Rooks County, Kansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rooks County
County
Rooks County Courthouse in Stockton (2014)
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	John C. Rooks
Seat	Stockton
Largest city	Plainville
Area
• Total	895 sq mi (2,320 km2)
• Land	891 sq mi (2,310 km2)
• Water	4.6 sq mi (12 km2)  0.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,919
• Density	5.5/sq mi (2.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Rooks County is a county located in the state of Kansas. A county is like a smaller area within a state, often with its own local government. The main town, or county seat, is Stockton. The biggest city in Rooks County is Plainville.

In 2020, about 4,919 people lived here. The county got its name from John Rooks. He was a soldier who fought in the American Civil War and sadly died during the Battle of Prairie Grove.

History of Rooks County

How Rooks County Began

For thousands of years, the Great Plains of North America were home to Native American groups who moved around a lot.

Later, from the 1500s to the 1700s, France said they owned large parts of North America. In 1762, after a big war called the French and Indian War, France secretly gave this land to Spain.

The United States Takes Over

In 1802, Spain gave most of the land back to France. Then, in 1803, the United States bought a huge area, including what is now Kansas, from France. This was part of the Louisiana Purchase, which was a very important deal for the U.S.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was set up. Then, in 1861, Kansas officially became the 34th state in the U.S. Rooks County itself was created in 1867.

Buildings and Growth

The first county courthouse was built in Stockton in 1881. This is where important county business happens. A jail was also built nearby, made from strong cottonwood logs and iron.

Later, in 1923, a new and improved courthouse opened in Stockton. This building, the Rooks County Courthouse, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This means it's a special building recognized for its history.

Geography of Rooks County

Rooks County covers about 895 square miles. Most of this area, about 891 square miles, is land. The rest, about 4.6 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Rooks County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Phillips County to the north
• Smith County to the northeast
• Osborne County to the east
• Ellis County to the south
• Trego County to the southwest
• Graham County to the west

People of Rooks County

This chart shows how many people of different ages live in Rooks County (from 2000).

In 2000, there were 5,685 people living in Rooks County. Most people were White (97.13%). A small number were Black or African American (1.13%), Native American (0.42%), or Asian (0.19%). About 1.06% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in the county was 40 years old. About 25.20% of the population was under 18 years old.

Education in Rooks County

Schools in Rooks County are organized into "Unified School Districts" (USDs). These districts manage the public schools in their areas.

School Districts

• Palco USD 269: This district covers the western part of the county, including towns like Palco, Damar, and Zurich.
• Plainville USD 270: This district covers the southern half of the county, except for the western edge.
• Stockton USD 271: This district covers the northern half of the county.

Communities in Rooks County

2005 map of Rooks County. This map shows the different towns and areas.

Rooks County has several cities and smaller communities.

Cities in Rooks County

Smaller Communities

These are communities that are not officially cities:

Towns That Are No Longer There (Ghost Towns)

Rooks County also has places that used to be towns but are now abandoned. These are sometimes called "ghost towns."

Townships in Rooks County

Rooks County is divided into twelve smaller areas called townships. The numbers below show how many people live in each township and how big the area is. The population numbers for townships include any cities that are located within them.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Rooks para niños