oard of Agriculture, the number of farms in Kingman County in 1955 was 1,320 and the total acreage under cultivation was about 282,000, mostly devoted to the production of grain [830 farms and 550,000 acres in 2005, (KU Institute for Policy & Social Research)]. The acreages of the principal crops harvested in 1955 are shown in Table 1.
Table 1--Acreage of principal crops harvested in Kingman County in 1955
Livestock raising also is an important agricultural pursuit in Kingman County. In 1955 the livestock on farms included 6,200 cows, 44,200 other cattle, and 5,650 hogs.
The mineral resources of Kingman County include oil, gas, helium, salt, sand, gravel, and volcanic ash.
Oil and gas--Oil and gas are important mineral resources in Kingman County. Oil was discovered in the county in January 1926 in sec. 6, T. 27 S., R. 7 W., when a well 3,853 feet deep was completed in the uppermost part of the "Mississippi lime" for an initial production of 120 barrels a day. Development in the county has continued and in 1958 oil and gas were being produced from twenty-seven fields, which had yielded 14.3 million barrels of oil and 35.4 billion cubic feet of gas. The cumulative production, the number of wells, the producing zones, and the depth of production for all fields in the county are given in annual reports by the State Geological Survey of Kansas on oil and gas developments. [For current information on oil and gas production, see the Survey's oil and gas page for Kingman County.]
Helium--Helium is present in small quantities in natural gas produced from the Cunningham pool in western Kingman County and eastern Pratt County. During World War II an extraction plant was built by the U. S. Government near Cunningham to help meet the wartime demand for helium. The plant began operation on January 17, 1944, and operating continuously until July 9, 1945, produced 43 million cubic feet of helium. The extraction plant was dismantled shortly thereafter, and helium is not currently being produced in the county.
Salt--Salt deposits of the Wellington Formation of Permian age underlie all of Kingman County and range in thickness from about 250 feet in the eastern part of the county to 450 feet in the southwestern part. The salt beds are interstratified with thin beds of shale, anhydrite, and limestone, but many beds of minable thickness are present. These deposits of salt underlie most of south-central Kansas and were laid down in Permian seas that were partly cut off from the ocean.
During the early days of the salt-producing industry in Kansas, two mines were in operation at Kingman. The first mine began operation in 1889 but closed about 2 years later. A second mine was opened shortly thereafter but ceased operation in 1893. Huge salt reserves are present but salt is not being produced in the county.
Sand and gravel--Sand and gravel are obtained in Kingman County from Pleistocene deposits in the valleys of South Fork of Ninnescah River and Chikaskia River. Extensive deposits of sand and gravel are also available in the uplands in much of the county. The sand and gravel are used for concrete aggregate and for road surfacing.
Volcanic ash--Two small deposits of volcanic ash are known in Kingman County. A 2-foot bed of ash caps a small rise in the NW NE sec. 16, T. 29 S., R. 10 W., about a quarter of a mile west of St. Leo. Another deposit of unknown size is reported in the SW NW sec. 30, T. 28 S., R. 7 W. Both deposits are too small to be of commercial value but may be useful locally as a ceramic material. Other deposits of volcanic ash may be present in the uplands of the western part of the county but probably would require much prospecting to locate.
Kansas Geological Survey, Geology
Placed on web Sept. 8, 2008; originally published March 1960.
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