Wyandotte County, Kansas

Infobox U.S. County
county=Wyandotte County
state=Kansas
founded= 1859
seat wl=Kansas City
area_total_km2=403|area_total_sq_mi=156
area_land_km2=392|area_land_sq_mi=151
area_water_km2=11|area_water_sq_mi=4
area percentage=2.76%
census estimate yr=2007
pop=153956
density_km2=392.7|density_sq_mi=1019.5
time zone=Central
UTC offset=-6
DST offset=-5
web=www.wycokck.org

Wyandotte County (county code WY) is located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The county's population was estimated to be 153,956 in the year 2007, making it the fourth-largest in the state. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City, Kansas,GR|6 with which it shares a unified government. Wyandotte County forms part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

Law and government

Wyandotte 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. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1988. [Cite web| url=http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcwetdrymap.htm| title=Map of Wet and Dry Counties| publisher=Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue| month=November | year=2006| accessdate=2007-12-28]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 156 square miles (403 km²), giving it the least amount of land mass of the counties of Kansas. Wyandotte County has 151 square miles (392 km²) of land-98.24%-and 4 square miles (11 km²)-2.76%-of water.GR|2 .

Adjacent counties

*Platte County, Missouri (north)
*Clay County, Missouri (northeast)
*Jackson County, Missouri (east)
*Johnson County (south)
*Leavenworth County (west)

Demographics

Wyandotte County's population was estimated to be 155,509 in the year 2006, a decrease of 2347, or -1.5%, over the previous six years;Cite web| url=http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php| title=Population Estimates| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division| Annual estimates of the population to 2006-07-01. Released 2007-03-22. Six year change is from 2000-07-01 to 2006-07-01.] it is the fourth largest population in the state.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000,GR|2 there were 157,882 people, 59,700 households, and 39,163 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,043 people per square mile (403/km²). There were 65,892 housing units at an average density of 435 per square mile (168/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.18% White, 28.33% Black or African American, 1.63% Asian, 0.74% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.17% from other races, and 2.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.00% of the population.

By 2005 48.2% of Wyandotte County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 27.0% of the population was African-American. Native Americans made up 0.8% of the population. Asians were 1.7% of the population. Latinos made up 21.4% of the county's population.

There were 59,700 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.10% were married couples living together, 17.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.50% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,784, and the median income for a family was $40,333. Males had a median income of $31,335 versus $24,640 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,005. About 12.50% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over.

According to this statistical abstract, approximately 1.4% of the county's residents use public transportation to get to work. This is actually the highest percentage in the state. http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/KSA37.pdf

History

The Wyandot

The county is named after the Wyandot (a.k.a. Wyandott or Wyandotte) Indians. They were called the Huron by the French in Canada, but they called themselves Wendat. They were distantly related to the Iroquois, with whom they sometimes fought. They had hoped to hold off movement by white Americans into their territory and had hoped to make the Ohio River the border between the United States and Canada.

One branch of the Wyandot moved to the area that is now the state of Ohio. They generally took the course of assimilation into Anglo-American society. Many of them embraced Christianity under the influence of missionaries. They were transported to the current area of Wyandotte County in 1843, where they set up a community and worked in cooperation with Anglo settlers. The Christian Munsee also influenced early settlement of this area.

The Wyandot in Kansas set up a constitutional form of government that they had devised in Ohio. They set up the territorial government for Kansas and Nebraska. It was one of their own who was elected as territorial governor.

Other historical facts

The county was organized in 1855. Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh's brother), "the Prophet", fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. He was buried at Shawnee Native American historical site Whitefeather Spring (located at 3818 Ruby Ave., Kansas City, which was added in 1975 to the National Register of historical places). The Kansas City "Smelting and Refining Company" employed over 250 men around the 1880s. The ore and base bullion is received from the mining districts of the mountains and is here crushed, separated and refined.

