Marshall County, Kansas


Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Marysville. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 10,038. The county was named after Frank J. Marshall, a state representative who operated the first ferry over the Big Blue River.
WWW marshall.kansasgov.com

History

The Oregon Trail crosses Marshall County. The infamous Donner Reed Party rested along the banks of the Big Blue river and lost one of its members, Sarah Keyes, who is still buried at Alcove Springs. Many documented pioneer bodies are buried surrounding Alcove Springs.
In 1849 Francis James Marshall, from Weston, Missouri, came to Marshall County and established a ferry service on the Big Blue River at "Independence Crossing." A few years later Francis Marshall decided to stay on in Marshall County and make it his home. He moved his ferry business to an upper crossing now known as Marysville.
On May 30, 1879, the "Irving, Kansas Tornado" passed through Marshall County. This tornado measured F4 on the Fujita scale and had a damage path wide and long. Eighteen people were killed and sixty were injured.
The Marshall County Historical Society resides in the county's historic courthouse, which is now a museum and research library.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 10,038 and a median age of 43.6 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.4 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 94.4% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.
There were 4,195 households in the county, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 4,762 housing units, of which 11.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.4% were owner-occupied and 22.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.8%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 10,965 people, 4,458 households, and 3,026 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 4,999 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 98.14% White, 0.23% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,458 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 5.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 22.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,089, and the median income for a family was $39,705. Males had a median income of $28,361 versus $19,006 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,090. About 6.40% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.60% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Marshall County is, in common with most rural regions of the Great Plains states, a predominantly Republican county. The county has not been carried by a Democratic candidate in a presidential election since 1932, and has only failed to back the Republican candidate in two other elections from 1888 on. The closest Democrats have come to winning the county since 1932 was in 1964, when Barry Goldwater only won it by 98 votes in the midst of a national landslide by Lyndon B. Johnson, and 1992 when George H. W. Bush only won it by eight votes in conjunction with independent candidate Ross Perot winning a significant share of the vote.

Laws

Marshall 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 percent food sales requirement.

Education

Unified school districts

;Historical

Communities

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

Cities

Unincorporated communities

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

Ghost towns

Townships

Marshall County is divided into twenty-five townships. The city of Marysville 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 included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
TownshipFIPSPopulation
center		PopulationPopulation
density
/km2 		Land area
km2 		Water area
km2 		Water %Geographic coordinates
Balderson038501061 98 0 0.09%
Bigelow06725661 97 1 0.96%
Blue Rapids07675Blue Rapids781 93 0 0.23%
Blue Rapids City07700Irving1,20113 92 1 0.98%
Center11850Reedsville1512 98 0 0%
Clear Fork13875Bigelow541 93 0 0.02%
Cleveland14100911 92 1 1.02%
Cottage Hill15850Cottage Hill1432 93 0 0.03%
Elm Creek20600Schroyer1782 93 0 0.02%
Franklin24450Home City3373 98 0 0.06%
Guittard29225Beattie4545 93 0 0.03%
Herkimer314502343 92 0 0.02%
Lincoln408501301 92 0 0.36%
Logan41975Bremen, Herkimer3354 93 0 0%
Marysville45075Marysville3835 84 0 0%
Murray49275Axtell6407 92 0 0.14%
Noble50850Vermillion, Vliets2172 92 1 0.83%
Oketo52550Marietta, Oketo2513 92 0 0%
Richland59450Summerfield2062 93 0 0%
Rock604251231 93 0 0.09%
St. Bridget62100Mina2323 92 0 0.05%
Vermillion73550Barrett, Frankfort1,01211 93 0 0.07%
Walnut750251442 93 0 0%
Waterville75975Waterville7979 93 0 0.03%
Wells765251311 98 0 0%

Notable people