Dickinson

Formed February 20, 1857 (25^th county)

Dickinson County (18,397), Abilene (6,465)

The Modern building in Abilene was constructed in 1956 to replace a nicer 1882 structure.  The light tan brick and glass building is technically located on a square made up of 1^st, Buckeye, Cottage, and Court streets.  Buckeye Avenue is Kansas State Highway 15 in the town.  Cayton and Murray are the building architects.  The county was organized on February 20, 1857 from Native American Territory as the 25^th county with Abilene as the only county seat.  Dickinson County is named for New York Senator Daniel S. Dickinson.  Abilene is named for a Biblical reference meaning “city of the plains.” 

Dickinson County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Eight District Court Judges serve Dickinson, Geary, Marion, and Morris counties (judicial.) The county is in central Kansas immediately east of Salina, Kansas.  The county center is 5.9 miles South-Southeast of Abilene.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clay, Geary, Morris, Marion, McPherson, Saline, and Ottawa counties. 

The area of the county is 848 square miles.  It is 43 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 29 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 21.7 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 105 in the state.  Dickinson County has 66.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 goes east to west in the county from Geary County to Saline County.  United States Highway 40 is combined with Interstate Highway 70 from Geary to Saline counties.  United States Highways 56/77 clip the southeast corner of the county from Morris County, east, to Marion County, south.  Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34^th President, is buried in this county.  The Smoky Hill River flows through the county.  The county is a rectangle with a “forehead and nose” added on the eastern border.  Abilene is in the western third of the county.  Abilene is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 35.1% of the county population.