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54-544: Morris County is the name of several counties in the United States: Morris County, Kansas Morris County, New Jersey , the most populous in the country with the name Morris County, Texas [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

108-618: A Kaw Indian Reservation was centered around Council Grove, Kansas on 20 square miles of land. In 1851, the Methodist Church established an Indian Mission in Morris County. Between 1877 and 1879, Benjamin "Pap" Singleton , a former slave who escaped to freedom in 1846, staked out a settlement in Morris County for freedmen known as " Exodusters ". Thousands of families migrated from the post-Reconstruction South to seek more opportunities and better living conditions in

162-659: A commission to intercept Mexican caravans along the Santa Fe Trail, similar to that received by Warfield the year prior. After disbanding the volunteers under his command, Warfield located and joined the 190-man, Texas "Battalion of Invincibles", under the command of Snively. New Mexico Governor Manuel Armijo led Mexican troops out of Santa Fe to protect incoming caravans. But, after the Invincibles destroyed much of an advance party led by Captain Ventura Lovato,

216-483: A community has portions in an adjacent county. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau . Morris County is divided into eleven townships . The cities of Council Grove and Herington are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center

270-643: A fur trading dominance from the Spanish in Santa Fe as well as with the Indian tribes living in this vast region. Other French traders and trappers made trips on the trail from St. Louis, such as Auguste Pierre Chouteau and Jules de Mun in 1815, who were arrested by Spanish authorities in Santa Fe. After Louisiana was sold to the United States in 1803 (Louisiana Purchase), Americans improved and publicized

324-547: A small band of men in the proximate vicinity of St. Louis, giving McDaniel the rank of a Texas captain. After Warfield headed toward the Rockies with a companion, McDaniel led a robbery in April 1843 (in present-day Rice County, Kansas ) of a lightly defended Santa Fe Trail trading caravan. This resulted in the murder of its leader Antonio José Chávez, the son of a former governor of New Mexico, Francisco Xavier Chávez . Warfield

378-677: A vital role in the westward expansion of the U.S. into these new lands. The road route is commemorated today by the National Park Service as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail . A highway route that roughly follows the trail's path, through the entire length of Kansas , the southeast corner of Colorado and northern New Mexico, has been designated as the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway . The Santa Fe Trail

432-731: A welcome by the rebellious faction in New Mexico. What was known as the Texan Santa Fe Expedition encountered many difficulties. The party was captured by governor Armijo's Mexican army under less than honest negotiations. They were subjected to harsh and austere treatment during a tortuous forced march to Mexico City, where they were tried, convicted and imprisoned for their insurgent activities. In 1842, Colonel William A. Christy wrote Sam Houston , president of Texas, requesting support for an overthrow scheme by Charles Warfield dependent on armed forces. He proposed deposing

486-473: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas . Its county seat and largest city is Council Grove . As of the 2020 census , the county population was 5,386. The county was named for Thomas Morris , a U.S. Senator from Ohio and anti-slavery advocate. For many millennia , the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans . From the 16th century to 18th century,

540-488: Is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size. 38°42′N 96°38′W  /  38.700°N 96.633°W  / 38.700; -96.633 Santa Fe Trail The route skirted the northern edge and crossed the north-western corner of Comancheria , the territory of the Comanche . Realizing the value, they demanded compensation for granting passage to

594-639: The American Southwest , leading to the construction of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway . As the name suggests, the intended eastern terminus was to be Atchison, Kansas . In Kansas, the AT&;SF roadbed roughly paralleled the Santa Fe Trail west of Topeka as it expanded between 1868 and 1874. When a railroad bridge was built across the Missouri River to connect eastern markets to

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648-828: The Arkansas River . Branches of the trail followed both sides of the river upstream to Dodge City and Garden City . West of Garden City in southwestern Kansas the trail splits into two branches. One of the branches, called the Mountain Route or the Upper Crossing continues up the Arkansas River to the confluence with the Purgatoire River near La Junta continuing along the Purgatoire River to Trinidad , then south through

702-524: The Comanche nor the Apache of the southern high plains tolerated trespassers. In 1825, Congress voted for federal protection for the Santa Fe Trail, even though much of it lay in the Mexican territory. Lack of food and water also made the trail very risky. Weather conditions, like huge lightning storms, gave the travelers even more difficulty. If a storm developed, there was often no place to take shelter and

