Editing Harper County, Kansas

{{short description|County in Kansas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
|county             = Harper County
|state              = Kansas
|type               = [[County (United States)|County]]
|ex image           = Harper County Courthouse.png
|ex image cap       = Harper County Courthouse in [[Anthony, Kansas|Anthony]] (2015)
|founded            = February 26, 1867
|named for          = Marion Harper
|seat wl            = Anthony
|largest city wl    = Anthony
|area_total_sq_mi   = 803
|area_land_sq_mi    = 801
|area_water_sq_mi   = 1.5
|area percentage    = 0.2%

|population_footnotes = <ref name="QF"/>
|population_as_of   = 2020
|population_total   = 5485
|pop_est_footnotes  =<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
|pop_est_as_of      =2023
|population_est     =5435 {{decrease}}
|population_density_sq_mi = 6.8

|area codes         = [[Area code 620|620]]
|district           = 4th
|time zone          = Central
|website            = {{URL|http://www.harpercountyks.gov/|HarperCountyKS.gov}}
|coordinates        = {{coord|37|12|N|98|05|W|type:adm2nd_region:US-KS|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Harper County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Kansas]].  Its [[county seat]] and most populous city is [[Anthony, Kansas|Anthony]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>  As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the county population was 5,485.<ref name="QF">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts; Harper County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/harpercountykansas/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817022827/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/harpercountykansas/POP010220 |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>  The county was named for Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry, who died in battle during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref>Kansas Place-Names, John Rydjord, University of Oklahoma Press, 1972, {{ISBN|0-8061-0994-7}}</ref>

==History==

===Early history===
{{See also|History of Kansas}}
For many [[millennia]], the [[Great Plains]] of [[North America]] was inhabited by [[nomadic]] [[Native Americans in the United States|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 (1762)|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 [[History of Kansas|modern day Kansas]] was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile [[Louisiana Purchase]] for 2.83 [[Penny (United States coin)|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.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o8X5krq3fP8C&q=harper+county+kansas+cincinnati | title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc | author=Blackmar, Frank Wilson | year=1912| publisher=Standard Publishing Company | isbn=9780722249055 }}</ref>  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.<ref name=cutler>{{cite book| last=Cutler| first=William G.| title=History of the State of Kansas|year=1883|publisher=A.T. Andreas|url=http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/harper/harper-co-p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021231060756/http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/harper/harper-co-p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 31, 2002}}</ref>

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, Kansas|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.<ref name=cutler/>

===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 trailer]]s to a [[List of Carnegie libraries in Kansas|Carnegie library]].<ref>{{cite web| title= Where trailer homes rent for $2,000 a month | url= https://money.cnn.com/2012/06/01/pf/kansas-housing-america-boomtown/ | date= June 1, 2012 | author= Blake Ellis | work= CNN Money| publisher= CNN.com| access-date=June 2, 2012}}</ref> However, by 2016, the oil [[fracking]] boom had largely played out and the economies of Harper and adjacent counties suffered under the impact.<ref>[http://www.kansasagland.com/news/stateagnews/downward-flow-s-ripples-oil-gas-downturn-hitting-counties-on/article_b928e615-cd5b-570e-b1f6-2618e5164136.html Downward flow's ripples: Oil, gas downturn hitting counties on many levels], ''Kansas Agland'', Amy Bickel, February 13, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017.</ref> Earthquakes, due to induced seismicity from injection wells, had also substantially reduced in frequency and intensity, thanks 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.<ref>[http://www.kansan.com/news/fracking-divides-small-town-of-anthony-kansas/article_f6c59722-2901-11e5-a0b8-2317e0115117.html Fracking divides small town of Anthony, Kansas], ''[[University Daily Kansan]]'', Rebecca Dowd, July 12, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://kmuw.org/post/increasing-number-earthquakes-prompts-new-regulations-kansas-oklahoma-oil-industries Increasing Number Of Earthquakes Prompts New Regulations In Kansas, Oklahoma Oil Industries], ''[[KMUW]]'', Abigail Beckman, January 11, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://newsok.com/article/5520992 SandRidge Energy emerges from bankruptcy], ''[[The Oklahoman]]'', Adam Wilmoth, October 4, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017.</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|803|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|801|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.5|sqmi}} (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Kingman County, Kansas|Kingman County]] (north)
* [[Sumner County, Kansas|Sumner County]] (east)
* [[Grant County, Oklahoma|Grant County]], [[Oklahoma]] (southeast)
* [[Alfalfa County, Oklahoma|Alfalfa County]], [[Oklahoma]] (southwest)
* [[Barber County, Kansas|Barber County]] (west)

