Franklin County, Kansas

Franklin County is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Ottawa. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 25,996. The county was named for Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the United States. Formerly it was considered part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, but was removed in 2013.

Early history
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

The area was included in a treaty ceding land to the Osage Nation in 1808, and ceded back to the federal government in 1825. After 1825 and prior to 1867, treaties with various Indian nations set off parts of what was later to become Franklin County for the use of Indian tribes removed from their ancestral lands. These tribes included: Ottawa, Chippewa, Sac and Fox, Peoria, and Potawatomi.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized under the provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In 1855, Franklin County was established as one of the 33 original Kansas Territory counties created by the first Territorial Legislature of 1855. The county was named after Benjamin Franklin. In 1861, Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 577 sqmi, of which 572 sqmi is land and 5.4 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Major highways

 * Interstate 35
 * U.S. Route 50
 * U.S. Route 59
 * K-33
 * K-68

Adjacent counties

 * Douglas County (north)
 * Johnson County (northeast)
 * Miami County (east)
 * Linn County (southeast)
 * Anderson County (south)
 * Coffey County (southwest)
 * Osage County (west)

Demographics


Franklin County comprises the Ottawa, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 24,784 people, 9,452 households, and 6,720 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 /mi2. There were 10,229 housing units at an average density of 18 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.05% White, 1.21% Black or African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.78% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.

There were 9,452 households, out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.50% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,052, and the median income for a family was $45,197. Males had a median income of $31,223 versus $22,992 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,311. About 5.60% of families and 7.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.40% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections
Franklin County is often carried by Republican Candidates. The last time a Democratic candidate has carried Franklin County was in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1994, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 56% to 44% despite backing Donald Trump with 68% of the vote to Joe Biden's 30% in the 2020 presidential election.

Unified school districts

 * West Franklin USD 287
 * Central Heights USD 288
 * Wellsville USD 289
 * Ottawa USD 290

Colleges and universities

 * Ottawa University, Ottawa
 * Neosho County Community College (branch campus), Ottawa

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

Cities

 * Lane
 * Ottawa (county seat)
 * Pomona
 * Princeton
 * Rantoul
 * Richmond
 * Wellsville
 * Williamsburg

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


 * Centropolis†
 * Homewood
 * Imes
 * LeLoup
 * Peoria
 * Ransomville
 * Richter

Ghost towns

 * Minneola
 * Norwood
 * Ohio City
 * Pleasant Hill
 * Shermansville
 * Silkville

Townships
Franklin County is divided into sixteen townships. The city of Ottawa 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.

Notable people

 * Foster Dwight Coburn, Secretary of Agriculture, Kansas
 * Steve Grogan, NFL quarterback, who grew up in Ottawa.
 * Chely Wright, Singer
 * James Still (playwright), writer, who grew up in Pomona
 * Gary Hart, Democratic US Senator