Elk County Stats

[W. Gray]

Census Bureau figures for Elk County
2000: 3,261
2001: 3,161
2002: 3,171
2003: 3,117
2004: 3,111
2005: 3,084
2006: 3,047
2007: 3,040

Year 2000 figures show 1,860 dwelling units in Elk County with 1,412 occupied or 448 empty.

[MarkHall]

When you look at the 10 year stats, it's even more telling...

1880    10,623
1890    12,216
1900    11,443    
1910    10,128
1920    9,034    
1930    9,210
1940    8,180
1950    6,679
1960    5,048
1970    3,858
1980    3,918
1990    3,327
2000    3,261

[dnalexander]

Waldo and Mark and any other Elk County historians. What brought 2000 people to Elk County in 1890. It seems it quickly disappeared and has been on a 100 year decline since. Big decline 40-50s and 60-70's and flat line with small decline since. Any historical story to explain these periods.

David

David

[W. Gray]

The increase from 1880 to 1890 was probably due to the fact that land was still available in Elk County at $1.25 an acre. Elk County actually doubled in population from the fifteen years between 1875 to 1890.

Cutler's figures were out of whack in many places but he says in his History of the State of Kansas published in 1883 that 84,000 acres were still available for claim in Elk County.

It would have taken only 525 new comers to eat up those 84,000, although I think land was available by this time in tracts less than 160 acres.

There could also have been a good increase in the towns populations. U.S. Census figures for towns, rather than civil townships, aren't available until 1910.

As to why everyone started leaving after 1890, well before the automobile.....Some of the Kansas history books probably have covered this but I dont have the information.

BTW

A good part of Kansas was settled under the Homestead Act where a newcomer (if he had never borne arms against the U.S.) could get 160 acres free just by claiming the land and then living on it for five years.

Homestead Act claimants could also get an additional 160 acres at $1.25 per acre under the Preemption Act to give them 320 acres.

A really ambitious farmer could get another 160 acres free under the Timber Culture Act provided he planted a minimum number of trees in a minimum number of acres within a minimum number of years.

However, Congress specified that in the Osage land counties each settler could get only 160 acres and had to pay for it at 1.25 within one year of claiming--they later extended the time line. The money was scheduled to go to the Osage since the land legally belonged to them. I say scheduled because there is a lot of controversy as to whether the Osage got everything they had coming.

If a man (or woman) claimant wanted more than 160 acres in Elk County, he or she had to buy at market price from an existing landowner. Of course there was nothing to stop anyone from coming into the county and buying as many acres as he wanted at market price from a landowner rather than buying land at 1.25 an acre. Those last 84,000 acres remaining out of 416,640 were probably not choice land.

[W. Gray]

Elk County had a high population of 12,216 in 1890 and then descended to 3,261 souls today.

That is a loss of about 75% over 120 years.

The question was asked what might have caused this quick disappearance of so many people.

After thinking about it all day, I have come to the conclusion these people did not leave of their own accord.

These people were driven away.

They were in such a hurry to get out they probably just up and left and did not even pay their taxes.

There could only be one thing that forced these people out.

It could only be THE ELK COUNTY CREEPER.

[sixdogsmom]

Waldo, I think you may be onto something! Now all we need to do is to either find and eliminate this creeper or exploit it in which case we wouldn't want to eliminate it. Of course it might become difficult to decide which to do since a single course of action in a very small town is split right down the middle . 

[Diane Amberg]

  I vote for exploitation! Big signs out on 99....Howard Kansas, Symbolic Home of the Elk County Creeper. The school kids could hold drawing contests, or maybe that could be something for the fair...A Creeper Contest.

[sixdogsmom]

This is bound to create a shortage of mechanics' creepers! LOL!

[Wilma]

We could offer a reward for the capture of said creature.  That would bring a lot of outsiders in and they would spend their money at our local businesses.

[sixdogsmom]

We could offer official creeper underwear, guaranteed to creep up on you!