Republic County, Kansas

Republic County
County
Republic County Courthouse in Belleville (2010)
Republic County Courthouse in Belleville (2010)
Map of Kansas highlighting Republic County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°48′N 97°38′W / 39.800°N 97.633°W / 39.800; -97.633
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedFebruary 27, 1860
Named forRepublican River
SeatBelleville
Largest cityBelleville
Area
 • Total720.31 sq mi (1,865.6 km2)
 • Land716.38 sq mi (1,855.4 km2)
 • Water3.93 sq mi (10.2 km2)  0.55%
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total4,674
 • Density6.5/sq mi (2.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code785
Congressional district1st
Websiterepubliccounty.org
June 24, 1947 flood of the Republican River on the border of Jewell County, Kansas and Republic County, Kansas near Hardy, Nebraska and Webber, Kansas, just south of Nebraska NE-8 on Kansas 1 Rd/CR-1 bridge over the Republican River. The normal flood stage for the river is at the tree line in the foreground.

Republic County (standard abbreviation: RP) is a county in the state of Kansas. It is south from the Nebraska border. In 2020 census, 4,674 people lived there.[1] The county seat is Belleville. Belleville is also the biggest city in Republic County.[2]

History

Indian tribes lived in the area before white settlers came. The tribes included the Pawnee, Iowa, and Otoe.[3]

In 1860, Republic County was created by the Kansas legislature. The county is named after the Republican River.[3]

Daniel and Conrad Myers were the first white settlers. They arrived in February 1861.[4] By 1868, Republic County was holding elections.[5]

After the Civil War and during the 19th century, a lot of European immigrants (mostly from Sweden and the Czech Republic) came to Belleville and the area around it.[6][7][8]

In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a railroad from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This railroad 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. This railroad was called "Strong City and Superior line". Later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line".

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 720.31 square miles (1,865.6 km2). Of that, 716.38 square miles (1,855.4 km2) (or 99.45%) is land and 3.93 square miles (10.2 km2) (or 0.55%) is water.[9][10]

People

Age pyramid
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18701,281—
188014,9131,064.2%
189019,00227.4%
190018,248−4.0%
191017,447−4.4%
192015,855−9.1%
193014,745−7.0%
194013,124−11.0%
195011,478−12.5%
19609,768−14.9%
19708,498−13.0%
19807,569−10.9%
19906,482−14.4%
20005,835−10.0%
20104,980−14.7%
20204,674−6.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1]

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 82.1% 2,182 16.0% 424 1.9% 51
2016 80.0% 2,024 14.8% 375 5.1% 130
2012 79.5% 2,134 17.8% 477 2.8% 75
2008 74.1% 1,978 24.0% 640 2.0% 53
2004 77.5% 2,238 21.0% 607 1.5% 44
2000 75.0% 2,239 20.2% 604 4.8% 142
1996 70.0% 2,283 21.1% 688 9.0% 292
1992 46.4% 1,767 24.7% 939 28.9% 1,100
1988 67.8% 2,346 30.9% 1,069 1.4% 47
1984 76.5% 3,009 22.6% 887 1.0% 38
1980 73.6% 3,031 20.6% 850 5.8% 239
1976 57.4% 2,294 40.5% 1,617 2.1% 83
1972 71.8% 2,921 26.0% 1,059 2.2% 88
1968 66.3% 2,841 27.7% 1,187 6.1% 260
1964 51.7% 2,414 47.5% 2,222 0.8% 38
1960 65.6% 3,358 33.7% 1,724 0.7% 35
1956 68.8% 3,621 30.6% 1,613 0.6% 32
1952 76.7% 4,573 22.8% 1,358 0.5% 30
1948 60.4% 3,375 37.8% 2,109 1.8% 102
1944 66.5% 3,802 33.1% 1,891 0.4% 22
1940 63.5% 4,450 35.9% 2,511 0.6% 42
1936 52.6% 3,830 47.1% 3,427 0.3% 23
1932 38.6% 2,655 59.6% 4,105 1.8% 127
1928 68.2% 4,324 30.9% 1,956 1.0% 61
1924 60.0% 3,671 26.4% 1,616 13.6% 835
1920 67.3% 3,661 30.7% 1,672 2.0% 107
1916 41.7% 2,882 55.0% 3,806 3.4% 232
1912 21.7% 895 44.1% 1,816 34.1% 1,405
1908 51.8% 2,156 45.8% 1,905 2.5% 102
1904 69.5% 2,658 24.6% 941 5.9% 225
1900 55.7% 2,499 42.9% 1,925 1.5% 65
1896 50.9% 2,033 47.9% 1,910 1.2% 49
1892 50.0% 2,167 50.0% 2,164
1888 63.8% 2,595 29.6% 1,205 6.6% 269

Republic County is very Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won the county except for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916. Since 1996, the Republican candidate has won seventy percent of the county’s vote.

Education

Unified school districts

Communities

2005 KDOT map of Republic County (map legend)

Incorporated cities

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "QuickFacts: Republic County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Savage., I. O. (1901). Carolyn Ward, transcribed July 2006 (ed.). A history of Republic County, Kansas : embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01. Jones & Chubbic, Beloit, KS. p. 32. Archived from the original on 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2019-07-26.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link)
  4. ↑ Savage., I. O. (1901). Carolyn Ward, transcribed July 2006 (ed.). A history of Republic County, Kansas : embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01. Jones & Chubbic, Beloit, KS. p. 35. Archived from the original on 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2019-07-26.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link)
  5. ↑ Savage., I. O. (1901). Carolyn Ward, transcribed July 2006 (ed.). A history of Republic County, Kansas : embracing a full and complete account of all the leading events in its history, from its first settlement down to June 1, '01. Jones & Chubbic, Beloit, KS. p. 115. Archived from the original on 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2019-07-26.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link)
  6. ↑ I. O. Savage, History of Republic County (1883), p. 68; New Scandinavia's Ninety-Three Years, 1868–1961 (Scandia, 1961), pp. 3-5.
  7. ↑ Nemcova, Bozena. "People of Czech Bohemian Descent in Republic County, Kansas." Master's thesis, University of Kansas, 1950. (Reel: LM 205).
  8. ↑ https://www.kshs.org/p/bohemians-czechs-and-moravians-to-kansas-a-bibliography/13535 |Kansas Historical Society, Bohemians, Czechs, Moravians Bibliography
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  10. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

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