Elk County, KS

Description

The Elk River runs across Elk county from the northwest corner to the southeast corner. The Fall river drains the northeast corner of the county; the southwest corner near Grenola has the beautiful Caney river valley. These various waterways have carved the whole county with big valleys and small canyons. As you travel the county from west to east, you descend about 500 feet from the Flint Hills of Cowley county to the river bottoms that form the Elk City lake in Montgomery county. The rugged terrain leads some to call this area "the Kansas Ozarks."

Farming, ranching, and oil & gas production are all important to the local economy.

runs across southern Elk County.

History

Organized in 1875. County seat Howard. Created out of the northern portion of what had been Howard county. Named for the Elk river, which traverses its area from northwest to southeast. (See Chautauqua.)

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

Elk county was formed, along with Chautauqua county, when Howard County was split into two counties on March 25, 1875.

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

There is a section on Elk County in the book Kansas: a Cyclopedia Of State History by Frank Blackmar (1912).

The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Howard, & Moline.

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

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Elk County

                           2000
    Town                Population  ZIP         Year  Elevation
    =================   ==========  =========   ====  =========
    Busby                                       1884     948
    Cave Springs                                1873    1095
    Elk Falls                  112  67345       1870     938
    Fiat                                                1121
    Grenola                    231  67346       1879    1117
    Howard                     808  67349       1870    1040
    Longton                    394  67352       1870     918
    Moline                     457  67353       1879    1055
    Oak Valley                                  1879     868
    Union Center                                1867
    Upola                                                990
    Western Park                                1885

Census Bureau Profile & Map

Special Places in Elk County

Frank Hobbs, the first teacher in Elk County, is buried two miles north of Howard along highway K-99
The Elk County Courthouse, just east of downtown Howard, was completed in 1908.
The old stone jail in Longton is still standing at the foot of the water tower; walk up and look inside at the primitive facilities for "crooks". It cost $413 when it was built in 1905.
The beauty of the dam and falls at Elk Falls can be viewed "up close" or from an antique iron bridge built in 1892.

Special Events in Elk County

Longton Free Fair
Howard's Elk River Festival - last Saturday in September; crafts, contests.
Elk County Fair in Howard - in July.
Annual Elk Falls open house - Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Elk County School Systems

USD 282 West Elk (620) 374-2113 Howard, Moline, Elk Falls
West Elk High School - S. Hwy 99, Howard, KS
USD 283 Elk Valley (620) 642-2215 Longton
USD 462 Central [Burden] (620) 438-2218 Grenola

Libraries

Grenola Public Library
P. O. Box 131 / Grenola, KS 67346
Howard City Library
P. O. Box 785 / Howard, KS 67349
Moline Public Library (620) 647-3310
107 N. Main / P. O. Box 96 / Moline, KS 67353

Museums

Grain Elevator Museum (620) 358-3241 / Grenola - Sat & Sun 2-4
Benson Museum (620) 374-2142 / Howard - Open by appointment
Consists of several buildings including:
- Country Schoolhouse & Teacher's Quarters * Authentic old school
- Gragg Agricultural Bldg. * Farm Implements
Shaffer Museum / Moline

Newspapers

Prairie Star (620) 725-3176
P.O. Box 417 / Sedan, KS 67361
Email: taylornews@taylornews.org

More Data About Elk 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 Elk County Health Profile

Genealogy

Elk County KSGenWeb

References

Elk County Historical Society, Elk County ( 1979 )
Mann, Henrietta. A Brief Historical Sketch of the Settlements of Elk County (Pittsburg: Kansas State Teachers College 1940) unpublished thesis.
WPA The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas ( Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. 1984 )

Elk County Offices

Elk County (620) 374-2490
P. O. Box 606 / Howard, KS 67349
Extension Service (620) 374-2174
130 S Pennsylvania, Box 647, Howard KS, 67349-0647

For more about Elk County contact:

Longton Economic Development Committee
P. O. Box 241 / Longton, KS 67352
Elk County Council on Aging 620-374-2403
134 E. Washington #B, Howard, KS 67349