Logan County, Kansas

Logan County Education, Geography, and History

Logan County is a county located in the state of Kansas. Based on the 2010 census, the county population was 2,756. The County name was changed to Logan County was on February 24, 1887 (created on September 17, 1887). The county seat is Oakley. Logan county is named for General John A. Logan.

Etymology - Origin of Logan County Name

By an act of the Legislature in 1887, the name of the then unorganized county of St. John was changed to Logan, in honor of the late General John A. Logan.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Logan County History

Logan County, in the western part of the state, is the second from the Colorado line and the third south from Nebraska. It is bounded on the north by the counties of Sherman and Thomas; on the east by Gove; on the south by Scott and Wichita, and on the west by Wallace. It was first created in 1881 out of that part of Wallace county lying east of range 38, and was named St. John (q. v.). The description of the boundaries in the creative act was as follows: "Commencing at a point where the east boundary line of range 32 west crosses the 2nd standard parallel south; thence west on said 2nd standard parallel to a point where the east boundary line of range 38 west crosses the said 2nd standard parallel south; thence south on said range line to a point where the said range line crosses the 3d standard parallel south; thence east on said standard parallel to a point where said standard parallel crosses the east boundary of range 32; thence north on said range line to the place of beginning."

In 1885 the legislature changed the name from St. John to Logan in honor of Gen. John A. Logan.

Until 1963 Russell Springs was the county seat for Logan County. There was much feuding over which town should serve as county seat. Oakley won the honor in 1963. In 1965 the old county courthouse in Russell Springs became the Butterfield Trail Historical Museum.

Russell Springs, founded in 1865, was the Eaton stop on the Butterfield Overland Dispatch stage line. The line ran through rough Indian country to connect the gold mines in Denver, Colorado, with Fort Riley, Kansas. It ran until the Kansas Pacific Railroad was built. Travelers on the Butterfield Trail always made the natural springs in the area a watering place, calling them "Russell's springs."

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,073 square miles (2,780 km²), of which 1,073 square miles (2,780 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (0.01%) is water.

 Logan county is located in west Kansas. The county is rolling prairie, some portions being nearly level, a very small portion rough and with bluffs. Native timber is rare, but there are a few artificial plantings. The north fork of the Smoky Hill river enters in the northwest and flows southeast for some distance, where it unites with the south fork, which enters in the west, the main stream then flowing southeast into Gove county.

Description

Logan county is located in western Kansas just south of Interstate 70 and one county east of the Colorado line. The valley of the Smoky Hill River cuts a beautiful, broad swath through the county

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Thomas County (north)
• Gove County (east)
• Scott County (southeast)
• Wichita County (south)
• Wallace County (west)
• Sherman County (northwest)

Education

Unified School Districts

Oakley USD 274
Triplains USD 275

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