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Wyandotte County, Kansas

Coordinates: 39°07′N 94°43′W / 39.117°N 94.717°W / 39.117; -94.717
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wyandotte County
Wyandotte County Courthouse in Kansas City (2009)
Wyandotte County Courthouse in Kansas City (2009)
Flag of Wyandotte County
Map of Kansas highlighting Wyandotte County
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Map of the United States highlighting Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°07′N 94°43′W / 39.117°N 94.717°W / 39.117; -94.717
Country United States
State Kansas
FoundedJanuary 29, 1859; 165 years ago (1859-01-29)
Named forWyandot people
SeatKansas City
Largest cityKansas City
Area
 • Total156 sq mi (400 km2)
 • Land152 sq mi (390 km2)
 • Water4.6 sq mi (12 km2)  2.9%
Population
 • Total169,245
 • Density1,039.0/sq mi (401.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 3rd
Websitewycokck.org

Wyandotte County (/ˈw.əndɒt/; county code WY) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020 census, 169,245 people lived there.[1] This would make it the county with the fourth-most number of people in Kansas. Its county seat is Kansas City.[2] Kansas City is also the biggest city in Wyandotte County. It has a unified government. Wyandotte County west of Kansas City, Missouri.

The Wyandot

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The county is named after the Wyandot (also known as Wyandott or Wyandotte) Native Americans. They were called the Huron by the French in Canada, but they called themselves Wendat. They were distantly related to the Iroquois. They had hoped to stop white Americans from moving into their territory. They also hoped to make the Ohio River the border between the United States and Canada.[3]

Other historical facts

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The county was organized in 1859.[4] Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh's brother), "the Prophet", fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. He was buried at Shawnee Native American historical site Whitefeather Spring. The Kansas City Smelting and Refining Company employed over 250 men during the 1880s.

The Delaware Crossing (or "Military Crossing"; sometimes "the Secondine") was where the old Indian trail met the waters of the Kaw River. Circa 1831, Moses Grinter (one of the earliest permanent white settlers in the area) created the Grinter Ferry on the Kansas River here. His house was known as the Grinter Place. The ferry was used by people (such as traders, freighters, and soldiers) traveling between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Scott on the military road. Others would cross this area on their way to Santa Fe.

Geography

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The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 156 square miles (400 km2). Of that, 152 square miles (390 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) (2.9%) is water.[5] It is the smallest county by area in Kansas.[6]

Historical population
Census Pop.
18602,609
187010,015283.9%
188019,14391.1%
189054,407184.2%
190073,22734.6%
1910100,06836.7%
1920122,21822.1%
1930141,21115.5%
1940145,0712.7%
1950165,31814.0%
1960185,49512.2%
1970186,8450.7%
1980172,335−7.8%
1990161,993−6.0%
2000157,882−2.5%
2010157,505−0.2%
2020169,2457.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1]
Population pyramid

Wyandotte County is included in the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Government

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Presidential elections

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Presidential election results
Presidential election results[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 33.2% 18,934 64.5% 36,788 2.4% 1,349
2016 32.1% 15,806 61.2% 30,146 6.7% 3,291
2012 30.5% 15,496 67.4% 34,302 2.2% 1,095
2008 28.8% 16,506 69.4% 39,865 1.8% 1,038
2004 33.6% 17,919 65.4% 34,923 1.1% 559
2000 29.1% 14,024 67.1% 32,411 3.8% 1,837
1996 28.2% 14,011 62.9% 31,252 8.9% 4,391
1992 21.1% 12,872 56.3% 34,397 22.7% 13,855
1988 32.7% 19,097 66.2% 38,678 1.1% 624
1984 42.8% 27,459 56.2% 36,042 1.0% 635
1980 38.2% 23,012 54.4% 32,763 7.4% 4,448
1976 37.0% 23,141 59.9% 37,478 3.1% 1,936
1972 52.7% 34,157 43.5% 28,206 3.8% 2,453
1968 33.4% 23,091 49.4% 34,189 17.2% 11,891
1964 31.5% 20,553 66.5% 43,442 2.1% 1,356
1960 45.3% 34,764 54.0% 41,433 0.8% 604
1956 47.6% 34,604 52.1% 37,842 0.3% 186
1952 47.0% 34,648 52.6% 38,751 0.4% 258
1948 36.5% 24,398 61.9% 41,366 1.5% 1,024
1944 44.7% 26,817 54.9% 32,914 0.4% 214
1940 42.2% 28,152 57.4% 38,239 0.4% 252
1936 40.6% 26,239 59.0% 38,101 0.4% 256
1932 43.3% 25,471 55.5% 32,629 1.2% 721
1928 65.7% 32,829 33.8% 16,884 0.5% 265
1924 59.5% 23,881 22.2% 8,913 18.3% 7,354
1920 57.3% 19,294 40.8% 13,737 2.0% 671
1916 41.9% 13,863 53.9% 17,850 4.3% 1,408
1912 11.2% 2,107 39.1% 7,370 49.7% 9,371[a]
1908 47.6% 8,684 48.9% 8,923 3.6% 652
1904 64.2% 9,147 26.8% 3,815 9.1% 1,290
1900 51.8% 8,133 46.5% 7,304 1.8% 280
1896 49.4% 6,852 49.7% 6,882 0.9% 126
1892 51.1% 5,889 48.9% 5,635
1888 55.4% 5,431 42.4% 4,155 2.2% 215

Unlike almost every other county in Kansas, Wyandotte County has been solidly Democratic ever since the New Deal. The only Democrat to lose Wyandotte County since 1932 has been George McGovern in 1972. Wyandotte was the only county in Kansas to vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944,[b] Adlai Stevenson II in both 1952 and 1956, Hubert Humphrey in 1968, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and Walter Mondale in 1984.

Village West, has helped the economy in KCK and Wyandotte County grow. At Village West, there are companies like Hollywood Casino,[12] Legends Outlets Kansas City, Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, Cabela's, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Great Wolf Lodge, T-Bones Stadium (home to the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association) and Children's Mercy Park (home of Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer).

Education

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Colleges and universities

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Public

Private

School Districts

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  • Turner USD 202
  • Piper USD 203
  • Bonner Springs USD 204
  • Kansas City USD 500

Private schools

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Primary

  • Resurrection Grade School (formerly St. Peter's Cathedral Grade School)
  • St. Patrick's Grade School
  • Christ the King Grade School

Secondary

Other schools

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Communities

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Incorporated cities

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "QuickFacts: Wyandotte County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Pritzker, Barry (1998). Native Americans: Southwest - California - Northwest Coast - Great Basin - Plateau. ABC-CLIO. p. 682. ISBN 978-0-87436-836-9.
  4. History of Wyandotte County Kansas and its people; Perl W. Morgan; Lewis Publishing; 1911. Archived 2012-01-20 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. Brackman, Barbara (1997). Kansas Trivia. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4185-5381-4.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  12. "Home | Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway". Hollywoodcasinokansas.com. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
Notes
  1. This comprises 8,109 votes (43.02 percent) for Progressive Theodore Roosevelt (who carried the county) and 1,262 votes (6.70 percent) for Socialist Eugene V. Debs.
  2. Along with only winning Androscoggin County in Maine in 1932, this is the fewest counties FDR carried in any state during any of his four Presidential campaigns.

More reading

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Other websites

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County
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