==Demographics==
[[Image:USA Harper County, Kansas age pyramid.svg|thumb|175px|left|[[Population pyramid]] based on 2000 census age data]]
{{US Census population
|1880= 4133
|1890= 13266
|1900= 10310
|1910= 14748
|1920= 13656
|1930= 12823
|1940= 12068
|1950= 10263
|1960= 9541
|1970= 7871
|1980= 7778
|1990= 7124
|2000= 6536
|2010= 6034
|2020= 5485
|estyear=2023
|estimate=5435
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ks190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF"/>
}}

As of the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>{{update after|2012|6|2}} there were 6,536 people, 2,773 households, and 1,807 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 3,270 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4|/mi2|/km2|}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 97.23% [[White American|White]], 0.83% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0.23% [[Black American|Black]] or [[African American]], 0.14% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander American|Pacific Islander]], 0.38% from other races, and 1.18% from [[Multiracial|two or more races]]. [[Hispanic]] or [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]] of any race were 1.07% of the population.

There were 2,773 [[household]]s, out of which 27.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were [[Marriage|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 household income|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===
{{Hidden
|headercss  = background: #ccccff; font-size: 100%; width: 100%;
|contentcss = text-align: left; font-size: 100%; width: 100%;
|header     = Presidential election results
|content    =
{{PresHead|place=Harper County, Kansas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|2,072|437|56|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|2,168|461|49|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,996|393|198|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|1,759|550|80|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|1,999|736|61|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|2,154|727|49|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|2,076|869|110|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|1,941|836|382|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|1,371|845|1,162|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|1,941|1,235|92|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|2,521|893|35|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|2,254|990|268|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|1,777|1,681|96|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,628|729|114|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|2,351|1,015|308|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|1,969|1,813|28|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|3,158|1,439|25|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|3,111|1,311|23|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,575|927|45|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|2,702|1,752|106|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|2,849|1,573|46|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|3,205|2,478|68|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|2,441|3,391|22|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|2,116|2,860|169|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|3,712|1,005|51|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|2,280|1,321|681|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|2,593|1,486|127|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,797|2,648|439|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|365|1,274|1,499|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,490|1,404|181|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|1,459|597|308|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,190|1,261|79|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|812|1,332|29|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1892|Populist|1,288|0|2,051|Kansas}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|1,490|940|624|Kansas}}
}}<!-- End of Hidden template -->

===Laws===
Following amendment to the [[Kansas Constitution]] in 1986, Harper County remained a prohibition, or [[dry county|"dry"]], county until 2006, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm| title=Map of Wet and Dry Counties| publisher=Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue| date=November 2006| access-date=December 26, 2007| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008013617/http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm| archive-date=October 8, 2007}}</ref>

==Education==

===Unified school districts===
* [[Chaparral USD 361]]
* [[Attica USD 511]]

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Harper Co, Ks, USA.png|thumb|300px|2005 map of Harper County<ref name="County-Map-Current"/> ([[:File:Kansas official transportation map legend.png|map legend]])]]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Harper County.<ref name="County-Map-Current">{{cite web |title=General Highway Map of Harper County, Kansas |url=https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/harper.PDF |publisher=[[Kansas Department of Transportation]] (KDOT) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003055453/https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/harper.PDF |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |date=June 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cities===
{{div col}}
* [[Anthony, Kansas|Anthony]] (county seat)
* [[Attica, Kansas|Attica]]
* [[Bluff City, Kansas|Bluff City]]
* [[Danville, Kansas|Danville]]
* [[Harper, Kansas|Harper]]
* [[Waldron, Kansas|Waldron]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
* [[Corwin, Kansas|Corwin]]
* [[Crystal Springs, Kansas|Crystal Springs]]
* [[Duquoin, Kansas|Duquoin]]
* [[Freeport, Kansas|Freeport]]
* [[Runnymede, Kansas|Runnymede]]
{{div col end}}

===Ghost Towns===
{{div col}}
* [[Albion, Kansas|Albion]]
* Crisfield
* Midway
* Ruella
* Shook
* Yankton
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
[[File:Map highlighting Township Number 1, Harper County, Kansas.svg|thumb|right|200px|The townships of Harper County (Townships are numbers in counter-clockwise order, with Township 1 highlighted in red).]]
Harper County is divided into six [[Civil township|townships]]. The cities of [[Anthony, Kansas|Anthony]] and [[Harper, Kansas|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, Kansas|Morris County]], [[Pratt County, Kansas|Pratt County]], and [[Rooks County, Kansas|Rooks County]].

