Finney County, Kansas

History

Finney County was established in 1883 and named after Lt. Gov. John W. Finney. The first white settlers arrived in 1878, settling along the Arkansas River and its tributaries.

What was to become Finney County began in March 1873 as Buffalo County and Sequoyah County(named after Sequoyah, the Cherokee Indian responsible for the development of the Cherokee alphabet. In 1881, the northern tier of townships was removed from Buffalo County and added to Lane County; the remainder was made part of newly-created Gray County, and later was taken to form part of Finney County. The two counties were merged in 1883 and renamed Finney County, in honor of then Lieutenant Governor David Wesley Finney. The county grew to the current shape after Garfield County was annexed to it in 1893 following a Supreme Court decision finding that Garfield County was less than one section/square mile short of the constitutionally defined minimum size of 432 square miles. The northeastern block, separate from the otherwise rectangular area, represents what at one time was Garfield County, which is now occupied partially by the Garfield Township. This combination of three separate counties makes Finney County the second-largest county in Kansas (after Butler County), comprising just over three times the constitutional minimum.

The town of Garden City was founded in 1879 by the cattle firm of Jones and Plummer, who established it as a shipping point for Texas cattle being driven along the Jones & Plummer Trail to Dodge City. Garden City grew rapidly as a railroad hub when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroads arrived in 1888.

As described in Blackmar's Cyclopedia, Garden City "was a typical frontier town, with its gambling houses, dance halls and other adjuncts of border civilization" in its early years, but it quickly transformed into an agricultural center for southwestern Kansas.

Other early settlements such as Holcomb, Kalvesta, and Pierceville sprang up in the 1880s as Finney County became a prosperous region for wheat farming and cattle ranching. The county population boomed from just 537 in 1880 to over 5,000 by 1890 as homesteaders poured in.

In 1893, the former Garfield County was annexed into Finney County and organized as Garfield Township. Garfield County had originally been established in 1887 from parts of Finney County and other surrounding counties, but it struggled to maintain a viable tax base and population.

By 1910, Finney County had a population exceeding 10,000 as agriculture firmly took root in the region after its pioneering days on the frontier.

Between 2007 and 2008 Finney County became majority-minority.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1303 sqmi, of which 1302 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi (0.05%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Kansas by area.

Adjacent counties

• Scott County (north)
• Lane County (north)
• Ness County (northeast)
• Hodgeman County (east)
• Haskell County (south)
• Gray County (south)
• Grant County (southwest)
• Kearny County (west)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 Finney County is included in the Garden City, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,470. The median age was 31.8 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males. About 80.5% of residents lived in urban areas and 19.5% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 51.5% White, 4.0% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 17.0% from some other race, and 22.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 51.7% of the population.

There were 13,064 households in the county, of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 14,185 housing units, of which 7.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.5% were owner-occupied and 36.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census there were 36,776 people, 12,359 households and 8,903 families living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 77.0% White, 2.3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 13.6% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.7% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 40,523 people, 12,948 households, and 9,749 families living in the county. The population density was 31 /mi2. There were 13,763 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 69.05% White, 1.25% Black or African American, 0.96% Native American, 2.87% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 22.99% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.30% of the population.

There were 12,948 households, out of which 46.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.70% were non-families. 19.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.55.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 34.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 16.60% from 45 to 64, and 7.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 104.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,474, and the median income for a family was $42,839. Males had a median income of $29,948 versus $21,510 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,377. About 10.00% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 10.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential election results

Finney County has primarily supported Republican presidential candidates throughout its history. In only six elections from 1884 to the present has the county not backed the Republican candidate, the last of these being in 1976 when Jimmy Carter won the county by only 102 votes.

Laws

Finney County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.

Education

Unified school districts

• Holcomb USD 363
• Garden City USD 457

Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Finney County.

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

• Garden City (county seat)
• Holcomb

Unincorporated communities

• Friend
• Gano
• Kalvesta
• Lowe
• Mansfield
• Peterson
• Pierceville†
• Plymell
• Quinby
• Ritchal
• Rodkey
• Tennis
• Wolf

Ghost towns

• Eminence
• Ravanna

Townships

Finney County is divided into seven townships. The city of Garden City is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

References

;Notes

References

1. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
2. "QuickFacts; Finney County, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau.
3. Blanchard, Leola Howard. (1931). "Conquest of Southwest Kansas: A History and Thrilling Stories of Frontier Life in the State of Kansas". Wichita Eagle Press.
4. "Buffalo County, Kansas - Kansas Historical Society".
5. "Sequoyah County, Kansas - Kansas Historical Society".
6. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
7. ''Kansas Place-Names'', John Rydjord, [[University of Oklahoma Press]], 1972, {{ISBN. 0-8061-0994-7
8. Schoewe, Walter H.. (1948). "The Geography of Kansas: Part I: Political Geography". Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science.
9. Callebs, Sean. "[http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/05/22/garden.city.kansas.minorities/index.html Whites become minority in Kansas county]." ''[[CNN]]''. May 22, 2009. Retrieved on May 24, 2009.
10. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
11. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
14. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
16. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
17. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
18. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
19. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
20. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
21. (November 2006). "Map of Wet and Dry Counties". Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue.
22. (July 2007). "General Highway Map of Finney County, Kansas". [[Kansas Department of Transportation]] (KDOT).