Barber County KS

Description

Barber County's beautiful Gyp Hills offer scenic views straight out of a Technicolor movie. Highway US 160 passes through this area and there is a marked scenic route to take you by some of the best places. For more information on this, visit http://ksbyways.org/.

Most of the county is hilly, and the economy is based on ranching, petroleum, and mining.

History

Organized in 1873. County seat Medicine Lodge. In honor of Thomas W.Barber, a Free State settler of Douglas County, who was killed in consequence of the political troubles, near Lawrence, December 6, 1855. (the county was originally named in the statute as "Barbour," but was corrected by special act of the Legislature in 1883.)

Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)

Thomas Barber's death inspired a passionate poem by John Greenleaf Whittier.

Carrie Nation began her crusade against saloons in Kiowa. Her home in Medicine Lodge is now a museum.

Medicine Lodge was the site of a famous gathering of Indian tribes to make a treaty with the U. S government. A marker on the east side of town gives more details.

William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Barber County.

The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Medicine Lodge, Sun City, Sharon, and Isabel.

The Kansas State Historical Society also has more historical data for Barber County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Barber County

                 2000
  Year  Elev  Population Name              ZIP
  ====  ====  ========== ================ =====
        1640             Aetna
        1951             Deerhead
        1670             Eldred
        1720             Elm Mills
        1577             Forest City
        1396             Gerlane
        1420         199 Hardtner         67057
        1360         144 Hazelton         67061
  1887  1850         108 Isabel           67065
        1330       1,055 Kiowa            67070
        1619             Lake City        67071
        1510       2,193 Medicine Lodge   67104
        1540             Mingona
        1512             Pixley
                         Red Creek
  1879  1464         210 Sharon           67138
        1378             Stubbs
  1872  1676          81 Sun City         67143

Census Bureau Profile & Map

Barber County School Systems

USD 254 Barber County North (620) 886-3370 Medicine Lodge, Sharon
USD 255 South Barber (620) 825-4115 Kiowa, Hazelton

Barber County Libraries

Hardtner Public Library
P. O. Box 126 / Hardtner, KS 67057
Kiowa Public Library (620) 825-4630
123 N. Seventh / Kiowa, KS 67070
Lincoln Library
201 N. Main / Medicine Lodge, KS 67104
Wisner Library
102 South Broadway / Sharon, KS 67138

Barber County Museums

Kiowa Historical Society - In the old city building/jail
107 N. Seventh Street / Kiowa, KS 67070
Carrie Nation House (620) 886-3908
Highway 160 / Medicine Lodge, KS 67104
The Stockade Museum (620) 886-3417
Highway 160 / Medicine Lodge, KS 67104

Barber County Newspapers

Barber County Index (620) 886-5617
106 W. First / P. O. Box 349 / Medicine Lodge, KS 67104
Gyp Hill Premiere (620) 886-5654
110 N. Main / Medicine Lodge, KS 67104-0127
Kiowa News (620) 825-4229
614 Main Street / Kiowa, KS 67070-1414

Special Places in Barber County

Carrie Nation, the famous prohibitionist lived in Medicine Lodge and her house is open for visitors. Her tactic of breaking things in bars began in Kiowa.
The Wisner Library in downtown Sharon is in a beautiful old brick building.
Hathaway's in Sun City still serves beer in giant schooners and good hamburgers.

Special Events in Barber County

Every few years Medicine Lodge presents a historical pageant about the Peace Treaty signed there.

More Data About Barber County

Economic Development

Kansas County Profile Reports
Statistical data from The Institute for Policy and Social Research, the University of Kansas

Health Data

KDHE's Barber County Health Profile

Genealogy

Barber County KSGenWeb

Barber County Links

Welcome to Historical Barber County, Kansas

References

WPA The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas ( Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. 1984 )

Barber County Offices

Barber County (620) 886-3961
120 E. Washington Ave. / Medicine Lodge, KS 67104
Extension Service

For more about Barber County:

Medicine Lodge Chamber of Commerce (620) 886-3417
Medicine Lodge, KS 67104