Barton

Formed February 26, 1867 (42^nd county)

Barton County (25,495), Great Bend (14,738)                

The 1917 Modern Classical Eclecticism masonry courthouse has distinctive windows and columns.  After the county was organized on February 26, 1867, there was an 1873 courthouse also in Great Bend, the only county seat.  The courthouse was designed by William E. Hulse and Company.  There is an open theatre on the courthouse grounds and the building has marble floors and stairs.  The county was taken from Native American Territory as the 42^nd county.  The building sits on a square at Main, Lakin, Kansas, and Broadway streets.  United States Highway 281 is Main Street.  Barton County is named for American Red Cross founder, Clara Barton.  Great Bend is named for its geographical location on the bend of the Arkansas River.  Barton County was the birthplace of 1 Kansas Governor, Andrew F. Schoebbel. 

Barton County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Russell, and Stafford counties (judicial.) The county is in central Kansas.  The geographical center of Kansas is 15 miles northeast of Great Bend in the county.  Wichita, Kansas is southeast of the county. 

The area of the county is 894 square miles.  It is 30 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 23 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.5 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 105 in the state.  Barton County has 80.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 56 goes east to southwest from Rice County to Pawnee County.  United States Highway 281 passes north to south from Russell County to Stafford County.  The county center is 5.8 miles North of Great Bend.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Russell, Ellsworth, Rice, Stafford, Pawnee, and Rush counties.  The county is rectangular.  Great Bend is located in the southern quarter of the county.  Great Bend is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 57.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Great Bend Micropolitan Statistical Area.