Haskell County, Kansas facts for kids

Haskell County, Kansas
Map
Location in the state of Kansas
Kansas's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	March 23, 1887
Seat	Sublette
Largest City	Sublette
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	578 sq mi (1,497 km²) 578 sq mi (1,497 km²) 0.4 sq mi (1 km²), 0.06%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	4,256 7.4/sq mi (3/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Named for: Dudley Haskell

Haskell County (county code HS) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,256. Its county seat and most populous city is Sublette.

History

Haskell County was founded in 1887. It was named for Dudley C. Haskell, a former member of Congress.

John M. Barry, Distinguished Visiting Scholar, the Center for Bioenvironmental Research of Tulane and Xavier Universities, New Orleans, Louisiana, concluded that Haskell County was the location of the first outbreak of the Spanish flu of 1918, which killed between 21 and 100 million people. Dr. Loring Miner, a Haskell County doctor, warned the editors of Public Health Reports of the U.S. Public Health Service about the new and more deadly variant of the virus. It produced the common influenza symptoms with a new intensity: "violent headache and body aches, high fever, non-productive cough. . . . This was violent, rapid in its progress through the body, and sometimes lethal. This influenza killed. Soon dozens of patients—the strongest, the healthiest, the most robust people in the county—were being struck down as suddenly as if they had been shot." Barry writes that "In the first six months of 1918, Miner's warning of 'influenza of a severe type' was the only reference in that journal to influenza anywhere in the world.

The railroad and the development of oil and gas fields in the 1930s, and the locating of many deep wells for irrigation significantly improved the economy of the area helping overcome the "dust bowl" of that period. Haskell County was one of the hardest hit counties in the Midwest during the drought of 1930-1937.

The first rodeo and fair was held in Sublette in 1916 and the fair continues at the same location. The first school district was founded in Santa Fe in 1887. Amanda I. Watkins, who owned a considerable amount of land in the county, was named "World Wheat Queen" in 1926.

Geography

Satellite image of circular crop fields in Haskell County in late June 2001.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 578 square miles (1,500 km²), of which 578 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) (0.06%) is water.

Haskell County is the flattest county in Kansas.

Adjacent counties

• Finney County (north)
• Gray County (east)
• Meade County (southeast)
• Seward County (south)
• Stevens County (southwest)
• Grant County (west)
• Kearny County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	1,077		—
1900	457		−57.6%
1910	993		117.3%
1920	1,455		46.5%
1930	2,805		92.8%
1940	2,088		−25.6%
1950	2,606		24.8%
1960	2,990		14.7%
1970	3,672		22.8%
1980	3,814		3.9%
1990	3,886		1.9%
2000	4,307		10.8%
2010	4,256		−1.2%
Est. 2015	4,064		−4.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Population pyramid

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 4,307 people, 1,481 households, and 1,153 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 1,639 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.07% White, 0.63% Asian, 0.58% Native American, 0.19% Black or African American, 11.45% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.57% of the population.

There were 1,481 households out of which 43.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.40% were married couples living together, 5.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.10% were non-families. 20.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the county, the population was spread out with 32.90% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 103.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,634, and the median income for a family was $43,354. Males had a median income of $31,296 versus $22,857 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,349. About 8.00% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

2005 KDOT Map of Haskell County (map legend)

Cities

• Satanta
• Sublette

Unincorporated community

• Tice

Townships

Haskell County is divided into three townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. 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
Dudley	18825		1,814	4 (9)	499 (193)	0 (0)	0.03%	37°30′40″N 101°0′28″W
Haskell	30625		1,971	4 (10)	498 (192)	0 (0)	0.07%	37°32′25″N 100°51′43″W
Lockport	41675		522	1 (3)	498 (192)	0 (0)	0.09%	37°34′19″N 100°43′11″W
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places2k.html.