756-665: The Kaw American Indian tribe. Settlers and the Kaw lived in increasingly uneasy relationship as settlers encroached on native lands. Council Grove, established by European Americans in 1825, was an important supply station on the Santa Fe Trail . The town was also the site of an encampment by John C. Fremont in 1845 and in 1849 the Overland Mail established a supply headquarters there. From 1821 to 1866,

810-568: The Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America . In 1762, after the French and Indian War , France secretly ceded New France to Spain , per the Treaty of Fontainebleau . In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of

864-760: The Midwest . In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Topeka to Herington . This main line connected Topeka , Valencia , Willard , Maple Hill , Vera , Paxico , McFarland , Alma , Volland , Alta Vista , Dwight , White City , Latimer , Herington . The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway , which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad , merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad , merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad . Most locals still refer to this railroad as

918-589: The National Register of Historic Places . In Missouri, this includes the 85th and Manchester "Three Trails" Trail Segment , Arrow Rock Ferry Landing , Santa Fe Trail – Grand Pass Trail Segments , and Santa Fe Trail – Saline County Trail Segments . The longest clearly identifiable section of the trail, Santa Fe Trail Remains , near Dodge City, Kansas , is listed as a National Historic Landmark . In Colorado, Santa Fe Trail Mountain Route – Bent's New Fort

972-749: The Raton Pass into New Mexico. The other main branch, called the Cimarron Cutoff or Cimarron Crossing or Middle Crossing cut southwest across the Cimarron Desert (also known as the Waterscrape or La Jornada ) to the valley of the Cimarron River near the town of Ulysses and Elkhart then continued toward Boise City, Oklahoma , to Clayton, New Mexico , joining up with northern branch at Fort Union . This route

1026-448: The Santa Fe Trail was active across Morris County. The county was originally organized as Wise County in 1855. The county was named for Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise . When Wise presided over the hanging of abolitionist John Brown at Harpers Ferry in 1859, abolition supporters renamed it to Morris County in honor of Thomas Morris , a former United States Senator from Ohio who was an opponent of slavery. From 1846 to 1873,

1080-478: The "Rock Island". In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva (3 miles west of Strong City ) to Superior, Nebraska . This branch line connected Strong City , Neva , Rockland , Diamond Springs , Burdick , Lost Springs , Jacobs , Hope , Navarre , Enterprise , Abilene , Talmage , Manchester , Longford , Oak Hill , Miltonvale , Aurora , Huscher , Concordia , Kackley , Courtland , Webber , Superior . At some point,

1134-546: The 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre . In 1848, after the Mexican–American War , the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states , including southwest Kansas. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state . The county was established on ancient grounds of

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1188-472: The Dodge City cattle trail and Colorado coal mines, the railroad spurred the growth of Kansas City, Missouri . Building the railway westwards beyond the New Mexico border was delayed and placed the railroad under financial pressure. In response, they offered packaged "Shopping Excursion deals" to potential real estate buyers. The railroad began to discount such trips to visit its land offices and gave back

1242-481: The French traders Pierre Antoine and Paul Mallet made a first trip in 1739 and 1740, starting also from Kaskaskia, Illinois , reaching Santa Fe and returning. They made other expeditions in 1741 and 1750, which faced various challenges from Indians and Spaniards. Then, the French explorer Pierre Vial made another pioneering trip on the route in 1792, and French traders and trappers from St. Louis gained progressively

1296-517: The Missouri near Arrow Rock , after which it followed roughly the route of present-day U.S. Route 24 . It passed north of Marshall , through Lexington to Fort Osage , then to Independence . Independence was also one of the historic "jumping off points" for the Oregon and California Trails . West of Independence, it roughly followed the route of U.S. Route 56 from near the town of Olathe to

1350-511: The Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed through Herington , Delavan , and Council Grove . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 703 square miles (1,820 km ), of which 695 square miles (1,800 km ) is land and 7.6 square miles (20 km ) (1.1%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,104 people, 2,539 households, and 1,777 families residing in

1404-632: The Santa Fe Trail at Fort Bent in Colorado . In 1825, the merchant Manuel Escudero of Chihuahua was commissioned by New Mexico governor Bartolome Baca to negotiate in Washington, D.C., for opening U.S. borders to traders from Mexico. Beginning in 1826, prominent aristocratic families of New Mexicans, such as the Chávezes, Armijos, Pereas, and Oteros, entered into the commerce along the trail. By 1843, traders from New Mexico and Chihuahua had become

