Montgomery County, Kansas

Montgomery County, Kansas
Location in the state of Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 26, 1867
Named for	Richard Montgomery
Seat	Independence
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	651.40 sq mi (1,687 km²) 645.20 sq mi (1,671 km²) 6.19 sq mi (16 km²), 0.95%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	35,471 53.8/sq mi (20.8/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.MgCountyKS.org

Montgomery County (county code MG) is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 35,471.^[1] Its county seat is Independence,^[2] and its most populous city is Coffeyville. The Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Montgomery County.

History

Montgomery County was established February 26, 1867. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, in Canada, after successfully capturing two forts and the city of Montreal.^{[citation needed]}

When Kansas was admitted to the Union as a state in 1861, the Osage Indian reservation occupied a large tract of land near the southern border. The reservation had been established in 1825. After the Civil War ended, the Osage lands were coveted as the largest and last reserve of good land in the eastern part of the state. As early as 1866, the Osages were forced to cede tracts at the eastern and northern edges of the reservation. This treaty conceded white settlement on land in the eastern part of what is now Montgomery County.^{[citation needed]}

For a brief time, the Osages attempted to maintain a boundary at the Verdigris River. The Verdigris flows from north to south through the center of Montgomery County. From the west the Elk River joins the Verdigris at a confluence slightly northwest of the geographical center of the county. In 1867 Frank and Fred Bunker established a primitive cattle camp on the west side of the Verdigris south of the confluence. Like the Osages, the Bunkers thought they were beyond the boundaries of civilization.^{[citation needed]}

Early in 1869, however, settlers began to cross the Verdigris River, "at first under protest of the Indians, but the immense throng of settlers soon made all protests futile." Montgomery County was surveyed and organized in 1869; the governor appointed commissioners June 3.^{[citation needed]}

Law and government

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1998, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink without a food sales requirement.^[3]

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 651.40 square miles (1,687.1 km²), of which 645.20 square miles (1,671.1 km²) (or 99.05%) is land and 6.19 square miles (16.0 km²) (or 0.95%) is water.^[4] The lowest point in the state of Kansas is located on the Verdigris River in Cherokee Township in Montgomery County (just southeast of Coffeyville), where it flows out of Kansas and into Oklahoma.

Airports

Coffeyville Municipal Airport, Independence Municipal Airport

Bodies of water

Elk City Lake, Elk River, Havana Lake, Liberty Lakes, State Lake, Verdigris River

Highways

U.S. Route 75, U.S. Route 160, U.S. Route 166, U.S. Route 169, U.S. Route 400

State parks

Elk City State Park, Montgomery County State Park

Adjacent counties

• Wilson County (north)
• Neosho County (northeast)
• Labette County (east)
• Nowata County, Oklahoma (southeast)
• Washington County, Oklahoma (south)
• Chautauqua County (west)
• Elk County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	29,039		—
1910	49,474		70.4%
1920	49,645		0.3%
1930	51,411		3.6%
1940	49,729		−3.3%
1950	46,487		−6.5%
1960	45,007		−3.2%
1970	39,949		−11.2%
1980	42,281		5.8%
1990	38,816		−8.2%
2000	36,252		−6.6%
2010	35,471		−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population pyramid

2005 KDOT Map of Montgomery County (map legend)

As of the U.S. Census in 2000,^[5] there were 36,252 people, 14,903 households, and 9,955 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 17,207 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.77% White, 6.07% Black or African American, 3.19% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from other races, and 3.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.08% of the population.

There were 14,903 households out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 29.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,997, and the median income for a family was $38,516. Males had a median income of $29,745 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,421. About 9.20% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2006 estimate):^[6]

• Coffeyville, 10,387
• Independence, 9,317 (county seat)
• Cherryvale, 2,271
• Caney, 1,994
• Dearing, 453
• Elk City, 300
• Tyro, 223
• Liberty, 94
• Havana, 85

Unincorporated places

• Avian
• Blake
• Bolton
• Corbin
• Jefferson
• Le Hunt
• Sycamore
• Videtta Spur
• Wayside

Townships

Montgomery County is divided into twelve townships. The cities of Caney, Cherryvale, Coffeyville, and Independence 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.

Township	FIPS	Population center	Population	Population density /km² (/sq mi)	Land area km² (sq mi)	Water area km² (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Caney	10400		1,244	7 (18)	176 (68)	1 (0)	0.30%	37°3′44″N 95°54′12″W / 37.06222°N 95.90333°W / 37.06222; -95.90333
Cherokee	12850		541	5 (14)	100 (39)	0 (0)	0 %	37°3′40″N 95°34′50″W / 37.06111°N 95.58056°W / 37.06111; -95.58056
Cherry	12875		517	5 (13)	103 (40)	0 (0)	0.10%	37°19′12″N 95°33′57″W / 37.32°N 95.56583°W / 37.32; -95.56583
Drum Creek	18700		537	6 (15)	92 (35)	0 (0)	0.15%	37°13′31″N 95°36′17″W / 37.22528°N 95.60472°W / 37.22528; -95.60472
Fawn Creek	23325		2,036	11 (30)	179 (69)	0 (0)	0.06%	37°3′22″N 95°44′7″W / 37.05611°N 95.73528°W / 37.05611; -95.73528
Independence	33900		2,342	14 (37)	163 (63)	5 (2)	2.85%	37°11′22″N 95°44′31″W / 37.18944°N 95.74194°W / 37.18944; -95.74194
Liberty	40275		473	4 (11)	113 (44)	0 (0)	0.19%	37°9′32″N 95°35′59″W / 37.15889°N 95.59972°W / 37.15889; -95.59972
Louisburg	42900		629	3 (9)	185 (71)	1 (1)	0.75%	37°18′25″N 95°53′56″W / 37.30694°N 95.89889°W / 37.30694; -95.89889
Parker	54525		1,212	18 (47)	66 (26)	0 (0)	0.37%	37°3′19″N 95°37′55″W / 37.05528°N 95.63194°W / 37.05528; -95.63194
Rutland	61925		302	2 (4)	185 (71)	2 (1)	0.86%	37°11′25″N 95°52′59″W / 37.19028°N 95.88306°W / 37.19028; -95.88306
Sycamore	69750		835	5 (13)	169 (65)	7 (3)	3.86%	37°18′28″N 95°44′53″W / 37.30778°N 95.74806°W / 37.30778; -95.74806
West Cherry	76825		239	2 (6)	102 (39)	0 (0)	0.05%	37°18′29″N 95°38′54″W / 37.30806°N 95.64833°W / 37.30806; -95.64833
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html.

Education

Unified school districts

• Caney Valley USD 436 (Web site)
• Cherryvale USD 447 (Web site)
• Coffeyville USD 445 (Web site)
• Independence USD 446 (Web site)

Colleges and universities

• Coffeyville Community College (Web site)
• Independence Community College (Web site)

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Montgomery County, Kansas

Information on this and other counties in Kansas

• List of counties in Kansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kansas
• Kansas locations by per capita income

Other information for Kansas

• List of cities in Kansas
• List of unified school districts in Kansas
• List of colleges and universities in Kansas

References

1. ^ "2010 County Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST05&prodType=table. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
3. ^ "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue. November 2006. http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
4. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ "Population Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php.  Annual estimates of the population to 2006-07-01. Released 2007-06-28.

Further reading

• History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
• Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)

External links

Kansas portal

County

• Montgomery County - Official Website
• Montgomery County - Directory of Public Officials
• Montgomery County - Information, Skyways

Maps

• Montgomery County Map, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
• Kansas School District Boundary Map, KSDE