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 mileLouisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1857, Washington County was established.
21st century
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed north to south through Washington County, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,483 people, 2,673 households, and 1,780 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile. There were 3,142 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 98.90% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,673 households out of which 26.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couplesliving together, 4.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 31.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 25.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,363, and the median income for a family was $37,260. Males had a median income of $25,074 versus $18,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,515. About 7.30% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.20% of those under age 18 and 12.40% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Presidential elections
Washington County is overwhelmingly Republican. No Democratic Presidential candidate has won Washington County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and Roosevelt remains the solitary Democrat to ever win a majority in the county. Since 1940 only Lyndon Johnson in 1964 has reached forty percent of Washington County's vote for the Democratic Party.
Laws
Washington County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.
Washington County is divided into twenty-five townships. The city of Washington 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 included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
