Ellsworth County, Kansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ellsworth County
County
Ellsworth County Courthouse in Ellsworth (2013)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	February 26, 1867
Named for	Fort Ellsworth
Seat	Ellsworth
Largest city	Ellsworth
Area
• Total	723 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	716 sq mi (1,850 km2)
• Water	7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  1.0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,376
• Estimate  (2023)	6,357
• Density	8.9/sq mi (3.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	785
Congressional district	1st

Ellsworth County is a county located in the state of Kansas. Its main city and county seat is Ellsworth. As of the 2020 census, about 6,376 people lived here. The county was named after Fort Ellsworth, an old military base.

History

Railroad map of Ellsworth County from 1915-1918

Early Land Ownership

For a long time, from the 1500s to the 1700s, France claimed much of North America, including parts of what is now Kansas. In 1762, France secretly gave this land to Spain. Then, in 1802, Spain returned most of it to France.

Just one year later, in 1803, Napoleon of France sold a huge area of land, including modern-day Kansas, to the United States in what was called the Louisiana Purchase. This was a very important event for the growth of the United States.

Becoming a County

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was created. Kansas officially became the 34th U.S. state in 1861.

Ellsworth County was officially formed on February 26, 1867. It was named after Fort Ellsworth, a fort built in 1864 during the American Civil War. The fort was named after Lieutenant Allen Ellsworth, who helped build it. Later, the fort was renamed Fort Harker.

Life in the 1800s

In the late 1800s, this area became known for cattle ranching and cattle drives. Cowboys would bring large herds of cattle through the county. After long journeys, the towns often became lively as cowboys celebrated.

There were also conflicts during this time. In 1869, a group of Pawnee Indians, who had worked for the army, had a fight with U.S. cavalry troops in Ellsworth County. Some Pawnee people died in this conflict.

Geography

Ellsworth County covers about 723 square miles. Most of this area, about 716 square miles, is land. The rest, about 7.4 square miles, is water. The Smoky Hill River flows through the county.

Neighboring Counties

Ellsworth County shares borders with these other counties:

• Lincoln County (to the north)
• Saline County (to the east)
• McPherson County (to the southeast)
• Rice County (to the south)
• Barton County (to the southwest)
• Russell County (to the northwest)

People and Population

This chart shows the age groups of people living in Ellsworth County, based on the 2000 census.

As of the 2000 census, there were 6,525 people living in Ellsworth County. The population density was about 9 people per square mile. Most people (over 93%) identified as White. About 3.5% were Black or African American, and about 3.6% were of Hispanic or Latino background.

The population was spread out in terms of age. About 21% of the people were under 18 years old. About 20% were 65 years or older. The average age in the county was 42 years.

Education

Ellsworth County has a few school districts that serve its communities:

Unified School Districts

• Central Plains USD 112
• Ellsworth USD 327

Communities

A 2005 map showing the communities within Ellsworth County.

Ellsworth County is home to several cities, smaller communities, and even some places that used to be towns but are now "ghost towns."

Cities

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities:

Ghost Towns

These places used to be towns but are now abandoned:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Ellsworth para niños