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Chase County, Kansas facts for kids

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Chase County
Chase County Courthouse in Cottonwood Falls
Chase County Courthouse in Cottonwood Falls
Map of Kansas highlighting Chase County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Kansas
Founded February 11, 1859
Named for Salmon P. Chase
Seat Cottonwood Falls
Largest city Cottonwood Falls
Area
 • Total 778 sq mi (2,020 km2)
 • Land 773 sq mi (2,000 km2)
 • Water 4.7 sq mi (12 km2)  0.6%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,572
 • Density 3.3/sq mi (1.3/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code 620
Congressional district 2nd

Chase County is a county in Kansas, a state in the United States. It's known for its beautiful Flint Hills region. The main city and county seat is Cottonwood Falls. In 2020, about 2,572 people lived here. The county was named after Salmon P. Chase. He was a U.S. Senator from Ohio who supported Kansas becoming a state.

History of Chase County

Early Days

For thousands of years, Native American tribes lived on the Great Plains. They moved around a lot. In the 16th to 18th centuries, France claimed much of North America. Then, in 1762, France secretly gave a huge area called New France to Spain.

In 1803, the United States bought most of what is now Kansas from France. This was part of the Louisiana Purchase. It was a huge area of land! Later, in 1848, after the Mexican–American War, more land was added. This included parts of southwest Kansas. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was formed. Kansas officially became the 34th U.S. state in 1861.

19th Century Milestones

In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike traveled through what is now Chase County. His journey followed the Cottonwood River.

Chase County was officially created in 1859. This happened while Kansas was still a territory.

Railroads were very important for growth. In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a main line through the area. Later, in 1887, they added a branch line. This line connected many towns, including Strong City. This helped people and goods move around. In 1996, this railway became part of the BNSF Railway.

There's a unique story about the county's border. A small "notch" of land was added to Chase County from Marion County. This happened because of a murder case. Marion County didn't want to handle the trial. So, a small piece of land was given to Chase County.

20th Century Events

In 1931, Knute Rockne, a famous football coach, died in a plane crash. This happened near Bazaar in Chase County.

In 1991, Chase County became famous in a book. It was called PrairyErth: (A Deep Map). This book explored the county's history and nature.

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was created in 1996. This special area helps protect the beautiful tallgrass prairie. It's a great place to learn about nature.

The exact center of population for all of Kansas is located in Chase County. It's about four miles north of Strong City.

Historical Markers to See

You can find several historical markers in Chase County. They tell important stories about the area:

  • The Chase County Courthouse is a Landmark of Distinction.
  • Markers explain Chase County and the Bluestem Pasture Region.
  • The W. B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park also has a marker.

Old Maps of the Area

Geography and Nature

Chase County covers about 778 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small part being water. It's in the eastern part of Kansas. This area is known as the Flint Hills. It's a unique region with rolling hills and tall grasses. The Neosho River also flows through the county.

Neighboring Counties

Chase County shares borders with these counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Main Roads and Highways

Several important roads cross Chase County:

Population Facts

USA Chase County, Kansas age pyramid
This chart shows the age groups of people living in Chase County in 2000.
Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 1,046
1870 1,975 88.8%
1880 6,081 207.9%
1890 8,233 35.4%
1900 8,246 0.2%
1910 7,527 −8.7%
1920 7,144 −5.1%
1930 6,952 −2.7%
1940 6,345 −8.7%
1950 4,831 −23.9%
1960 3,921 −18.8%
1970 3,408 −13.1%
1980 3,309 −2.9%
1990 3,021 −8.7%
2000 3,030 0.3%
2010 2,790 −7.9%
2020 2,572 −7.8%
2023 (est.) 2,579 −7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Education in Chase County

Local School Districts

Most students in Chase County attend schools in the Chase County USD 284 district.

Some parts of the county are also served by school districts in neighboring counties:

  • Centre USD 397
  • Peabody–Burns USD 398
  • Marion–Florence USD 408

Communities in Chase County

Map of Chase Co, Ks, USA
This map shows the different communities in Chase County.

Chase County has several cities, small towns, and even some "ghost towns."

Cities to Visit

Unincorporated Places

These are smaller communities that are not officially cities.

Ghost Towns

These are places where communities once thrived but are now mostly abandoned.

‡ means a community has parts in a nearby county.

Townships of Chase County

Chase County is divided into nine areas called townships. The population numbers for these townships include any cities located within them.

Township Population Land area
km2 (sq mi)
Geographic coordinates
Bazaar 81 293 (113) 38°15′55″N 96°32′3″W / 38.26528°N 96.53417°W / 38.26528; -96.53417
Cedar 116 142 (55) 38°8′54″N 96°46′30″W / 38.14833°N 96.77500°W / 38.14833; -96.77500
Cottonwood 184 209 (81) 38°17′23″N 96°45′44″W / 38.28972°N 96.76222°W / 38.28972; -96.76222
Diamond Creek 237 373 (144) 38°25′31″N 96°40′35″W / 38.42528°N 96.67639°W / 38.42528; -96.67639
Falls 1,163 131 (51) 38°21′55″N 96°32′27″W / 38.36528°N 96.54083°W / 38.36528; -96.54083
Homestead 52 141 (54) 38°10′56″N 96°42′14″W / 38.18222°N 96.70389°W / 38.18222; -96.70389
Matfield 155 316 (122) 38°8′59″N 96°30′56″W / 38.14972°N 96.51556°W / 38.14972; -96.51556
Strong 740 172 (67) 38°24′20″N 96°32′18″W / 38.40556°N 96.53833°W / 38.40556; -96.53833
Toledo 302 233 (90) 38°24′49″N 96°23′50″W / 38.41361°N 96.39722°W / 38.41361; -96.39722

Famous in Pop Culture

Chase County became well-known because of William Least Heat-Moon's amazing book. It's called PrairyErth: A Deep Map and was published in 1991.

Historic Places to See

Many places in Chase County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important and protected.

  • Cartter Building, Cottonwood Falls
  • Cedar Point Mill, Cedar Point
  • Chase County Courthouse, Cottonwood Falls
  • Chase County National Bank, Cottonwood Falls
  • Clements Stone Arch Bridge, Clements
  • Clover Cliff Ranch House, Elmdale
  • Cottonwood River Bridge, Cottonwood Falls
  • Cottonwood River Pratt Truss Bridge, Cedar Point
  • Crocker Ranch, Matfield Green
  • Fox Creek Stone Arch Bridge, Strong City

See also

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