1458-561: The Santa Fe Trail beginning in 1822, in order to take advantage of new trade opportunities with Mexico which had just won independence from Spain in the Mexican War of Independence . Manufactured goods were hauled from Missouri to Santa Fe, which was then in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Mexico . Settlers seeking the opportunity to hold free land used wagon trains to follow various emigrant trails that branched off to points west. The political philosophy of manifest destiny ,

1512-518: The Trail soon dropped to merely local trade. After World War I the trail gradually became a paved automobile road. The eastern end of the trail was in the central Missouri town of Franklin on the north bank of the Missouri River . The route across Missouri first used by Becknell followed portions of the existing Osage Trace and the Medicine Trails. West of Franklin, the trail crossed

1566-428: The age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under

1620-467: The age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 32,163, and the median income for a family was $ 39,717. Males had a median income of $ 28,912 versus $ 21,239 for females. The per capita income for

1674-523: The collapse of the species. Comanche power declined in the region when they lost their most important game. In 1846, during the Mexican–American War , the United States Army used the Santa Fe Trail to invade New Mexico. After the U.S. acquisition of the Southwest that ended the war, the trail was integral to the U.S. opening the region to economic development and settlement. It played

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1728-422: The county was $ 18,491. About 6.70% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line , including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over. Like all of Kansas outside the eastern cities, Morris County is powerfully Republican. Only two Democratic presidential candidates have ever carried the county – Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, who ironically

1782-523: The county. The population density was 9 people per square mile (3.5 people/km ). There were 3,160 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.49% White , 0.34% Black or African American , 0.33% Native American , 0.23% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.70% from other races , and 0.88% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,539 households, out of which 30.20% had children under

1836-506: The governments in the Mexican provinces of New Mexico and Chihuahua and returning half of the spoils to the Republic of Texas . Houston agreed, provided the operation be conducted under the strictest secrecy. He commissioned Warfield as a colonel, who attempted to raise volunteers in Texas, St. Louis, Missouri; and the southern Rockies for a Warfield Expedition. He recruited John McDaniel and

1890-680: The governor retreated. Following this battle, many Americans resigned and Snively's force was reduced to little over 100 men. Snively planned to plunder Mexican merchant caravans on territory claimed by Texas, in retaliation for recent Texian executions and Mexican invasions, but his battalion was quickly arrested and disarmed by the US troops escorting the caravans. After disarming these men, Captain Philip St. George Cooke allowed them to return to Texas. In 1863, while railroad legislation underwent continual revisions, entrepreneurs grew more interested in

1944-487: The idea that the U.S. should extend from one coast to another, dominated national political discussions. The trail connected interior port cities along the Mississippi and Missouri and their wagon train outfitters to western destinations. The trail was used to carry products from the central plains to the trail head towns St. Joseph and Independence, Missouri . In the 1820s–1830s, it was also sporadically important in

1998-402: The large grants of New Mexico land to wealthy Mexicans. New Mexicans appreciated the relative freedoms of a frontier, remote from Mexico City. The rebels defeated and executed governor Albino Perez, but were later ousted by the forces of Rio Abajo (the lower Rio Grande, or southern New Mexico) led by Manuel Armijo . The Republic of Texas competed with Mexico in claiming Santa Fe, as part of

2052-412: The line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current BNSF Railway . The National Old Trails Road , also known as

2106-416: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Morris_County&oldid=933003159 " Category : United States county name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Morris County, Kansas Morris County

2160-508: The livestock could get spooked. Rattlesnakes often posed a threat, and many people died due to snakebites. The caravan size increased later on to prevent Indian raids. The travelers also harnessed more oxen instead of mules—primarily for the greater hauling power of oxen but also because they were less valued by Indians and thus less risk of being raided. Segments of this trail in Missouri , Kansas , Oklahoma , and New Mexico are listed on

2214-480: The majority of traders involved in the traffic of goods over the Santa Fe Trail. In 1835, Mexico City had sent Albino Pérez to govern the department of New Mexico as Jefe Politico (political chief or governor) and as commanding military officer. In 1837, the forces of Rio Arriba (the upper Rio Grande , i.e., northern New Mexico) rebelled against Pérez's enforcement of the recent Mexican constitution, new revenue laws taxing Santa Fe commerce and entertainment, and

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2268-500: The murder of Chávez, Warfield began limited military hostilities in the region using recruits from the southern Rockies. He made an unprovoked attack on Mexican troops outside Mora, New Mexico , leaving five dead. Warfield lost his horses after an encounter in Wagon Mound , where the Mexican forces had made chase. After Warfield's men reached Bent's Fort on foot, they disbanded. In February 1843, Colonel Jacob Snively had received

