# Marshall County, Kansas

Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Marysville. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 10,038. The county was named after Frank J. Marshall, a state representative who operated the first ferry over the Big Blue River.

## History

The Oregon Trail crosses Marshall County. The infamous Donner Reed Party rested along the banks of the Big Blue river and lost one of its members, Sarah Keyes, who is still buried at Alcove Springs (located outside of Marysville). Many documented pioneer bodies are buried surrounding Alcove Springs.
In 1849 Francis James Marshall, from Weston, Missouri, came to Marshall County and established a ferry service on the Big Blue River at "Independence Crossing." A few years later Francis Marshall decided to stay on in Marshall County and make it his home. He moved his ferry business to an upper crossing now known as Marysville (the city is named after Marshall's own wife Mary).
On May 30, 1879, the "Irving, Kansas Tornado" passed through Marshall County. This tornado measured F4 on the Fujita scale and had a damage path 800 yards (730 m) wide and 100 miles (160 km) long. Eighteen people were killed and sixty were injured.
The Marshall County Historical Society resides in the county's historic courthouse, which is now a museum and research library.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 905 square miles (2,340 km$^2$), of which 900 square miles (2,300 km$^2$) is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km$^2$) (0.5%) is water.

### Adjacent counties

* Pawnee County, Nebraska (northeast)
* Nemaha County (east)
* Pottawatomie County (south)
* Riley County (southwest)
* Washington County (west)
* Gage County, Nebraska (northwest)

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,965 people, 4,458 households, and 3,026 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (4.6 people/km$^2$). There were 4,999 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2.3/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 98.14% White, 0.23% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,458 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 5.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 22.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,089, and the median income for a family was $39,705. Males had a median income of $28,361 versus $19,006 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,090. About 6.40% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.60% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.

## Government
### Presidential elections

Marshall County is, in common with most rural regions of the Great Plains states, a predominantly Republican county. The county has not been carried by a Democratic candidate in a presidential election since 1932, and has only failed to back the Republican candidate in two other elections from 1888 on. The closest Democrats have come to winning the county since 1932 was in 1964, when Barry Goldwater only won it by 98 votes in the midst of a national landslide by Lyndon B. Johnson, and 1992 when George H. W. Bush only won it by eight votes in conjunction with independent candidate Ross Perot winning a significant share of the vote.
United States presidential election results for Marshall County, Kansas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 3,644 | 73.35% | 1,205 | 24.26% | 119 | 2.40% |
| 2020 | 3,729 | 72.92% | 1,259 | 24.62% | 126 | 2.46% |
| 2016 | 3,307 | 70.77% | 1,072 | 22.94% | 294 | 6.29% |
| 2012 | 3,195 | 66.94% | 1,469 | 30.78% | 109 | 2.28% |
| 2008 | 3,157 | 62.69% | 1,784 | 35.42% | 95 | 1.89% |
| 2004 | 3,261 | 63.84% | 1,789 | 35.02% | 58 | 1.14% |
| 2000 | 3,066 | 59.94% | 1,831 | 35.80% | 218 | 4.26% |
| 1996 | 2,811 | 51.11% | 1,932 | 35.13% | 757 | 13.76% |
| 1992 | 2,030 | 34.65% | 2,022 | 34.52% | 1,806 | 30.83% |
| 1988 | 3,140 | 54.23% | 2,560 | 44.21% | 90 | 1.55% |
| 1984 | 4,098 | 68.49% | 1,813 | 30.30% | 72 | 1.20% |
| 1980 | 4,127 | 67.69% | 1,555 | 25.50% | 415 | 6.81% |
| 1976 | 6,187 | 52.17% | 5,366 | 45.24% | 307 | 2.59% |
| 1972 | 4,127 | 67.68% | 1,823 | 29.90% | 148 | 2.43% |
| 1968 | 3,835 | 58.85% | 1,949 | 29.91% | 733 | 11.25% |
| 1964 | 3,432 | 50.31% | 3,334 | 48.87% | 56 | 0.82% |
| 1960 | 4,932 | 62.50% | 2,931 | 37.14% | 28 | 0.35% |
| 1956 | 5,664 | 69.25% | 2,487 | 30.41% | 28 | 0.34% |
| 1952 | 6,851 | 75.35% | 2,215 | 24.36% | 26 | 0.29% |
| 1948 | 5,122 | 61.50% | 3,148 | 37.80% | 59 | 0.71% |
| 1944 | 6,184 | 69.59% | 2,681 | 30.17% | 21 | 0.24% |
| 1940 | 7,286 | 66.65% | 3,588 | 32.82% | 57 | 0.52% |
| 1936 | 5,929 | 52.98% | 5,238 | 46.81% | 24 | 0.21% |
| 1932 | 4,455 | 42.25% | 5,970 | 56.62% | 119 | 1.13% |
| 1928 | 6,918 | 67.06% | 3,329 | 32.27% | 69 | 0.67% |
| 1924 | 5,809 | 62.35% | 2,369 | 25.43% | 1,139 | 12.22% |
| 1920 | 5,706 | 71.47% | 2,026 | 25.38% | 252 | 3.16% |
| 1916 | 4,581 | 50.08% | 4,275 | 46.74% | 291 | 3.18% |
| 1912 | 1,492 | 26.98% | 2,278 | 41.20% | 1,759 | 31.81% |
| 1908 | 3,296 | 55.91% | 2,514 | 42.65% | 85 | 1.44% |
| 1904 | 3,530 | 66.14% | 1,564 | 29.30% | 243 | 4.55% |
| 1900 | 3,413 | 55.63% | 2,669 | 43.50% | 53 | 0.86% |
| 1896 | 3,052 | 51.75% | 2,776 | 47.07% | 70 | 1.19% |
| 1892 | 2,531 | 45.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,054 | 54.68% |
| 1888 | 2,547 | 48.33% | 1,815 | 34.44% | 908 | 17.23% |

### Laws

Marshall 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 percent food sales requirement.

## Education
### Unified school districts

* Marysville USD 364
* Vermillion USD 380
* Valley Heights USD 498

#### Historical

* Axtell USD 488 (Marshall County) and Sabetha USD 441 (Nemaha County) consolidated to create Prairie Hills USD 113.

## Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Marshall County.

### Cities

* Axtell
* Beattie
* Blue Rapids
* Frankfort
* Marysville (county seat)
* Oketo
* Summerfield
* Vermillion
* Waterville

### Unincorporated communities

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.
* Bremen†
* Herkimer†
* Home†
* Lillis
* Marietta
* Vliets

### Ghost towns

* Bigelow
* Irving

### Townships

Marshall County is divided into twenty-five townships. The city of Marysville is considered governmentally independent and is 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.

## Notable people

* Frank Wayenberg (1898-1975) - pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in 1924.
* Butch Nieman (1918-1993) - born in Herkimer, played outfield for the Boston Braves from 1943 to 1945.
* Don Songer (1899-1962) - pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1924 to 1927 and the New York Giants in 1927.