{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;"
|- style="background:#ccccff"
! Township !! [[FIPS place code|FIPS]] !! Population<br/>center
! Population !! Population<br/>density<br/><small>/km<sup>2</sup> (/sq&nbsp;mi)</small>
! Land area<br/><small>km<sup>2</sup> (sq&nbsp;mi)</small> !! Water area<br/><small>km<sup>2</sup> (sq&nbsp;mi)</small> !! Water %
! Geographic coordinates
|-
| [[Township 1, Harper County, Kansas|Township 1]] || 71201 || || 1,000 || 2 (6) || 468 (181) || 1 (0) || 0.12% || {{coord|37|15|23|N|98|14|0|W|}}
|-
| [[Township 2, Harper County, Kansas|Township 2]] || 71205 || || 144 || 0 (1) || 363 (140) || 1 (0) || 0.23% || {{coord|37|4|23|N|98|14|22|W|}}
|-
| [[Township 3, Harper County, Kansas|Township 3]] || 71209 || || 394 || 1 (3) || 383 (148) || 2 (1) || 0.44% || {{coord|37|7|58|N|98|2|7|W|}}
|-
| [[Township 4, Harper County, Kansas|Township 4]] || 71213 || || 232 || 1 (2) || 297 (115) || 0 (0) || 0.06% || {{coord|37|7|2|N|97|51|45|W|}}
|-
| [[Township 5, Harper County, Kansas|Township 5]] || 71217 || || 463 || 2 (4) || 277 (107) || 0 (0) || 0.16% || {{coord|37|15|47|N|97|56|23|W|}}
|-
| [[Township 6, Harper County, Kansas|Township 6]] || 71221 || || 296 || 1 (3) || 280 (108) || 0 (0) || 0.06% || {{coord|37|20|26|N|97|58|17|W|}}
|-
|colspan=9|Sources: {{Cite web| url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html| title=Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020802223743/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html| archive-date=August 2, 2002}}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Kansas}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Harper County, Kansas]]
{{See also Kansas counties}}
* [[Dry counties]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
;Notes
{{Notelist}}

==Further reading==
{{Kansas books}}
* [https://www.kansasmemory.gov/item/1629/ ''Year Book'']; Automobile Club of Wichita; 92 pages; 1909 to 1910. Contains detailed maps of roads and railroads in City of Wichita, and Sedgwick / Harvey / Sumner / Harper / Rice / Pawnee Counties.
* [http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/223954/ ''Standard Atlas of Harper County, Kansas'']; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 75 pages; 1919.
* [http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/209388/ ''Standard Atlas of Harper County, Kansas'']; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 54 pages; 1902.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Harper County, Kansas}}
;County
* {{Official website|http://www.harpercountyks.gov/|Harper County - Official}}
* [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=41260439 Harper County - Directory of Public Officials]
;Maps
* Harper County Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/harper.PDF Current], [http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burtransplan/maps/PastPublishedCounty.asp Historic], KDOT
* Kansas Highway Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/MapsState.asp Current], [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/HistoricStateMaps.asp Historic], KDOT
* Kansas Railroad Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/BurTransPlan/maps/RRStateMap.asp Current], [http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/227379 1996], [http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/227380 1915], KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

{{Geographic location
|Center    = Harper County, Kansas
|North     = [[Kingman County, Kansas|Kingman County]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = [[Sumner County, Kansas|Sumner County]]
|Southeast = [[Grant County, Oklahoma]]
|South     = 
|Southwest = [[Alfalfa County, Oklahoma]]
|West      = [[Barber County, Kansas|Barber County]]
|Northwest = 
}}

{{Harper County, Kansas}}
{{Kansas}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Harper County, Kansas| ]]
[[Category:Kansas counties]]
[[Category:1867 establishments in Kansas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1867]]