Haskell County, KS

Haskell County is "High Plains" country; it's one of Kansas' flattest with grain crops alternating with feedlots and pastureland. One of the best illustrations of the climate is the absolutely treeless golf course west of Satanta. The valley of the (usually dry) Cimarron River cuts across the extreme southwest corner of the county.

The US 56 and tracks of the Cimarron Valley railroad (once part of the Santa Fe) run side-by-side across the county serving the larger towns. US 83 runs arrow straight North and South. US 160 connects highway 56 with Ulysses.

Cimarron Valley locomotive in Satanta, KS
Cimarron Valley Railroad Locomotive

History

Organized July 1, 1887. County seat Santa Fe. Named in honor of Dudley C. Haskell, of Lawrence, who died while serving the State as Congressman, December 16, 1883.

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

The route of the Santa Fe trail cuts across the northern part of Haskell County, intersecting US 83 about five miles north of US 160.

The first county seat of Haskell county was Santa Fe, which won over Ivanhoe when the county was being organized. It was named for Dudley C. Haskell, a U. S. Congressman from Kansas. Lack of any railroads hampered the growth of the county. Freight and produce had to be hauled by wagon to Garden City, the nearest point on a railroad. Finally, in 1912 the AT&SF built a line from Dodge City to Elkhart. The new line missed the town of Santa Fe by seven miles.

Sublette and Satanta were soon thriving along the new line and an election was held in 1913 to select a new county seat. This was the first county election in which all Kansas women were eligible to vote. The county seat was moved to Sublette in 1920 after another hotly contested election. See Ghost Towns of Kansas, page 292, for more about the town of Santa Fe.

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

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Haskell County

  Year  Elev  Population Name              ZIP
  ====  ====  ========== ================ =====
        1522             Orsemus
  1886                 0 Santa Fe
  1912  2956       1,239 Satanta          67870
  1912  2918       1,592 Sublette         67877
        2863             Tice

Census Bureau Profile & Map

Special Places in Haskell County

Satanta has a permanent teepee in its park on highway 56.
Four miles south of Satanta near the boundary with Seward county, US 56 crosses the bed of the Cimarron River. The bridge is 1395 feet long and is described as "the longest bridge over a dry river."
The county courthouse is a modern building almost hidden in a grove of trees.
In front of the Satanta City Library there is a wooden statue of Chief Satanta.

Special Events in Haskell County

The Haskell County Fair is held at the fairgrounds in Sublette during mid-summer.
Satanta Day is a day-long celebration held the second Saturday of May each year.

Libraries

Dudley Township Public Library
Sequoyah Street / P. O. Box 189, Satanta, KS 67870
Haskell Township Library (620) 675-2771
700 W. Chouteau / P. O. Box 537, Sublette, KS 67877

Museums

Haskell County Historical Museum (620) 675-8344 Sublette

Haskell County School Systems

USD 374 Sublette (620) 675-2277 Sublette
USD 507 Satanta (620) 649-2234 Satanta
(Independent) Crosswalk Christian School (620) 675-2283

Hospitals

Satanta District Hospital (620) 649-2761
Satanta, KS 67870

Newspapers

Haskell County Monitor-Chief (620) 675-2204
Sublette, KS

More Data About Haskell County

Economic Development

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

Health Data

KDHE's Haskell County Health Profile

Genealogy

Haskell County KSGenWeb

Haskell County Offices

Haskell County (620) 675-2263
P. O. Box 518, Sublette, KS 67877
Extension Service (620) 675-2261
605 S. Fairground Rd, PO Box 580, Sublette, KS 67877

References

Fitzgerald, Daniel. Ghost Towns of Kansas (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988)
WPA The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas ( Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. 1984 )

For more about Haskell County contact:

Satanta Chamber of Commerce (620) 649-2830
Satanta, KS 67870-0098