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Kingman County |
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County Seat: Kingman
Founded: 1873
Population:
· 8,683 (2000)
· 8,292 (1990)
· 10,663 (1900)
Area: 865 Square Miles
Standard Abbreviation: KM
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Description
Much of Kingman county is grassland covering red sand. The South Fork of the Ninnescah river winds its way across the north part of the county and the Chikaskia River crosses the southern part. Tradition has it that there was only one tree in the county when it was founded; early settlers planted windbreaks that are magnificent now. The heart of this county is the huge Byron Walker game preserve and public hunting area. Cheney Lake touches the northeastern corner of the county and the state lake is near Calista in the center.
Highway US-54 crosses the heart of Kingman County, going east to Wichita and west to Pratt. K-42 also crosses the county from east to west. Highways K-14 and K-17 go north-south and K-2 cuts across the southeastern corner. Wichita's 21st Street winds around the dam at Cheney Lake, and runs across northern part of the county, joining Mt. Vernon, Varner, and Penalosa.
Cities, Towns, & Villages of Kingman County
2000 Year Elev Population Name ZIP ==== ==== ========== ================ ===== 1450 Adams 1588 Alameda 1595 Basil 1585 Belmont 67068 1590 Calista 1650 Cleveland 1885 1705 514 Cunningham 67035 1466 Georgia 1872 1550 3,387 Kingman 67068 1405 Lansdowne 1430 Midway 1475 Mount Vernon 1884 1472 Murdock 67111 1740 111 Nashville 67112 1885 1490 551 Norwich 67118 1725 27 Penalosa 67035 1450 Rago 67128 1760 St. Leo 1700 Skellyville 1887 1510 80 Spivey 67142 1525 Varner 1450 Waterloo 1675 Willowdale 1887 1663 123 Zenda 67159
Historical Notes
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| Organized in 1874. County seat Kingman, which was organized in honor of Samuel A. Kingman, who was then Chief Justice of Kansas. |
Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899) |
Kingman County was created after Governor Osborne received a somewhat questionable petition claiming that the county had over 600 settlers. The town and the county were named for Samuel A. Kingman, early president of the Kansas Bar Association and Chief Justice of the state supreme court as well as first president of the Kansas State Historical Society.
Highway 54 is officially designated as the Cannonball Stageline Highway from the east edge of Kingman thru Greensburg--so named for the colorful stagecoach driver who ran the Cannon Ball Stage Line beginning originally in Wichita, moved westward to Kingman, and from there on westward ahead of the railroads. Without him and other stage lines, western Kansas would have been settled much slower.
Clyde Cessna built a monoplane on his farm near Rago in 1910.
William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Kingman County.
One of the rail lines that served Kingman County was the Hutchinson & Southern, a remarkable railroad built by a group of Kansas businessmen without spending any of their own money. It later became part of the A.T.&S.F.
The courthouse in Kingman, completed in 1908, was one of several beautiful courthouses in Kansas designed by George P. Washburn.
There is a section on Kingman County in the book Kansas: a Cyclopedia Of State History by Frank Blackmar (1912).
The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Cunningham, Kingman, Norwich, & Spivey.
County death records from 1900-1912, compiled from local sources by the Kingman Carnegie Library are available online.
Sample the local news from the Kingman Journal for September 18, 1885 or from the Norwich Herald for June 2, 1905.
The Kansas State Historical Society also has more historical data for Kingman County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.
With the permission of the Kingman County Historical Society, excerpts from the book Kingman County, Kansas, And Its People. (Kingman: Kingman County Historical Society. 1984) are online:
Special Places in Kingman County
- Kingman County Courthouse, Kingman
- Santa Fe Depot, Kingman
- Zenda Community Museum
- St. Peter's Church, Willlowdale
- Byron Walker Wildlife Area
Special Events in Kingman County
- The Kingman Annual Arts & Crafts Fair is mid-October.
- County Fair - mid-July.
- See Kingman's calendar and special events.
Libraries
- Cunningham Public Library (620) 298-3163
105 N. Main / Cunningham, KS 67035
- Kingman Carnegie Library (620) 532-3061
455 N. Main Street / Kingman, KS 67068
- Norwich Public Library
P. O. Box 397 / Norwich, KS 67118
- Zenda Public Library (620) 672-3041
P. O. Box 53 / Zenda, KS 67159
Museums
- Cunningham Museum
107 West First, Cunningham, KS 67035
- Kingman County Museum (620) 532-5274
400 North Main / Kingman, KS 67068
- The Santa Fe Depot 620-532-2142
201 E. Sherman, Kingman, KS 67068
Open year-round; 8:30-11:30am Mon.-Fri., some afternoons & some Sat. mornings. Cannonball Welcome Center and a railroad museum.
Meeting rooms available; No charge, donations welcome.
- Zenda Community Museum (620) 243-5531
Kingman County School Systems
Health Care
- Ninnescah Valley Health Systems
Serving Cunningham, Kingman, Norwich, and Cheney (in Sedgwick County).
- Cunningham Clinic (800) 530-5853 or (620) 298-2397
120 N. Main / Cunningham, KS 67035
- Kingman Community Hospital (620) 532-3147
750 W. Ave D / Kingman, KS 67068
- Norwich Clinic (620) 478-2292
111 N. Main, Norwich, KS 67116
Newspapers
- Cunningham Courier (620) 298-2659
617 NW 180 Ave / Cunningham, KS
- Kingman Leader-Courier (620) 532-3151
140 N. Main / Kingman, KS
- Norwich News (620) 456-2232
More Data About Kingman County
Genealogy
References
- Hurd, Fred. A History of Kingman County (North Newton: Mennonite Press. 1970)
- Kingman County, Kansas, And Its People. (Kingman: Kingman County Historical Society. 1984)
Kingman County Offices
- Kingman County (620) 532-2521
130 N. Spruce St. / Kingman, KS 67068
- Extension Service
For more about Kingman County contact:
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