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Stevens County, Kansas facts for kids

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Stevens County
Stevens County Courthouse in Hugoton (2009)
Stevens County Courthouse in Hugoton (2009)
Map of Kansas highlighting Stevens County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Kansas
Founded August 3, 1886
Named for Thaddeus Stevens
Seat Hugoton
Largest city Hugoton
Area
 • Total 727 sq mi (1,880 km2)
 • Land 727 sq mi (1,880 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.02%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,250
 • Density 7.2/sq mi (2.8/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code 620
Congressional district 1st

Stevens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its main town, called the county seat, is Hugoton. In 2020, about 5,250 people lived in the county. The county is named after Thaddeus Stevens, who was an important politician from Pennsylvania during a time called the Reconstruction era.

History of Stevens County

Stevens County was officially created in 1886. The very first settlers arrived in 1885 from McPherson, Kansas. They first named their town Hugo, after a famous writer, but later changed it to Hugoton. Other early towns included Lafayette, started by a group called Quakers in 1886, and Moscow, which began in 1887.

The County Seat War

In the late 1880s, there was a big disagreement known as the "county seat war". This was a fight over which town would be the permanent county seat. Hugoton was chosen as the temporary county seat, but another town, Woodsdale, also wanted the title. This conflict led to many tense situations.

The dispute became very serious. It even included arrests and kidnappings. The conflict reached a peak on July 25, 1888. This event is known as the Hay Meadow Massacre. The sheriff from Woodsdale and three of his men were killed. The person responsible for the killings was from Hugoton and was never brought to trial. Hugoton eventually became the permanent county seat in 1887. Even after this, feelings remained strong for several years.

Natural Gas and the Dust Bowl

In 1927, people discovered natural gas in Stevens County. This led to the creation of the Hugoton Natural Gas Area. Hugoton quickly became a major center for the natural gas industry. This discovery brought new jobs and growth to the area.

However, the 1930s brought tough times. Stevens County was part of the Dust Bowl. This was a period when severe dust storms damaged farms. The Dust Bowl made the economic problems of the Great Depression even worse for the region.

Geography of Stevens County

Stevens County covers a total area of about 727 square miles. Almost all of this area is land. Only a tiny part, about 0.2 square miles, is water.

Main Roads

  • K-25.svg Kansas Highway 25
  • K-51.svg Kansas Highway 51
  • US 56.svg U.S. Highway 56

Neighboring Counties

Stevens County shares borders with several other counties:

Protected Areas

A part of the Cimarron National Grassland is located in Stevens County. This is a special area managed for conservation.

People of Stevens County

USA Stevens County, Kansas age pyramid
This chart shows the age groups of people in Stevens County based on the 2000 census.
Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 12
1890 1,418 11,716.7%
1900 620 −56.3%
1910 2,453 295.6%
1920 3,943 60.7%
1930 4,655 18.1%
1940 3,193 −31.4%
1950 4,516 41.4%
1960 4,400 −2.6%
1970 4,198 −4.6%
1980 4,736 12.8%
1990 5,048 6.6%
2000 5,463 8.2%
2010 5,724 4.8%
2020 5,250 −8.3%
2023 (est.) 5,077 −11.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

In 2000, there were 5,463 people living in Stevens County. Most people were White, but there were also people of Black, Native American, and Asian backgrounds. A significant number of residents were of Hispanic or Latino heritage.

About 31% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age was 34 years. This means half the people were younger than 34 and half were older.

Education in Stevens County

Students in Stevens County attend schools in two main districts. These are called Unified School Districts.

School Districts

  • Moscow USD 209
  • Hugoton USD 210

Communities in Stevens County

Map of Stevens Co, Ks, USA
This map shows Stevens County in 2005.

Stevens County has several towns and communities.

Cities

  • Hugoton (This is the county seat, the main town where the county government is located)
  • Moscow

Ghost Towns

These are towns that used to exist but are now abandoned.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Stevens (Kansas) para niños

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