Harper County, Kansas

**Harper County** (county code **HP**) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 5,485 people lived there. Its county seat is Anthony. Anthony is also the biggest city in Harper County. The county was named after Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry. He died of wounds suffered near Waldron, Arkansas, in December 1863.

### 19th century

In 1867, **Harper County** was created.

The original organization of Harper County was one of the biggest frauds in county government. In 1873, a group of three men organized Harper County. They designated the then-fake city of "Bluff City" as the county seat. The petition for organization used many names from a Cincinnati city directory to represent as residents of Harper County. In 1874, the state attorney general investigated. He didn't find any resident of the county. The "creators" of the county had sold $40,000 worth of bonds.

### 21st century

Due to new and high-paying jobs at oil fields and wind farms, Harper County had an economic boom. In 2012, rental housing and office space in towns such as Danville, Harper, and Anthony had become four times more expensive. However, by 2016, the oil fracking boom had ended. The economies of Harper County were hurt.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says taht the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.2%) is water.

### Presidential elections

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**81.0%** _2,168_|style="text-align:center;"|17.2% _461_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.2%** _1,996_|style="text-align:center;"|15.2% _393_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.7% _198_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.6%** _1,759_|style="text-align:center;"|23.0% _550_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.4% _80_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.5%** _1,999_|style="text-align:center;"|26.3% _736_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% _61_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.5%** _2,154_|style="text-align:center;"|24.8% _727_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.0%** _2,076_|style="text-align:center;"|28.5% _869_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.6% _110_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**61.4%** _1,941_|style="text-align:center;"|26.5% _836_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.1% _382_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**40.6%** _1,371_|style="text-align:center;"|25.0% _845_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|34.4% _1,162_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.4%** _1,941_|style="text-align:center;"|37.8% _1,235_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% _92_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**73.1%** _2,521_|style="text-align:center;"|25.9% _893_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _35_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.2%** _2,254_|style="text-align:center;"|28.2% _990_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.6% _268_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.0%** _1,777_|style="text-align:center;"|47.3% _1,681_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% _96_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**75.7%** _2,628_|style="text-align:center;"|21.0% _729_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% _114_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**64.0%** _2,351_|style="text-align:center;"|27.6% _1,015_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.4% _308_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.7%** _1,969_|style="text-align:center;"|47.6% _1,813_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% _28_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.3%** _3,158_|style="text-align:center;"|31.1% _1,439_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _25_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.0%** _3,111_|style="text-align:center;"|29.5% _1,311_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% _23_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**78.6%** _3,575_|style="text-align:center;"|20.4% _927_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _45_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**59.3%** _2,702_|style="text-align:center;"|38.4% _1,752_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.3% _106_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**63.8%** _2,849_|style="text-align:center;"|35.2% _1,573_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% _46_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**55.7%** _3,205_|style="text-align:center;"|43.1% _2,478_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _68_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|41.7% _2,441_|style="text-align:center;"|**57.9%** _3,391_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _22_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|41.1% _2,116_|style="text-align:center;"|**55.6%** _2,860_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% _169_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**77.9%** _3,712_|style="text-align:center;"|21.1% _1,005_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _51_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.3%** _2,280_|style="text-align:center;"|30.9% _1,321_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|15.9% _681_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**61.7%** _2,593_|style="text-align:center;"|35.3% _1,486_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.0% _127_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|36.8% _1,797_|style="text-align:center;"|**54.2%** _2,648_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.0% _439_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|11.6% _365_|style="text-align:center;"|40.6% _1,274_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**47.8%** _1,499_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**48.5%** _1,490_|style="text-align:center;"|45.7% _1,404_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.9% _181_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**61.7%** _1,459_|style="text-align:center;"|25.3% _597_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|13.0% _308_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|47.0% _1,190_|style="text-align:center;"|**49.8%** _1,261_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.1% _79_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|37.4% _812_|style="text-align:center;"|**61.3%** _1,332_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _29_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|38.6% _1,288_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**61.4%** _2,051_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**48.8%** _1,490_|style="text-align:center;"|30.8% _940_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|20.4% _624_|

### Unified school districts

- Anthony-Harper USD 361
- Attica USD 511

### Cities

- Anthony
- Attica
- Bluff City
- Danville
- Harper
- Waldron

## References

- Notes

## More reading

- _Standard Atlas of Harper County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 75 pages; 1919.
- _Standard Atlas of Harper County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 54 pages; 1902.

## Other websites

- County
- Harper County - Directory of Public Officials
- Harper County - Economic Development Council
- Maps
- Harper County Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current , 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

## Infobox (u.s. county)

- **county**: Harper County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Harper County Courthouse.png
- **ex image cap**: Harper County Courthouse in Anthony, Kansas, Anthony (2015)
- **founded**: February 26, 1867
- **named for**: Marion Harper
- **seat wl**: Anthony
- **largest city wl**: Anthony
- **area total sq mi**: 803
- **area land sq mi**: 801
- **area water sq mi**: 1.5
- **area percentage**: 0.2%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 5485
- **population density sq mi**: 6.8
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 4th
- **time zone**: Central