16 June 2023
STAFFORD, Kan. (KSNW) — The final day of Summer Road Trip 2023 brings us to Stafford. Our team arrived at the Stafford County Museum, 100 N. Main around 9 a.m. on Friday, June 16. We would love to see as many people as possible before we leave at 10 a.m.
The town was founded in 1878 and named for Lewis Stafford, a captain in the First Kansas Infantry who had died 15 years earlier.
Even though it is in Stafford County, also named after the captain, the City of Stafford is not the county seat.
There were several towns in the running to be the county seat. On April 5, 1882, the residents voted on which one should get the honor. But before the polls closed, a tornado hit Stafford, destroying every building. The ballot box flew a half mile away. The damaged box was found, but the ballots were not.
Stafford rebuilt, and another election was held. County voters chose the town of St. John to be the county seat.
These days, Stafford has a population of 959. And according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income is $42,500.
Things to see around Stafford:
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
Stafford City Pool, 400 W. Broadway
Stafford County History Museum
Community & Government:
Schools – Stafford USD 349 Home of the Trojans
K-State Research and Extension Office, 210 E. Third Avenue, St. John
Sponsor:
Take a picture and upload it to the Summer Road Trip Photo Contest for your chance to win a road trip prize pack from SCHEELS!