Pratt County, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pratt County
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Pratt County Courthouse in Pratt (2009)
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Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
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 Kansas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | February 26, 1867 |
| Named for | Caleb S. Pratt |
| Seat | Pratt |
| Largest city | Pratt |
| Area | |
| • Total | 736 sq mi (1,910 km2) |
| • Land | 735 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (2 km2) 0.09%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,157 |
| • Density | 12.5/sq mi (4.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Pratt County is a county in the state of Kansas. The biggest city and the place where the county government is located is Pratt. In 2020, about 9,157 people lived here.
The county is named after Caleb S. Pratt. He was a soldier from the U.S. who died during the American Civil War. He was also involved in the events of Bleeding Kansas.
Pratt County is mostly flat prairie land. It does not have many rivers. The most important river here is the Ninnescah River. Farming is still very important in the county. It is one of the top places in Kansas for growing winter wheat.
Contents
History of Pratt County
Pratt County was officially created in 1867. The first try to set up a government for the county happened in 1873. This attempt was not real because there were no actual settlers living there yet. So, it was not accepted by the governor.
The county was properly organized in 1879. The first true settler, A. J. Johnson, arrived in 1873. He started farming near Springvale. Many more settlers came in 1877 and 1878. They came from all over the United States.
In the early years, it was hard to find wood. So, many people built houses out of sod (grass and dirt) or dugouts in the ground.
Choosing the county seat was a big deal. In 1879 and 1880, there were elections to decide where the county government would be. There were some disagreements and problems with the voting. In the end, Iuka was chosen as the county seat.
Later, people wanted to move the county seat to Pratt. This effort started in 1885 and succeeded in 1888. In 1888, a very bad blizzard hit the county. It killed most of the cattle, which caused a lot of hardship for the people.
In 1887, a railroad line came to Pratt. This was the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway. It connected Pratt to many other towns in Kansas. Later, this line went all the way to Texas. It was known as the "Golden State Limited."
During World War II, Pratt Army Airfield was a busy place. It trained crews and prepared B-29 planes for war.
Geography
Pratt County covers about 736 square miles. Most of this area is land, about 735 square miles. Only a tiny part, about 0.7 square miles, is water.
Nearby Counties
- Stafford County (north)
- Reno County (northeast)
- Kingman County (east)
- Barber County (south)
- Kiowa County (west)
- Edwards County (northwest)
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,890 | — | |
| 1890 | 8,118 | 329.5% | |
| 1900 | 7,085 | −12.7% | |
| 1910 | 11,156 | 57.5% | |
| 1920 | 12,909 | 15.7% | |
| 1930 | 13,312 | 3.1% | |
| 1940 | 12,348 | −7.2% | |
| 1950 | 12,156 | −1.6% | |
| 1960 | 12,122 | −0.3% | |
| 1970 | 10,056 | −17.0% | |
| 1980 | 10,275 | 2.2% | |
| 1990 | 9,702 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 9,647 | −0.6% | |
| 2010 | 9,656 | 0.1% | |
| 2020 | 9,157 | −5.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,082 | −5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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In 2000, there were 9,647 people living in Pratt County. The population density was about 13 people per square mile. Most people in the county were White (95.28%). About 3.09% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The population was spread out in different age groups. About 24.50% of people were under 18 years old. About 19.20% were 65 years or older. The average age in the county was 40 years.
Education
Colleges
- Pratt Community College
School Districts
- Pratt USD 382
- Skyline USD 438
Communities
Pratt County has several cities and smaller communities.
Cities
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially cities.
Townships
Pratt County is divided into seven areas called townships. The city of Pratt is separate from these townships for census purposes.
Images for kids
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Pratt County Courthouse in Pratt (2009)
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Pratt para niños
