Pottawatomie County, Kansas

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Pottawatomie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Westmoreland.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> As of the 2020 census, the county population was 25,348.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was named for the Potawatomi tribe.

History

Early history

Template:See also For millennia, the Great Plains of North America were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th to 18th centuries, 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, by the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized under the provisions of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

In 1857, Pottawatomie County was established by the Kansas Territorial legislature, out of land formerly included in Riley County. The present county seat of Westmoreland was selected by a vote held in 1882.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (2.4%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

Marshall County (north)
Nemaha County (northeast)
Jackson County (east)
Shawnee County (southeast)
Wabaunsee County (south)
Riley County (west)

Demographics

File:USA Pottawatomie County, Kansas age pyramid.svg

Population pyramid based on 2000 census age data

Template:US Census population Pottawatomie County is part of the Manhattan metropolitan area.

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 18,209 people, 6,771 households, and 4,929 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,311 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 96.32% White, 0.66% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. 2.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,771 households, out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.40% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.50% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,176, and the median income for a family was $47,261. Males had a median income of $31,368 versus $23,238 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,785. About 6.40% of families and 9.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

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Typical of rural Kansas, Pottawatomie County is mostly Republican. The only Democratic presidential candidate to gain a majority in Pottawatomie County has been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, while since 1940 only Lyndon Johnson in 1964 has received so much as forty percent of the county's vote.

Laws

Pottawatomie County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

File:St. Columbkillane Church.JPG

St. Columbkillane Church in Blaine

Unified school districts

The Unified School Districts that serve Pottawatomie County include:<ref name=CensusSDMap2020>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

School district office in neighboring county<ref name=CensusSDMap2020/>

Private schools

St. Marys Academy & College (St. Marys)
Flint Hills Christian School (Manhattan)

Communities

File:Map of Pottawatomie Co, Ks, USA.png

2005 map of Pottawatomie County<ref name="County-Map-Current"/> (map legend)

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Pottawatomie County.<ref name="County-Map-Current">Template:Cite web</ref>

Cities

‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county. Template:Div col

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Unincorporated communities

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Former communities

Prior to the creation of Tuttle Creek Lake, the community of Garrison existed in west central Pottawatomie County.

Townships

Pottawatomie County is divided into twenty-three townships. The city of Manhattan is considered governmentally independent and is 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.

Sources: 2000 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Township	FIPS	Population	Population density /km² (/sq mi)	Land area km² (sq mi)	Water area km² (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Belvue	05950	404	4 (11)	96 (37)	1 (0)	1.05%	Template:Coord
Blue	07550	1,802	16 (41)	114 (44)	14 (5)	10.66%	Template:Coord
Blue Valley	07725	339	3 (8)	115 (44)	13 (5)	9.95%	Template:Coord
Center	12000	104	1 (3)	78 (30)	0 (0)	0.04%	Template:Coord
Clear Creek	13800	113	1 (3)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.03%	Template:Coord
Emmett	21125	478	6 (16)	77 (30)	0 (0)	0.61%	Template:Coord
Grant	27950	293	4 (10)	77 (30)	0 (0)	0%	Template:Coord
Green	28450	188	2 (4)	125 (48)	14 (5)	9.91%	Template:Coord
Lincoln	41000	124	2 (4)	77 (30)	0 (0)	0.18%	Template:Coord
Lone Tree	42550	239	3 (7)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0%	Template:Coord
Louisville	42950	735	8 (20)	95 (37)	0 (0)	0.04%	Template:Coord
Mill Creek	46700	1,000	9 (24)	108 (42)	0 (0)	0%	Template:Coord
Pottawatomie	57250	499	3 (8)	155 (60)	0 (0)	0.02%	Template:Coord
Rock Creek	60625	653	7 (18)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.19%	Template:Coord
St. Clere	62150	83	1 (3)	77 (30)	0 (0)	0.21%	Template:Coord
St. George	62225	2,629	30 (79)	87 (33)	1 (1)	1.69%	Template:Coord
St. Marys	62425	2,789	28 (73)	99 (38)	1 (0)	0.60%	Template:Coord
Shannon	64300	235	2 (6)	104 (40)	0 (0)	0.08%	Template:Coord
Sherman	65050	126	1 (3)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.02%	Template:Coord
Spring Creek	67475	61	1 (2)	103 (40)	0 (0)	0.08%	Template:Coord
Union	72250	164	2 (5)	94 (36)	0 (0)	0.03%	Template:Coord
Vienna	73875	92	1 (3)	78 (30)	0 (0)	0.03%	Template:Coord
Wamego	75350	5,056	100 (260)	50 (19)	2 (1)	3.20%	Template:Coord

References

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Notes

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External links

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County

Maps

Pottawatomie County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

Template:Geographic Location

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