Jackson County (county code JA) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 13,232. Its county seat and most populous city is Holton. The county, first named Calhoun County for pro-slavery South Carolina Senator

John C. Calhoun John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina who held many important positions including being the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He ...

, was renamed in 1859 for President Andrew Jackson. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Indian Reservation, near the center of the county, comprises about 18.5% of the county's area.

History

Early history

For many millennia, the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

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 . In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

. In 1854, the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1859, Jackson County was established.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Brown County (northeast) * Atchison County (east) * Jefferson County (southeast) *

Shawnee County Shawnee County (county code SN) is located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 178,909, making it the third-most populous county in Kansas. Its most populous city, Topeka, is the state ...

(south) * Pottawatomie County (west) * Nemaha County (northwest)

Demographics

Jackson County is included in the Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, there were 12,657 people, 4,727 households, and 3,507 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 5,094 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The county's racial makeup was 90.21% White, 6.84% Native American, 0.53% Black or African American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population. There were 4,727 households, of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09. 28.30% of the county's residents were under the age of 18, 6.80% were from 18 to 24, 26.70% were from 25 to 44, 23.40% were from 45 to 64, and 14.90% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males. The county's median household income was $40,451, and the median family income was $46,520. Males had a median income of $32,195 versus $22,305 for females. The county's per capita income was $18,606. About 6.40% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Jackson County has supported the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

candidate in every presidential election from 1936 onward.

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

candidates for president have only won the county twice since 1880, in 1912 & 1932.

Laws

Following an amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2004, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement. The food sales requirement was removed in 2020. The county voted "No" on the

2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment The 2022 Kansas abortion referendum was a rejected legislatively referred constitutional amendment to the Kansas Constitution that appeared on the ballot on August 2, 2022, alongside primary elections for statewide offices, with early voting fro ...

, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 52% to 48% despite backing Donald Trump with 69% of the vote to Joe Biden's 29% in the 2020 presidential election.

Education

Unified school districts

North Jackson USD 335 North Jackson USD 335 is a unified school district headquartered about four miles north of Holton, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Circleville, Netawaka, Soldier, Whiting, and nearby rural areas. The high sch ...

Holton USD 336 Holton USD 336 is a public unified school district headquartered in Holton, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Holton, Denison, and nearby rural areas. Schools The school district operates the following schools: * ...

Royal Valley USD 337

Communities

Cities

* Circleville *

Delia Delia is a feminine given name, either taken from an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, or else representing a short form of '' Adelia'', '' Bedelia'', ''Cordelia'' or '' Odelia''. Meanings and origins According to records for the 1901 ...

* Denison * Holton (county seat) *

Hoyt Hoyt may refer to: Places Canada *Hoyt, New Brunswick United States *Hoyt, Colorado *Hoyt, Kansas *Hoyt, West Virginia *Hoyt, Wisconsin *Hoyt Peak, a mountain in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Other uses *Hoyt (name) *Hoyt Archery, a bow manu ...

* Mayetta *

Netawaka Netawaka is a city in Jackson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 139. History Netawaka was founded in 1866. Netawaka is a Pottawatami Native American name meaning "grand view". The first pos ...

* Soldier * Whiting

Unincorporated communities

* Birmingham * Larkinburg

Townships

Jackson County is divided into fifteen townships. The city of Holton 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

External links

;County *
Jackson County - Directory of Public Officials
;Maps * Jackson County Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT * Kansas Highway Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT * Kansas Railroad Maps
Current19961915
KDOT and Kansas Historical Society {{Authority control Kansas counties 1859 establishments in Kansas Territory Topeka metropolitan area, Kansas