Labette County, Kansas

Labette County (county code LB) is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 20,184 people lived there. Its county seat is Oswego. Its biggest city is Parsons. The county was named after LaBette creek, the second-biggest creek in the county. The creek was named after French-Canadian fur trapper Pierre LaBette who had moved to the area.

History
In the 1840s, most of the people living in Labette County were Osage people. There were also many Cherokee and Euro-Americans.  Many of the Euro-Americans were merchants with Osage or Cherokee wives.Nelson Case's history of Labette County, Kansas 

Between 1871 and 1873, at least eleven people disappeared near an inn and general store run by the Bender family in Labette County. After the disappareance of the Benders in 1873, it was found that they had apparently murdered many travelers. Between eight and eleven bodies were found buried at the inn. Governor Thomas A. Osborn offered a reward of $2,000 for anyone who caught the Benders, but they were never found."Bender Knife".  Kansas Historical Society.  Retrieved May 6, 2016.Potter, Tim.  "The Bloody Benders: 140-year-old crime scene still fascinates today".  Wichita Eagle.  August 24, 2013.  Retrieved May 6, 2016.

Geography
The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (1.2%) is water.

Demographics


The Parsons, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Labette County.

The 2020 Census says that Labette County had 20,184 people living there. The median age was 40. The race of the people were 79.7% non-Hispanic white, 4.2% African-American, 2.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% non-Hispanics of some other race, 8.7% non-Hispanics reporting two or more races and 4.7% Hispanic or Latino.

Government

Presidential elections
Labette County is mostly Republican. It has a slight Democratic lean to it like many counties in Southeast Kansas. Although Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton both won the county once each, it has become more Republican.

+ Presidential Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202067.0% 5,73531.0% 2,6552.0% 173201664.9% 5,33527.9% 2,2917.2% 592201259.0% 4,74238.8% 3,1172.2% 178200855.4% 5,00142.5% 3,8392.1% 191200459.1% 5,40039.6% 3,6151.4% 124200052.4% 4,47543.9% 3,7453.7% 318199645.7% 4,28341.9% 3,93112.4% 1,166199233.1% 3,36841.2% 4,19625.7% 2,613198852.9% 5,12545.8% 4,4331.3% 126198463.8% 6,54235.4% 3,6310.9% 87198052.9% 5,24439.8% 3,9477.4% 730197645.6% 4,64052.0% 5,2942.4% 243197264.8% 6,39932.5% 3,2102.8% 272196851.2% 5,50337.0% 3,97411.8% 1,273196443.0% 4,76156.1% 6,2080.8% 93196058.5% 7,49141.0% 5,2480.5% 68195659.4% 7,67740.2% 5,2020.4% 57195262.0% 8,62437.5% 5,2190.5% 70194850.1% 6,29848.7% 6,1131.2% 154194457.9% 7,48041.8% 5,3980.4% 48194054.2% 8,21045.3% 6,8600.6% 87193644.9% 6,61054.7% 8,0500.4% 59193242.1% 5,79455.7% 7,6672.1% 294192874.2% 9,04824.4% 2,9691.4% 174192455.3% 6,59324.9% 2,97119.9% 2,369192057.9% 6,59638.0% 4,3284.0% 460191642.6% 5,32851.4% 6,4216.0% 755191221.9% 1,51637.0% 2,56841.1% 2,853190849.2% 3,36740.6% 2,78310.2% 698190458.7% 3,70026.0% 1,63715.4% 968190048.8% 3,31950.3% 3,4250.9% 61189646.2% 3,20652.9% 3,6690.9% 64189247.9% 2,95052.1% 3,210188847.4% 2,87016.1% 97636.5% 2,211

Education

Unified school districts
 Cherokee USD 247 (Web site) is a school district of  primarily covering portions of Crawford and Cherokee counties, but also includes small portions of Labette and Neosho counties.
 Parsons USD 503 (Web site)
 Oswego USD 504 (Web site)
 Chetopa-St. Paul USD 505 (Web site)
 Labette County USD 506 (Web site)

Communities

Cities

 Altamont
 Bartlett
 Chetopa
 Edna
 Labette
 Mound Valley
 Oswego
 Parsons

References

Notes

More reading
 History of Labette County, Kansas, and Representative Citizens; Nelson Case; Biographical Publishing Co; 846 pages; 1901.
 Atlas and Plat Book of Labette County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 40 pages; 1916.
 Standard Atlas of Labette County, Kansas; Kenyon Company; 53 pages; 1906.

Other websites

County

 Labette County - Directory of Public Officials
Historical
 Labette County History and Heritage Project, Genealogy
Maps
 Labette County Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
 Kansas Highway Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
 Kansas Railroad Maps: Current , 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

Category:1867 establishments in Kansas