2322-681: The reverse trade, used by traders to transport foods and supplies to the fur trappers and mountain men opening the remote Northwest, especially in the interior Northwest: Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. A mule trail (trapper's trails) led to points north to supply the lucrative overland fur trade in ports on the Pacific Coast. Santa Fe was near the northern terminus of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro , which led overland between Mexico City to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico . Cargo mule trains were run from Fort Bernard in Wyoming to

2376-660: The territory north and east of the Rio Grande which both nations claimed following Texas's secession from Mexico in 1836. In 1841, a small military and trading expedition departed from Austin, Texas , for Santa Fe. They represented the Republic of Texas and its president Mirabeau B. Lamar . Their intention was to persuade the people of Santa Fe and New Mexico to relinquish control over the territory under dispute with Mexico, and over associated Santa Fe Trail commerce. Knowing about recent political disturbances there, they hoped for

2430-423: The ticket price as part of the purchase price if a sale was concluded. The railroad's sale of its land granted by congress fostered growth of new towns and businesses along its route, which generated railway traffic and revenues. With this financial base, the railway extended west, gradually adding new connections through rougher west country along the western Trail. With the development of rail transport, traffic on

2484-401: The town of Lyons . West of Lyons the trail followed nearly the route of present-day Highway 56 to Great Bend . Ruts in the earth made from the trail are still visible in several locations (Ralph's Ruts are visible in aerial photos at ( 38°21′35″N 98°25′20″W  /  38.35959264°N 98.42225502°W  / 38.35959264; -98.42225502 ). At Great Bend, the trail encountered

2538-606: The trail. American traders envisioned them as another market. Comanche raiding farther south in Mexico isolated New Mexico, making it more dependent on the American trade. They raided to gain a steady supply of horses to sell. By the 1840s, trail traffic through the Arkansas Valley was so numerous that bison herds were cut off from important seasonal grazing land. This habitat disruption , on top of overhunting, contributed to

2592-556: The western border of Kansas. It enters Colorado, cutting across the southeast corner of the state before entering New Mexico. The section of the trail between Independence and Olathe was also used by immigrants on the California and Oregon Trails, which branched off to the northwest near Gardner, Kansas . From Olathe, the trail passed through the towns of Baldwin City , Burlingame , and Council Grove , then swung west of McPherson to

2646-664: Was St. Louis , with its port on the Mississippi River. In 1719, the French officer Claude Charles Du Tisne was tasked by French authorities to establish a route to trade with the Spanish colony of Santa Fe in New Mexico. This first expedition, which started in Kaskaskia, Illinois , failed, as it was stopped by Indian tribes in Kansas. Then, at the time of the Louisiana regime, under French and then Spanish sovereignty,

2700-567: Was a transportation route opened by the Indigenous people of North America as well as European trappers and traders in the second half of the 18th century. It was later used extensively by people from the United States in the 19th century after the Louisiana Purchase . Traders and settlers crossed the southwest of North America by the route connecting Independence, Missouri , with Santa Fe, New Mexico . Its major market in Missouri

2754-542: Was and is continental: very hot and dry summers, coupled with long and bitterly cold winters. Fresh water was scarce, and the high steppe-like plains are nearly treeless. Water flows in the Pecos, Arkansas, Cimarron, and Canadian rivers that drain the region vary by 90 or more percent in their flows during an average year. Also on this trail, unlike the Oregon Trail , there was a serious danger of Indian attacks, for neither

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2808-560: Was generally very hazardous because it had very little water. In fact, the Cimarron River was one of the only sources of water along this branch of the trail. From Watrous, the reunited branches continued southward to Santa Fe. Part of this route has been designated a National Scenic Byway . Travelers faced many hardships along the Santa Fe Trail. The trail was a challenging 900 miles (1,400 km) of dangerous plains, hot deserts, and steep and rocky mountains. The natural weather

2862-608: Was opposing Kansan governor Alf Landon . Ross Perot did tie with George H. W. Bush in the county in 1992. Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry" , county until 1992, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement. School districts covering the county include: List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Morris County. ‡ means

2916-423: Was reportedly unaware of the crime. McDaniel and one accomplice were tried, convicted and executed. Other participating suspects arrested by the U.S. were convicted and imprisoned. The newspapers reported that Americans and Mexicans were outraged by the crime. Local merchants and citizens at the U.S. end of the Santa Fe Trail demanded justice and a return to the stable commerce which their economy depended on. After

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