Scott County, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scott County
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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 | March 20, 1873 |
| Named for | Winfield Scott |
| Seat | Scott City |
| Largest city | Scott City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 718 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Land | 718 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) 0.02% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,151 |
| • Density | 7.2/sq mi (2.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Scott County is a county in the state of Kansas. Its main town and government center is Scott City. This is the only official city in the county. In 2020, about 5,151 people lived here. The county was named after Winfield Scott, a famous general who served in the United States Army for many years.
Contents
History of Scott County
Early Days
For thousands of years, the wide-open Great Plains of North America were home to nomadic Native American tribes. These groups moved around, following animals and seasons.
Later, from the 1500s to the 1700s, France claimed a lot of land in North America. After a big war called the French and Indian War, France secretly gave a large area, known as New France, to Spain in 1762. This was part of a deal called the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
The 1800s
In 1802, Spain gave most of this land back to France. But Spain kept about 7,500 square miles. Then, in 1803, the United States bought a huge amount of land from France. This was called the Louisiana Purchase. It included most of what is now Kansas. The U.S. paid a very small amount for each acre.
In 1854, the Kansas Territory was set up. Then, in 1861, Kansas officially became the 34th U.S. state. Finally, in 1873, Scott County was officially created.
Geography of Scott County
Scott County covers about 718 square miles. Almost all of this area is land, with only a tiny bit of water.
Neighboring Counties
Scott County shares its borders with these other counties:
- Gove County (to the northeast)
- Lane County (to the east)
- Finney County (to the south)
- Kearny County (to the southwest)
- Wichita County (to the west)
- Logan County (to the northwest)
People of Scott County
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 43 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,262 | 2,834.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,098 | −13.0% | |
| 1910 | 3,047 | 177.5% | |
| 1920 | 3,121 | 2.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,976 | 27.4% | |
| 1940 | 3,773 | −5.1% | |
| 1950 | 4,921 | 30.4% | |
| 1960 | 5,228 | 6.2% | |
| 1970 | 5,606 | 7.2% | |
| 1980 | 5,782 | 3.1% | |
| 1990 | 5,289 | −8.5% | |
| 2000 | 5,120 | −3.2% | |
| 2010 | 4,936 | −3.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,151 | 4.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 4,922 | −0.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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In 2000, there were 5,120 people living in Scott County. Most people were White. A small number of people were of other races, including Native American and Asian. About 6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The county had 2,045 households. Many of these were married couples living together. About one-third of households had children under 18. The average household had about 2.5 people.
The population included people of all ages. About 27% were under 18 years old. The median age was 39 years. This means half the people were younger than 39, and half were older.
Education in Scott County
School Districts
- Scott County USD 466 is the main school district for the area.
The Public Library
The Scott County Public Library is a special place. It was the very first free county public library in Kansas! It started in September 1923. At first, it was in two rooms on the second floor of a lumber company building. The owner of the lumber yard, L. W. Cretcher, was very kind. He painted the rooms, gave them a stove, shelves, and lights, and let the library use the space for free.
In 1924, people voted to make the library a county-funded service. This meant it would get money from the county to keep running. In 1925, the library moved to the basement of the new courthouse. It had 861 books then!
The library stayed in the courthouse basement until 1964. That's when its own building was built at 110 West 8th Street. This building was about 4,150 square feet. It even had a meeting room for the public. In 2004, the library board started raising money to make the building bigger. The library was expanded and remodeled in 2009. It is now about 12,160 square feet!
Communities in Scott County
Here are the main towns and areas in Scott County:
Cities
- Scott City is the county seat, which means it's where the county government is located.
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller towns or areas that are not officially incorporated as cities.
- Chevron
- Grigston
- Hutchins
- Manning
- Modoc
- Pence
- Shallow Water† (This is a Census-Designated Place, meaning the U.S. Census Bureau tracks its population.)
Townships
Scott County is divided into seven smaller areas called townships. These are ways to organize the land. Scott City is considered separate from these townships for government purposes.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Scott (Kansas) para niños
