Crawford County, Kansas

Unlike most of the counties in the Ozark-Ouachita “Bible Belt”, Crawford County remained competitive in presidential elections until the 2010s. As recently as 2008 it was carried by Barack Obama, being the only county he ever won between the urban limits of Dallas, Little Rock, Denver and Kansas City. However, like all of the region it has shown a strong anti-Democratic trend in recent years, with Hillary Clinton's 34.91% – though more than she achieved in any rural white southern county – being the worst by a Democrat since 1924. Democrat Laura Kelly did, however, win the county in her successful 2018 gubernatorial bid.

In earlier times, Crawford County was a hotbed of left-wing politics, being the nation's second best county for Eugene Debs in 1912, and one of only four where he gained a plurality of votes. It was also Robert M. La Follette’s second-best Kansas county in 1924, behind only largely Catholic Ellis County.

Only four presidential elections since have seen Crawford County not back the national winner: 1960, 1988, 2012, and 2020.

Laws

Crawford County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1992.

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas abortion referendum, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 55% to 45% despite backing Donald Trump with 60% of the vote to Joe Biden's 38% in the 2020 presidential election.

Education

Higher education

Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg.

Unified school districts

School districts include:

Northeast USD 246 [https://www.usd246.org/] - Serves the northeast portion of Crawford County, namely Lincoln and Washington Townships, including the communities of Arcadia, Arma, Cockerall, Camp 50, Franklin, Mulberry and Breezy Hill. The mascot is the Viking and the colors are burgundy and white.
Southeast USD 247 (a.k.a. Cherokee USD 247) - Serves primarily portions of Crawford and Cherokee counties, but also includes small portions of Labette and Neosho counties. The district serves over 450 students in grades Pre-K through 12. Southeast High School (the "Lancers") is located just west of the city of Cherokee (the district office is located in the Cherokee/McCune Township). In Crawford County the district also serves the city of McCune. The mascot is the lancer and the colors are Columbia blue and white.
Girard USD 248 [https://www.girard248.org/] - Serves Girard and the Girard Township, including the communities of Farlington, Walnut, Greenbush and Hepler. The mascot is the trojan and the colors are maroon and yellow/gold.
Frontenac USD 249 [http://www.frontenac249.org/] - Serves Frontenac and the Frontenac Township, including the communities of Yale, Radley, Ringo and Mindenmines, Missouri. The mascot is the raider and the colors are black and white/silver.
Pittsburg USD 250 - Serves Pittsburg and the Pittsburg Township, including the communities of Chicopee, Opolis, and Asbury, Missouri. The mascot is the purple dragon and the colors are purple and white.

Others with portions in the county include:

Cities

Arcadia
Arma
Cherokee
Frontenac
Girard (county seat)
Hepler
McCune
Mulberry
Pittsburg
Walnut

Unincorporated places

‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Beulah
Brazilton
Capaldo
Cato
Chicopee†
Coalvale
Croweburg†
Curranville
Dry Wood
Dunkirk
Englevale
Farlington†
Fleming
Franklin†
Fuller
Greenbush
Gross
Kirkwood
Klondike
Kniveton‡
Litchfield
Lone Oak
Midway
Monmouth
Opolis†
Polk
Radley†
Red Onion
Ringo†
South Radley
Yale†

Townships

Crawford County is divided into nine townships. The cities of Frontenac, Girard, Mulberry, and Pittsburg are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;"

|- style="background:#ccccff"

! Township !! FIPS !! Population center

! Population !! Population density /km2 (/sq mi)

! Land area km2 (sq mi) !! Water area km2 (sq mi) !! Water %

! Geographic coordinates

| Baker|| 03750 || Pittsburg || 3,640 || 25 (64) || 147 (57) || 0 (0) || 0.05% ||

| Crawford|| 16250 || Girard || 883 || 6 (14) || 159 (62) || 0 (0) || 0.09% ||

| Grant|| 27575 || || 247 || 2 (4) || 145 (56) || 1 (0) || 0.45% ||

| Lincoln|| 40575 || Arcadia || 942 || 5 (13) || 181 (70) || 0 (0) || 0.23% ||

| Osage|| 53125 || McCune || 756 || 5 (14) || 141 (54) || 1 (0) || 0.44% ||

| Sheridan|| 64675 || Cherokee || 1,501 || 7 (19) || 206 (80) || 1 (0) || 0.31% ||

| Sherman|| 64875 || Farlington || 520 || 3 (7) || 187 (72) || 1 (0) || 0.45% ||

| Walnut|| 74975 || Walnut || 624 || 4 (10) || 166 (64) || 0 (0) || 0.27% ||

| Washington|| 75575 || Frontenac || 3,540 || 23 (59) || 154 (60) || 1 (1) || 0.96% ||

|colspan=9|Sources:

References

;Notes

External links

;County

Crawford County - Directory of Public Officials
Crawford County - Convention and Visitors Bureau

;Historical

Crawford Co. Kansas History and Heritage - Genealogy

;Maps

Crawford County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society