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

Wabaunsee County
County
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newbury (2009)
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newbury (2009)
Map of Kansas highlighting Wabaunsee 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°01′07″N 96°17′33″W / 39.0186°N 96.2925°W / 39.0186; -96.2925
Country United States
State Kansas
Founded1859
Named forChief Waubonsie
SeatAlma
Largest cityAlma
Area
 • Total800 sq mi (2,000 km2)
 • Land794 sq mi (2,060 km2)
 • Water5.3 sq mi (14 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total6,877
 • Density8.7/sq mi (3.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewabaunsee.kansasgov.com

Wabaunsee County (standard abbreviation: WB) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 6,877 people lived there.[1] Its county seat is Alma.[2] The county was created by the territorial legislature of Kansas Territory on March 25, 1859.[3] It was named after a chief of the Potawatomi Indians.[3]

History[change | change source]

19th century[change | change source]

The first white people in the area were said to have been a group of criminals. This group was known as the McDaniel Gang.[3]

Wabaunsee County was created by the territorial legislature on March 25, 1859.[3] The name used since 1859 is from the Potawatomi "Wah-bon-seh". This means "dawn of day." It was the name of the chief of the Potawatomi Indians.[3] Originally, the county was named Richardson. This was named after William Alexander Richardson, a congressman from Illinois, who introduced the first Kansas and Nebraska Bill in the United States House of Representatives. This made certain Indian lands territories in 1854.[4]

The county's first church, Wabaunsee Church of Christ, was created in June 1857.[3]

The first railroad to be built through Wabaunsee County was the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe in 1880.[5] In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a railroad from Topeka to Herington.[6] This railroad connected Topeka, Valencia, Willard, Maple Hill, Vera, Paxico, McFarland, Alma, Volland, Alta Vista, Dwight, White City, Latimer, Herington.

Geography[change | change source]

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 800 square miles (2,100 km2). Of that, 794 square miles (2,060 km2) is land and 5.3 square miles (14 km2) (0.7%) is water.[7]

People[change | change source]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18601,023—
18703,362228.6%
18808,756160.4%
189011,72033.9%
190012,8139.3%
191012,721−0.7%
192011,424−10.2%
193010,830−5.2%
19409,219−14.9%
19507,212−21.8%
19606,648−7.8%
19706,397−3.8%
19806,8677.3%
19906,603−3.8%
20006,8854.3%
20107,0532.4%
20206,877−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[1]
Age pyramid

Wabaunsee County is part of the Topeka, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Government[change | change source]

Presidential elections[change | change source]

Presidential Elections Results
Presidential Elections Results[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 72.9% 2,845 24.7% 964 2.4% 93
2016 70.2% 2,372 23.0% 776 6.9% 232
2012 69.1% 2,256 28.1% 918 2.9% 93
2008 68.0% 2,395 29.4% 1,036 2.6% 90
2004 70.2% 2,531 27.8% 1,001 2.0% 72
2000 63.8% 2,182 30.0% 1,025 6.2% 213
1996 55.7% 1,884 28.6% 966 15.8% 534
1992 37.2% 1,254 25.2% 851 37.6% 1,269
1988 58.5% 1,737 39.3% 1,166 2.2% 64
1984 72.7% 2,276 25.7% 805 1.6% 49
1980 68.0% 2,255 25.7% 853 6.3% 209
1976 57.6% 1,921 40.6% 1,354 1.8% 61
1972 76.8% 2,461 20.7% 662 2.5% 80
1968 64.2% 1,979 22.5% 695 13.3% 410
1964 58.3% 1,839 40.8% 1,287 0.8% 26
1960 70.6% 2,351 29.1% 969 0.3% 11
1956 76.6% 2,650 23.2% 802 0.2% 6
1952 81.0% 3,182 18.7% 736 0.2% 9
1948 66.8% 2,437 31.9% 1,162 1.3% 49
1944 76.0% 2,839 23.4% 873 0.7% 26
1940 73.6% 3,481 25.6% 1,212 0.7% 34
1936 55.5% 2,809 44.2% 2,235 0.3% 15
1932 47.4% 2,304 50.7% 2,465 1.9% 93
1928 71.9% 3,099 27.6% 1,189 0.5% 23
1924 65.9% 2,742 15.2% 633 18.9% 786
1920 77.6% 2,859 21.2% 782 1.1% 42
1916 59.0% 2,640 38.1% 1,706 3.0% 132
1912 26.8% 783 38.6% 1,128 34.6% 1,009
1908 60.3% 1,849 37.9% 1,163 1.9% 57
1904 71.4% 2,016 24.4% 688 4.2% 118
1900 58.1% 1,793 40.9% 1,263 1.0% 32
1896 51.8% 1,586 47.1% 1,442 1.1% 34
1892 46.8% 1,356 53.2% 1,540
1888 62.5% 1,708 35.1% 960 2.3% 64

Wabaunsee County is very Republican. No Democratic Presidential candidate has won Wabaunsee County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.

Education[change | change source]

Unified school districts[change | change source]

Communities[change | change source]

2005 KDOT Map of Wabaunsee County from KDOT (map legend)

Cities[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "QuickFacts: Wabaunsee County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Wabaunsee County, Kansas, Kansapedia. (accessed July 27, 2013)
  4. ↑ "Wabaunsee County History". Archived from the original on 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  5. ↑ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. p. 853.
  6. ↑ "Rock Island Rail History". Archived from the original on 2011-06-19. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  7. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

More reading[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]

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County
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Maps

38°58′N 96°11′W / 38.967°N 96.183°W / 38.967; -96.183

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