Barber

Formed February 26, 1867 (41^st county)

Barber County (4,233), Medicine Lodge (1,781)

The Modern red brick and concrete courthouse was built in 1956.  It has marble slabs at the entrance and across the front face.  It was designed by Brinkman and Hagan.  It is sited at Washington and Walnut streets.  United States Highway 160 is four blocks south of the location.  There was a classic courthouse in 1887 in Medicine Lodge, the only county seat.  The county was created on February 26, 1867 from Native American Territory as the 41^st county.  It is named for Kansas activist Thomas W. Barber.  The county seat is named for Native American activities that took place in this location.  The site is known to be a sacred Native American location. 

Barber County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five District Court Judges serve Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Sumner counties (judicial.) The county is on the southern border with Oklahoma.  Wichita, Kansas is northeast and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is southeast of the county.  The county center is 13.2 miles Southwest of Medicine Lodge.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pratt, Kingman, and Harper counties and Oklahoma and Comanche and Kiowa counties. 

The area of the county is 1134 square miles.  It is 6 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 71 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.7 persons per square mile making it 83 out of 105 in the state.  Barber County has 75.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 160 goes east and west in the county from Harper County to Comanche County.  United States Highway 281 goes north to south from Pratt County to Oklahoma.  The county is rectangular with its northeast corner missing.  Medicine Lodge is north and east of center in the county.  Medicine Lodge is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 42.1% of the county population.

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