Norton County, Kansas - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norton County
County
Norton County Courthouse in Norton (built 1929)
Norton County Courthouse in Norton (built 1929)
Map of Kansas highlighting Norton 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 99°55′W / 39.800°N 99.917°W / 39.800; -99.917
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedFebruary 26, 1867
Named forOrloff Norton
SeatNorton
Largest cityNorton
Area
 • Total881 sq mi (2,280 km2)
 • Land878 sq mi (2,270 km2)
 • Water3.2 sq mi (8 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total5,459
 • Density6.2/sq mi (2.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code785
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.nortoncountyks.gov

Norton County (standard abbreviation: NT) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 5,459 people lived there.[1] The county seat is Norton. Norton is also the biggest city in Norton County.[2] The county was created in 1867. It was named after Orloff Norton, captain of Company L, 15th Kansas Militia Infantry Regiment.[3]

History[change | change source]

19th century[change | change source]

Norton County was created by Noah H. Billings, Thomas Beaumont, Henry Gordon, P. Hansen, and George Cole on August 22, 1872. In 1878 Norton became the county seat. The county got its name for Civil War soldier Orloff Norton, who was killed at Cane Hill, Arkansas in 1864.[source?]

The first county fair, although not official, was held in Leota in October, 1878. After 1900 the fair was held every year in Elmwood Park in Norton. The first school district was created in Norton in 1872. School was held in a dugout beginning December 1, 1873.[1] Archived 2018-11-12 at the Wayback Machine

Geography[change | change source]

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 881 square miles (2,280 km2). Of that, 878 square miles (2,270 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) (0.4%) is water.[4]

People[change | change source]

Age pyramid
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18806,998—
189010,61751.7%
190011,3256.7%
191011,6142.6%
192011,423−1.6%
193011,7012.4%
19409,831−16.0%
19508,808−10.4%
19608,035−8.8%
19707,279−9.4%
19806,689−8.1%
19905,947−11.1%
20005,9530.1%
20105,671−4.7%
20205,459−3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[1]

Government[change | change source]

County[change | change source]

Noah H. Billings was an early county settler, county superintendent of schools, county attorney, and state representative. Keith Sebelius was a U.S. congressman from 1969 to 1981.[9]

Presidential elections[change | change source]

Presidential Elections Results
Presidential Elections Results[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 83.1% 2,007 15.1% 364 1.8% 44
2016 82.4% 1,840 12.6% 281 5.1% 113
2012 80.8% 1,878 17.1% 398 2.1% 49
2008 77.8% 1,878 20.6% 497 1.7% 40
2004 80.5% 2,092 18.2% 473 1.3% 34
2000 71.2% 1,744 24.4% 598 4.5% 109
1996 66.4% 1,814 23.4% 640 10.1% 277
1992 47.9% 1,469 25.4% 779 26.7% 820
1988 67.5% 1,923 30.0% 855 2.4% 69
1984 79.2% 2,515 19.2% 611 1.6% 50
1980 75.5% 2,625 19.2% 666 5.4% 186
1976 60.6% 2,201 36.8% 1,337 2.7% 97
1972 75.8% 2,688 21.9% 776 2.3% 82
1968 70.9% 2,543 23.5% 841 5.6% 202
1964 60.1% 2,245 38.8% 1,449 1.1% 42
1960 68.0% 2,781 31.8% 1,300 0.2% 8
1956 71.6% 3,052 28.0% 1,194 0.4% 18
1952 76.2% 3,530 22.6% 1,047 1.2% 54
1948 61.0% 2,461 35.0% 1,414 4.0% 161
1944 70.9% 2,890 28.4% 1,159 0.7% 29
1940 70.3% 3,415 28.4% 1,378 1.4% 66
1936 54.8% 2,829 44.7% 2,307 0.5% 24
1932 44.2% 2,272 52.6% 2,705 3.3% 168
1928 74.0% 3,365 23.9% 1,087 2.1% 96
1924 59.3% 2,778 26.9% 1,261 13.7% 643
1920 65.2% 2,288 30.9% 1,082 3.9% 137
1916 34.3% 1,616 61.0% 2,876 4.7% 222
1912 24.0% 598 43.3% 1,081 32.7% 815
1908 49.8% 1,448 46.0% 1,337 4.3% 125
1904 67.2% 1,570 17.8% 417 15.0% 350
1900 51.7% 1,329 47.1% 1,212 1.2% 31
1896 42.1% 941 56.3% 1,260 1.6% 36
1892 48.3% 1,054 51.7% 1,130[a]
1888 56.6% 1,471 24.3% 631 19.1% 497

Norton County is very Republican. The last Democrat to reach forty percent of the county’s vote was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. Roosevelt in 1932 was the last Democrat to win Norton County. The only other Democrats to win are Woodrow Wilson (twice) and William Jennings Bryan in his first 1896 campaign.

Education[change | change source]

Unified school districts[change | change source]

Communities[change | change source]

2005 KDOT Map of Norton County (map legend)

Cities[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "QuickFacts: Norton County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. p. 374.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ Norton County, Kansas, Kansas Historical Society
  10. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
Notes
  1. ↑ 1,090 votes (49.91%) were for Populist James B. Weaver (who was supported by the state’s Democrats) and 40 (1.83%) for Prohibition Party candidate John Bidwell.

More reading[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]

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