asian alone (NH)5595150.06%0.07%0.14%0.08%0.27%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census012xx0.00%0.02%0.04%Other race alone (NH)300140.04%0.00%0.00%0.02%0.07%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census6867235xx1.04%1.11%4.28%Hispanic or Latino (any race)75105702984250.96%1.47%1.07%4.94%7.75%Total7,7787,1246,5366,0345,485 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 5,485. The median age was 43.1 years. 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.4 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 88.0% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.7% from some other race, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.7% of the population.

There were 2,347 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,027 housing units, of which 22.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.9% were owner-occupied and 29.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 21.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 6,536 people, 2,773 households, and 1,807 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 3,270 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.23% White, 0.83% Native American, 0.23% Black or African American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.

There were 2,773 households, out of which 27.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 32.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.70% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 22.00% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,776, and the median income for a family was $39,866. Males had a median income of $27,869 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,368. About 8.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Laws Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, Harper County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2006, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.

Education

Unified school districts Chaparral USD 361 Attica USD 511

Communities

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

Cities

Anthony (county seat) Attica Bluff City Danville Harper Waldron

Unincorporated communities

Corwin Crystal Springs Duquoin Freeport Runnymede

Ghost towns

Albion Crisfield Midway Ruella Shook Yankton

Townships

Harper County is divided into six townships. The cities of Anthony and Harper are considered governmentally independent and are 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.

Harper County is one of only four counties in Kansas that have numbered, not named, townships. The other three are Morris County, Pratt County, and Rooks County.

Township FIPS Populationcenter Population Populationdensity/km2 (/sq mi) Land areakm2 (sq mi) Water areakm2 (sq mi) Water % Geographic coordinates Township 1 71201 1,000 2 (6) 468 (181) 1 (0) 0.12% Township 2 71205 144 0 (1) 363 (140) 1 (0) 0.23% Township 3 71209 394 1 (3) 383 (148) 2 (1) 0.44% Township 4 71213 232 1 (2) 297 (115) 0 (0) 0.06% Township 5 71217 463 2 (4) 277 (107) 0 (0) 0.16% Township 6 71221 296 1 (3) 280 (108) 0 (0) 0.06% Sources:

Harper County, Kansas

Bron en licentie