Wallace County, Kansas

Wallace County (standard abbreviation: WA) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020 census, 1,512 people lived there.^[1] This would make it the county in Kansas with the second-least number of people living in it. Its county seat is Sharon Springs.^[2] The county was created in 1868. It was named after Brigadier general W.H.L. Wallace, who was a veteran of the Mexican–American War and a casualty of the Battle of Shiloh.

Wallace County
County
Wallace County courthouse in Sharon Springs (2010)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°45′52″N 101°34′33″W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	1868
Named for	W. H. L. Wallace
Seat	Sharon Springs
Largest city	Sharon Springs
Area
• Total	914 sq mi (2,370 km2)
• Land	914 sq mi (2,370 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.1 km2)  0.01%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	1,512
• Density	1.7/sq mi (0.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	wallacecounty.net

"Mount Sunflower," the highest point in Kansas, is located in Wallace County

History

19th century

In 1868, Wallace County was created.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of 914 square miles (2,370 km²). Of that, 914 square miles (2,370 km²) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) (0.01%) is water.^[3]

Mount Sunflower is in Wallace County. It is the highest place in Kansas. It is 4,039 feet (1,231 meters). Mount Sunflower is about 15 miles (24 km) north-northwest of Weskan, less than one mile (1.6 km) from the Colorado state line.

Time zones

Wallace County is one of four Kansas counties to use Mountain Standard Time rather than Central Standard Time.

People

Census	Pop.		%±
1870	538		—
1880	686		27.5%
1890	2,468		259.8%
1900	1,178		−52.3%
1910	2,759		134.2%
1920	2,424		−12.1%
1930	2,882		18.9%
1940	2,216		−23.1%
1950	2,508		13.2%
1960	2,069		−17.5%
1970	2,215		7.1%
1980	2,045		−7.7%
1990	1,821		−11.0%
2000	1,749		−4.0%
2010	1,485		−15.1%
2020	1,512		1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[4] 1790-1960[5] 1900-1990[6] 1990-2000[7] 2010-2020[1]

Age pyramid

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential Elections Results^[8]

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2016	93.3% 770	5.3% 44	1.3% 11
2016	90.4% 721	5.8% 46	3.9% 31
2012	90.1% 719	8.5% 68	1.4% 11
2008	85.8% 690	11.9% 96	2.2% 18
2004	84.7% 742	12.8% 112	2.5% 22
2000	85.6% 737	12.0% 103	2.4% 21
1996	76.2% 738	16.5% 160	7.2% 70
1992	63.7% 679	15.4% 164	20.9% 223
1988	69.6% 655	27.3% 257	3.1% 29
1984	83.0% 838	15.1% 152	2.0% 20
1980	78.3% 811	16.1% 167	5.6% 58
1976	52.8% 600	42.7% 486	4.5% 51
1972	73.2% 782	20.0% 214	6.7% 72
1968	61.5% 608	23.8% 235	14.7% 145
1964	50.7% 516	48.7% 496	0.6% 6
1960	68.2% 727	31.8% 339	0.0% 0
1956	72.7% 684	26.7% 251	0.6% 6
1952	78.8% 945	20.8% 249	0.4% 5
1948	58.2% 637	40.1% 439	1.7% 18
1944	70.8% 720	28.7% 292	0.5% 5
1940	67.1% 756	32.0% 361	0.9% 10
1936	56.7% 658	42.4% 492	1.0% 11
1932	40.3% 561	54.6% 761	5.1% 71
1928	66.2% 738	31.9% 356	1.9% 21
1924	53.7% 603	15.2% 171	31.1% 349
1920	70.4% 632	22.6% 203	7.0% 63
1916	39.5% 381	51.5% 497	9.0% 87
1912	15.2% 81	28.5% 152	56.4% 301
1908	59.3% 350	34.9% 206	5.8% 34
1904	84.0% 278	11.8% 39	4.2% 14
1900	66.3% 212	31.9% 102	1.9% 6
1896	59.3% 181	40.7% 124	0.0% 0
1892	55.9% 377		44.1% 297
1888	65.7% 412	31.6% 198	2.7% 17

Presidential Elections Results

Wallace has been one of the most Republican counties in Kansas. Only two Democratic Presidential nominees have ever won Wallace County – Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Since 1944 only three Democratic Presidential candidates have won 31 percent of Wallace County's vote – Harry S. Truman in 1948, Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and Jimmy Carter in 1976. In the 2016 election Hillary Clinton won less than six percent of the county's vote. The last five Republican nominees have all won at least 84 percent.

Education

Unified school districts

• Wallace USD 241
• Weskan USD 242

Communities

Map of Wallace County from KDOT (map legend)

Cities

• Sharon Springs
• Wallace

References

1. "QuickFacts: Wallace County, Kansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
4. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
5. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
6. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
7. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
8. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

More reading

• Standard Atlas of Wallace County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 42 pages; 1908.

Other websites

County

• Official website
• Wallace County - Directory of Public Officials

Maps

• Wallace County Maps: Current Archived 2021-01-20 at the Wayback Machine, Historic Archived 2014-07-02 at the Wayback Machine, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current Archived 2016-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, Historic Archived 2010-12-19 at the Wayback Machine, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current Archived 2016-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

38°55′N 101°46′W