The "Delaware Crossing" (or "Military Crossing"; sometimes "the Secondine") was where the old Indian trail met the waters of the Kaw River. Around 1831, Moses Grinter (one of the earliest permanent white settlers in the area) set up the Grinter Ferry on the Kansas River here. His house was known was the Grinter Place. The ferry was used by individuals (such as traders, freighters, and soldiers) traveling between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Scott on the military road. Others would cross this area on their way to Santa Fe.

The Diocese of Leavenworth moved its see from Leavenworth, Kansas to Kansas City, Kansas on 10 May 1947. It became an Archdiocese on 9 August 1952.

Cities and towns

Incorporated cities

Name and population (2004 estimate):
*Kansas City, 145,004 (county seat)
*Bonner Springs, 6,892, of which about 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) lies within Johnson County
*Edwardsville, 4,495
*Lake Quivira, 919, of which a quarter of the city lies within Wyandotte County, the majority being in Johnson County

Unincorporated places

* Argentine
* Armourdale, formerly a city, consolidated with the city of Kansas City in 1886.
* Armstrong, a town absorbed by Wyandotte.
* Piper
* Rosedale, formerly a city, consolidated with the city of Kansas City in 1922.
* Turner
* Wyandotte, formerly a city, consolidated with the city of Kansas City in 1886.

Townships

Wyandotte County has a single township. The cities of Bonner Springs, Kansas City, and Lake Quivira are considered "governmentally independent" and are excluded from the census figures for the township. 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.

Education

Colleges and universities

Public
*Kansas City Kansas Community College ( [http://www.kckcc.edu Web site] )Private
*University of Saint Mary ( [http://www.stmary.edu Web site] )
*Donnelly College ( [http://www.donnelly.edu/ Web site] )

School Districts

* Turner USD 202
* Piper USD 203
* Bonner Springs USD 204
* Kansas City USD 500

Private schools

Primary
*All Saints Grade School
*St. Patrick's Grade School
*Christ the King Grade SchoolSecondary
*Bishop Ward High School ( [http://www.wardhigh.org Web site] )

Other schools

Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) ( [http://www.kssb.net Web site] )

Economy

Village West, located at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 435 (11 miles from Downtown KCK), is a development that has significantly fueled growth in KCK and Wyandotte County. Anchored by the Kansas Speedway, its attractions and retailers include The Legends At Village West, Cabela's, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Great Wolf Lodge, and CommunityAmerica Ballpark, home to the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League.

Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, a 370-acre resort and waterpark, is scheduled to open across I-435 from Village West in 2009. Also within the area are The Woodlands race park (featuring both greyhounds and horses), Sandstone Amphitheater, the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Wyandotte County Park, and Sunflower Hills Golf Course.

ee also

References

Further reading

* William G. Cutler's " [http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/wyandotte/wyandotte-co-p1.html History of the State of Kansas] ". 1883. A. T. Andreas, Chicago, IL.
* " [http://www.wycokck.org/planning/histmap.htm Historic Preservation] ". Kansas City, Kansas, Urban Planning & Land Use
* Sween, " [http://www.ku.edu/heritage/for_nancy/cards1.htm Argentine Pictures] ". Interactive Genealogy. Pictorial History of Wyandotte County, KS.
* " [http://www.ku.edu/heritage/towns/kansascity.html Historical Wyandotte County] ". Kansas Heritage, Kansas Community Network.
* " [http://skyways.lib.ks.us/counties/WY/ Wyandotte County] ". Kansas State Library.
* " [http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/kscoll/lochist/views/views.htm Views of the Past] ". Kansas City, Kansas Bicentennial Commission.
* Sween, " [http://members.aol.com/Sftrail/bonner/index.html Bonner Springs and Edwardsville] ". Virtual Bonner Springs, KS.
* " [http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/187.pdf Senate Bill 187 (Steineger)] "

External links

Official sites
* [http://www.wycokck.org/ Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas]
* [http://www.visitthedot.com/ Kansas City, KS/Wyandotte County Convention and Visitors Bureau]