Editing Morton County, Kansas

{{short description|County in Kansas, United States}}
{{distinguish|Norton County, Kansas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
|county             = Morton County
|state              = Kansas
|type               = [[County (United States)|County]]
|ex image           = MortonCoCH.jpg
|ex image cap       = Morton County Courthouse in [[Elkhart, Kansas|Elkhart]] (2009)
|founded            = February 20, 1886
|named for          = [[Oliver Morton]]
|seat wl            = Elkhart
|largest city wl    = Elkhart
|area_total_sq_mi   = 730
|area_land_sq_mi    = 730
|area_water_sq_mi   = 0.2
|area percentage    = 0.03%
|census yr          = 2020
|pop                = 2701
|pop_est_as_of      = 2023
|population_est     = 2580 {{loss}}
|density_sq_mi      = auto
|area codes         = [[Area code 620|620]]
|district           = 1st
|time zone          = Central
|website            = {{URL|https://mtcoks.com/|mtcoks.com}}
|coordinates        = {{coord|37|12|N|101|48|W|type:adm2nd_region:US-KS|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Morton County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the southwestern corner of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Kansas]].  Its [[county seat]] and largest city is [[Elkhart, Kansas|Elkhart]].<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 2,701.<ref name="QF">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts; Morton County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/mortoncountykansas/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818035500/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/mortoncountykansas/POP010220 |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>  The county was named after [[Oliver P. Morton|Oliver Morton]], the 14th governor of the state of Indiana.

==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 1848, after the [[Mexican–American War]], the territorial gain in the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] with [[Mexico]] brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas.

From 1821 to late 1860s, the [[Santa Fe Trail]] was active across Morton County.

In 1854, the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized, then in 1861 [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]]. In 1886, '''Morton County''' was carved out of Seward County and organized, and named for [[Oliver Morton]], who was a [[United States senator]] from [[Indiana]] from 1867 to 1877.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kshs.org/research/topics/kansasnewspapers/MortonCo.htm |title=Kansas Newspapers History by County |access-date=April 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121034550/http://www.kshs.org/research/topics/kansasnewspapers/MortonCo.htm |archive-date=November 21, 2008 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Blackmar |first=Frank Wilson |url=https://www.ksgenweb.org/archives/1912/m/morton_county.html |title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. ... with a Supplementary Volume Devoted to Selected Personal History and Reminiscence |date=1912 |publisher=Standard publishing Company |language=en}}</ref>

The initial organization of Morton County was marked by controversy over the location of the county seat. Two petitions were submitted, one for Frisco with 1,488 signatures and another for Richfield with 1,473. Due to discrepancies in the number of signatures compared to eligible voters, an investigation delayed the decision until November 1886, when [[Richfield, Kansas|Richfield]] was officially declared the temporary county seat. Following this, Richfield was confirmed as the permanent county seat in a February 1887 election, amidst reports of political maneuvering.<ref name=":0" />

Settlement in Morton County came largely from other parts of Kansas. The county experienced significant fluctuations in population due to economic conditions, dropping from 2,560 in the years following its organization to as low as 304 over the next decade.<ref name=":0" />

===20th century===
[[File:Dust Storm in Rolla, Kansas, "05-06-35, Dear Mr. Roosevelt, Darkness came when it hit us. Picture taken from water... - NARA - 195691.tif|thumb|right|Dust storm in [[Rolla, Kansas|Rolla]] on May 6, 1935]]
[[File:Map of states and counties affected by the Dust Bowl, sourced from US federal government dept. (NRCS SSRA-RAD).svg|thumb|right|Area affected by 1930s [[Dust Bowl]]]]
In the 1930s, the prosperity of the area was severely affected by its location within the [[Dust Bowl]]. This catastrophe intensified the economic impact of the [[Great Depression]] in the region. Morton County was the most devastated county in the Dust Bowl and lost almost one-half of its population in the 1930s. The U.S. government purchased some of the impacted and abandoned land and eventually incorporated it into the [[Comanche National Grassland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cimarron National Grassland |url=http://www.naturalkansas.org/cimarron.htm |website=Natural Kansas |access-date=July 15, 2023}}</ref>

In 1961, the [[county seat]] was moved from [[Richfield, Kansas|Richfield]] to [[Elkhart, Kansas|Elkhart]].<ref name="MortonFacts">[http://www.mtcoks.com/facts/countyfacts.html Morton County Facts; mtcoks.com]</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|730|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|730|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.2|sqmi}} (0.03%) 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> The county is the location of the [[8 Mile Corner]] [[tripoint]], where Kansas borders Colorado and Oklahoma.

===Major highways===
*[[File:K-27.svg|20px]] [[K-27 (Kansas highway)|Kansas Highway 27]]
*[[File:K-51.svg|20px]] [[K-51 (Kansas highway)|Kansas Highway 51]]
*[[File:US 56.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 56 in Kansas|U.S. Highway 56]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Stanton County, Kansas|Stanton County]] (north)
* [[Stevens County, Kansas|Stevens County]] (east)
* [[Texas County, Oklahoma|Texas County]], [[Oklahoma]] (south)
* [[Cimarron County, Oklahoma|Cimarron County]], [[Oklahoma]] (southwest)
* [[Baca County, Colorado|Baca County]], [[Colorado]] (west/Mountain Time border)

===National protected area===
* [[Cimarron National Grassland]] (part)

