Graham

Formed February 26, 1887 (102^nd county)

Graham County (2,417), Hill City (1,402)

A red brick and concrete Modern courthouse was created in 1958.  Built on a square formed by Cherry, Pomeroy, McFarland, and West streets, this replaced a classier 1888 facility in Hill City.  United States Highway 283 travels three blocks to the west of the site.  A memorial wall is the courthouse feature.  Mann & Company were the architects.  The county was created on February 26, 1887 from Native American Territory as the 102^nd county with Hill City as the only county seat.  The county is named for Civil War hero Captain John L. Graham.  The county seat is named for landowner W. R. Hill. 

Graham County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Graham, Decatur, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, and Smith counties (judicial.) The county is in the northwest part of the state.  Dodge City, Kansas is south and Salina, Kansas is southeast of the county.  The county center is 5.3 miles Southwest of Hill City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Norton, Phillips, Rooks, Trego, Gove, and Sheridan counties. 

The area of the county is 898 square miles.  It is 26 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 97 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.7 persons per square mile making it 93 out of 105 in the state.  Graham County has 69.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 24 crosses the county east to west from Rooks County to Sheridan County.  United States Highway 283 goes north to south from Norton County to Trego County.  The county is a rectangle.  Hill City is slightly east of center in the county.  Hill City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 58.0% of the county population.