TimManBlog

Smith County, Kansas: The Center of the USA

November 30, 2023
(Photos and memories of November 23, 2011)
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Welcome to Smith Center, Kansas, center of the USA! Well, sort of.

The town of Smith Center, Kansas, has a population of 1,571 according to the 2020 Census, and lies near the center of Smith County, Kansas, population 3,570. Both the town and county were named for J. Nelson Smith, a major in the 2nd Colorado Cavalry Regiment during the American Civil War. Major Smith was killed at the Battle of Westport (known as the “Gettysburg of the West”) in 1864. If you’ve ever been through Kansas, you know that many of their counties were named for Union Civil War officers and soldiers.

In 1918, while the United States consisted only of the “lower 48 states,” a survey team determined the Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States to lie within Smith County, Kansas, a few miles northeast of Smith Center. The spot is a tourist marker a few miles off U.S. Route 36, which runs east and west through the northern tier of counties in Kansas. Here are some photos of it, and its associated historical signs:

So, Smith County used to be able to call itself the “Center of the USA,” until Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union. Nevertheless, anyone looking at the photo below can confidently say that this is the “middle of the country.”

Smith County is home to another historic site, the Home on the Range Cabin near Smith Center. The cabin is associated with the song, “Home on the Range.” The song was written in the 1870s as a cowboy folk song. It became the Kansas State song in 1847.

The town of Smith Center has a quiet feel to it, but several American symbols are recognizable along its Main Street: a steakhouse, a movie theatre, and an old Standard Oil gasoline sign.

The Smith County Courthouse in Smith Center was built in 1918, the same year as the survey that found Smith County to be the center of the country. The courthouse was built in the neo-classical style.

I was able to go inside the courthouse; these interesting oil paintings were hung in the hallways. I think they were done by a local artist.

One last thing. A year ago, I discovered a great little hamburger stand in Smith Center called Jiffy Burger. Located along U.S. Route 36 just east of the main intersection in town, Jiffy Burger is a great place to stop for a burger, fries, ice cream, and even hush puppies. Try it the next time you’re in town — you’ll probably meet a sizeable portion of Smith Center’s population inside.

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A list of all photo posts from the American County Seats series in TimManBlog can be found here.

All photos were taken by the author on November 23, 2011, August 16, 2016, August 13, 2022, or May 6, 2023.

My lifetime hobby is traveling to all of America’s county courthouses, and each month I post about a visit to a scenic or interesting county seat. It’s a hobby, and donations are greatly appreciated to help cover my costs.
Thanks,
Tim