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Barber County Courthouse in Medicine Lodge. Picture by Susan Howell.
 Barber County Courthouse 		   

Barber County

 LOCATION
 
 
County Seat: Medicine Lodge
Founded: 1873
Population:
    · 5,307 (2000)
    · 5,874 (1990)
    · 6,594 (1900)
Area: 1136 Square Miles
Standard Abbreviation: BA

Description

Barber County's beautiful Gyp Hills offer scenic views straight out of a Technicolor movie. Highway US 160 passes through this area and there is a (poorly) marked scenic route to take you by some of the best places.
 
Most of the county is hilly, and the economy is based on ranching, petroleum, and mining.

History

Map of Barber County, KS in 1899
Organized in 1873.  County seat Medicine Lodge.  In honor of Thomas W.Barber, a Free State settler of Douglas County, who was killed in consequence of the political troubles, near Lawrence, December 6, 1855. (the county was originally named in the statute as "Barbour," but was corrected by special act of the Legislature in 1883.)
 
Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)
 
        Thomas Barber's death inspired a passionate poem by John Greenleaf Whittier.
 
Carrie Nation began her crusade against saloons in Kiowa. Her home in Medicine Lodge is now a museum.
 
Medicine Lodge was the site of a famous gathering of Indian tribes to make a treaty with the U. S government. A marker on the east side of town gives more details.
 
William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Barber County.
 
The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Medicine Lodge, Sun City, Sharon, and Isabel.
 
The Kansas State Historical Society also has more historical data for Barber County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Barber County

                 2000
  Year  Elev  Population Name              ZIP
  ====  ====  ========== ================ =====
        1640             Aetna
        1951             Deerhead
        1670             Eldred
        1720             Elm Mills
        1577             Forest City
        1396             Gerlane
        1420         199 Hardtner         67057
        1360         144 Hazelton         67061
  1887  1850         108 Isabel           67065
        1330       1,055 Kiowa            67070
        1619             Lake City        67071
        1510       2,193 Medicine Lodge   67104
        1540             Mingona
        1512             Pixley
                         Red Creek
  1879  1464         210 Sharon           67138
        1378             Stubbs
  1872  1676          81 Sun City         67143
Census Bureau Profile & Map

Barber County School Systems

Barber County Libraries

Barber County Museums

Barber County Newspapers

Special Places in Barber County

Special Events in Barber County

More Data About Barber County

Economic Development Health Data

Genealogy

Barber County Links

References

Barber County Offices

For more about Barber County:

 
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Last updated on October 16, 2007 by Brig C. McCoy, COUNTIES@KSLIB.INFO
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Graphics by John Howell,
photos by Susan Howell,
used by permission.