Lyon County, Kansas

Lyon County (standard abbreviation: LY) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 32,179 people lived there. The county seat Emporia. Emporia is also the biggest city in Lyon County. The county was named after General Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in the American Civil War.

History
19th century
In 1806, Zebulon Pike led the Pike expedition west from St Louis, Missouri. Part of their journey followed the Cottonwood River through Lyon County.

In 1862, Lyon County was created from the county formerly known as Breckinridge County.

In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway extended a railroad from Emporia to Newton.Santa Fe Rail History

Geography
The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.9%) is water.

People


Lyon County comprises the Emporia, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Government

Presidential elections
Emporia County has been very Republican for most of its history. The last time a Democrat won the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

+ Presidential Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202053.7% 7,55043.1% 6,0553.2% 444201652.5% 6,55237.3% 4,64910.2% 1,271201254.5% 6,47043.0% 5,1112.5% 294200851.9% 6,69845.9% 5,9242.2% 289200459.2% 7,95138.9% 5,2341.9% 255200053.4% 6,65241.7% 5,1904.9% 613199650.0% 6,61236.9% 4,88413.1% 1,725199234.7% 5,09032.8% 4,81132.4% 4,755198855.3% 6,82043.1% 5,3141.6% 200198469.4% 9,79629.7% 4,1881.0% 137198057.9% 8,43132.2% 4,6809.9% 1,440197652.6% 7,06242.0% 5,6345.5% 732197269.7% 9,15728.3% 3,7202.0% 266196857.3% 6,55835.1% 4,0207.6% 868196445.2% 5,18454.1% 6,1970.7% 81196060.9% 7,47038.8% 4,7550.3% 41195667.3% 8,02132.2% 3,8310.5% 59195268.0% 8,54431.4% 3,9440.6% 80194850.0% 5,94148.1% 5,7081.9% 227194452.9% 5,71046.2% 4,9841.0% 105194052.3% 6,91846.7% 6,1701.0% 131193644.7% 6,00554.7% 7,3400.6% 80193247.4% 6,04449.9% 6,3652.7% 347192875.5% 8,75323.8% 2,7610.7% 81192457.3% 6,29025.1% 2,75017.6% 1,934192061.1% 5,49236.7% 3,3032.2% 195191640.3% 4,21553.4% 5,5846.4% 665191217.4% 96242.8% 2,36339.8% 2,200190850.9% 2,97343.8% 2,5625.3% 309190462.1% 3,45026.3% 1,46111.6% 643190050.7% 3,08347.1% 2,8652.2% 131189645.9% 2,86052.6% 3,2761.5% 93189248.5% 2,59151.5% 2,753188860.1% 3,01427.5% 1,37712.4% 624

Education

Unified school districts
 North Lyon County USD 251
 Southern Lyon County USD 252
 Emporia USD 253

Colleges and universities
 Emporia State University
 Flint Hills Technical College

Communities

Cities

 Admire
 Allen
 Americus
 Bushong
 Emporia
 Hartford
 Neosho Rapids
 Olpe
 Reading

Famous people
R. Lee Ermey was born in Emporia on March 24, 1944. He died on April 15, 2018. He was a retired United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, Drill Instructor and actor.  Ermey was often best known for his roles of authority figures, such as his  performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket.

William Allen White was an American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death White became the spokesman for middle America. He won a 1923 Pulitzer Prize for his editorial "To an Anxious Friend," published July 27, 1922. This was after being arrested in a disagreement over free speech. This was after there were objections to the way the state of Kansas handled the men who took part in the Great Railroad Strike of 1922.

References

Notes

More reading
 Standard Atlas of Lyon County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 84 pages; 1918.
 Standard Atlas of Lyon County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 60 pages; 1901.
 An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Lyon County, Kansas; Edwards Brothers; 58 pages; 1878.

Other websites

County

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

Category:1862 establishments in Kansas