==Demographics==
[[Image:USA Morton County, Kansas age pyramid.svg|thumb|175px|left|[[Population pyramid]] based on 2000 census age data]]
{{US Census population
|1890= 724
|1900= 304
|1910= 1333
|1920= 3177
|1930= 4092
|1940= 2186
|1950= 2610
|1960= 3354
|1970= 3576
|1980= 3454
|1990= 3480
|2000= 3496
|2010= 3233
|2020= 2701
|estyear=2023
|estimate=2580
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>
|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 27, 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 27, 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 27, 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 27, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF"/>
}}

As of the [[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> of 2000, there were 3,496 people, 1,306 households, and 961 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|5|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 1,519 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2|/mi2|/km2|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 88.39% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.20% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.14% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 1.06% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 7.52% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.69% from two or more races. 14.10% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 1,306 households, out of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.20% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,232, and the median income for a family was $43,494. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $19,474 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $17,076. About 8.50% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==

Morton County is nearly always won by the Republican candidate for president. [[Jimmy Carter]] almost carried the county in [[1976 United States presidential election in Kansas|1976]], but [[Gerald Ford]] eventually won by three votes, a margin of .2%. The last time a Democrat won Morton County was [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in [[1964 United States presidential election in Kansas|1964]], marking the only time since [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] carried it in 1936.

===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=Morton 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|909|131|20|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|1,034|150|14|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|995|147|58|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|1,072|189|17|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|1,153|229|20|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|1,287|276|13|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|1,203|321|33|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|1,073|376|132|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|915|398|357|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|1,074|569|26|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|1,533|322|19|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|1,157|414|91|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|738|735|36|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|1,165|363|75|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|770|475|264|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|609|938|14|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|918|586|9|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|814|436|7|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|893|362|22|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|624|545|17|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|617|367|3|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|643|503|8|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|636|876|9|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|621|1,093|79|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,010|259|13|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|669|286|261|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|783|266|24|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|405|457|93|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|120|144|89|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|154|140|11|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|53|44|1|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|51|34|0|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|52|36|1|Kansas}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|106|0|78|Kansas}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|333|205|36|Kansas}}
}}<!-- End of Hidden template -->

===Laws===
The [[Kansas Constitution]] was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, either with or without a minimum of 30% of sales coming from food. Morton County is one of 35 counties in the state that allows for the sale of liquor by the drink without the minimum food sales stipulation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 30, 2019|title=Map of Wet and Dry Counties|url=https://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/abcwetdrymap.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104064913/https://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/abcwetdrymap.pdf|archive-date=November 4, 2020|access-date=November 4, 2020|publisher=[[Kansas Department of Revenue]] Alcoholic Beverage Control}}</ref>

==Education==

===Unified school districts===
* [https://www.usd217.org/ Rolla USD 217]
* [https://www.usd218.org/ Elkhart USD 218]

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Morton Co, Ks, USA.png|thumb|300px|2005 map of Morton 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 Morton County.<ref name="County-Map-Current">{{cite web |title=General Highway Map of Morton County, Kansas |url=https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/morton.PDF |publisher=[[Kansas Department of Transportation]] (KDOT) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230115209/https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/morton.PDF |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |date=June 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cities===
* [[Elkhart, Kansas|Elkhart]] (county seat)
* [[Richfield, Kansas|Richfield]]
* [[Rolla, Kansas|Rolla]]

===Unincorporated community===
* [[Wilburton, Kansas|Wilburton]]

===Townships===
Morton County is divided into six [[Civil township|townships]]. None of the cities within the county are considered ''governmentally independent'', and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. 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.

{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;"
|+align="bottom"|Sources: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020802223743/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html 2000 U.S. Gazetteer] from the [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
|- 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
|-
| Cimarron || 13350 || || 67 || 0 (1) || 173 (67) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|37|4|11|N|101|46|45|W|}}
|-
| Jones || 35650 || || 17 || 0 (0) || 140 (54) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|37|1|4|N|101|56|56|W|}}
|-
| Richfield || 59225 || || 218 || 0 (1) || 649 (251) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|37|14|37|N|101|42|36|W|}}
|-
| Rolla || 60925 || [[Rolla, Kansas|Rolla]] || 650 || 2 (5) || 373 (144) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|37|6|46|N|101|37|42|W|}}
|-
| Taloga || 69975 || [[Elkhart, Kansas|Elkhart]] || 2,437 || 17 (44) || 142 (55) || 0 (0) || 0% || {{coord|37|0|22|N|101|53|42|W|}}
|-
| Westola || 77225 || || 107 || 0 (1) || 412 (159) || 0 (0) || 0.01% || {{coord|37|14|19|N|101|58|40|W|}}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Kansas}}
* [[Dry counties]]
* [[Cimarron National Grassland]]
{{See also Kansas counties}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Kansas books}}
{{See also|Santa Fe Trail#Further reading|l1=List of books about Santa Fe Trail}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Morton County, Kansas}}
;County
* {{Official website|https://mtcoks.com/|Morton County - Official Website}}
* [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=41260465 Morton County - Directory of Public Officials]
;Maps
* Morton County Maps: [http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/morton.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    = Morton County, Kansas
|North     = [[Stanton County, Kansas|Stanton County]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = [[Stevens County, Kansas|Stevens County]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Texas County, Oklahoma]]
|Southwest = [[Cimarron County, Oklahoma]]
|West      = [[Baca County, Colorado]]
|Northwest = 
}}

{{Morton County, Kansas}}
{{Kansas}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Morton County, Kansas| ]]
[[Category:Kansas counties]]
[[Category:1886 establishments in Kansas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1886]]