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Kansas County
Russell County, Kansas
Bob Dole's Russell and Lucas's World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions - from Russell's Bob Dole heritage (Senate Majority Leader and 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole was born and raised in Russell - the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas was funded by the Russell native whose WWII service and 35-year Senate career made him one of the most significant figures in 20th-century American politics) to Lucas's Grassroots Art District (the S.P. Dinsmoor Garden of Eden - an extraordinary outsider art environment created by an 80-year-old Civil War veteran beginning in 1905, featuring over 150 concrete sculptures of biblical scenes, American history, and labor allegory - is the anchor of a remarkable concentration of folk art in tiny Lucas).
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Office: Russell County Emergency Management – County Courthouse, 401 N. Main Street, Russell, KS 67665.
Sheriff: Russell County Sheriff’s Office – (785) 483-2151; dispatch (785) 483-2121.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-70 and US-281 serve Russell, the county seat, in central Kansas.
Notes: Russell County was established in 1867, organized in 1872, named for Captain Avra P. Russell, killed in the Civil War. A two-year dispute over the county seat between Russell and rival Bunker Hill went all the way to the Kansas Supreme Court, which finally settled the matter in Russell’s favor in 1874.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Russell County Courthouse – 401 N. Main Street, Russell, KS.
Notes: Russell is the genuine hometown of U.S. Senator Robert “Bob” Dole, born there July 22, 1923, and raised in modest circumstances – during the Depression, the Dole family moved into their home’s basement so they could rent out the top floor for income. Severely wounded in Italy in April 1945 while serving as a second lieutenant, Dole underwent 39 months and seven surgeries to recover, permanently losing use of his right arm; Russell residents raised funds to help cover his medical bills, a kindness he credited throughout his life. Dole returned to Russell to practice law and serve eight years as county attorney before his political career took him to the Kansas House, the U.S. House (1961-69), and ultimately the U.S. Senate (1969-96), where he served as Senate Majority Leader and was the 1996 Republican presidential nominee. He remained deeply tied to Russell throughout his life and lay in repose there following his 2021 death; the Russell County Historical Society devotes roughly half its exhibits to his life and career.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Russell County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via russellcountykansas.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Russell Public Library (Russell) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Russell County Historical Society Museum, with its substantial Bob Dole exhibits, is the county’s premier heritage attraction.
Notes: The genuine, deeply personal story of Bob Dole’s Russell upbringing, wartime sacrifice, and lifelong connection to his hometown is among the most moving biographical narratives covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Russell County Appraiser’s Office – confirm current contact via russellcountykansas.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
City of Russell Animal Control – impound located at Russell Veterinary Services, LLC, 904 S. Fossil Street, Russell, KS | (785) 483-5822; report via city dispatch (785) 483-2121; Animal Control Officer Dominic Nichol. $25 impoundment fee plus $12/day boarding; current rabies vaccination and city tag required for release.
Russell County Shelter – long-running informal holding arrangement via a local veterinarian (Dr. John), serving Russell County for nearly 20 years.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Russell County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via russellcountykansas.com.
NOTES: Russell County is the second county in the fourteenth Kansas Round 3 batch, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply personal story of Bob Dole’s Russell upbringing, wartime sacrifice, and lifelong connection to his hometown is among the most moving biographical narratives covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Russell County
Russell County is north-central Kansas’s Bob Dole and outsider art county – Russell’s Senate Majority Leader and Lucas’s extraordinary concrete biblical sculpture garden give this Smoky Hill River community two very different claims to national attention.
Russell (the county seat, population ~4,400) is where Bob Dole – decorated WWII veteran, 35-year Senator, Senate Majority Leader, and 1996 presidential nominee – grew up in Depression-era poverty. The Bob Dole Museum documents his extraordinary career.
Lucas (population ~380) has the S.P. Dinsmoor Garden of Eden – 150+ concrete sculptures created by a Civil War veteran beginning at age 64, depicting biblical scenes, the Goddess of Liberty, and critiques of capitalism in one of America’s most celebrated environments of folk art.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Russell County Appraiser at 401 N. Main Street, Suite 103, Russell, KS 67665, phone 785-483-3641. KS residential assessed at 11.5% of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Russell County District Court at 401 N. Main Street, Russell, KS 67665, phone 785-483-3432, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
401 N. Main St., Russell, KS 67665
(785) 483-4641
DISTRICT COURT CLERK (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
401 N. Main St., Russell, KS 67665
(785) 483-5641
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
401 N. Main St., Russell, KS 67665
(785) 483-4641
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Russell County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Russell County Historical Society, 331 Kansas Ave, Russell, KS, (785) 483-6640 – confirmed dedicated local resource.
Local societies
Russell County Historical Society confirmed as a dedicated local resource.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Russell County District Court, 20th Judicial District 401 North Main Street, P.O. Box 876, Russell, KS 67665 (785) 483-5641 Russell County is in central Kansas, seated in Russell – a historic oil-boom town.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kansas has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own statutory framework under the Kansas Probate Code (K.S.A. Chapter 59). Kansas offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the total value of probate property, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $75,000 (raised from $40,000 effective July 1, 2023), available under K.S.A. 59-1507b. This transfers personal property only. If the decedent left a will, it must still be filed with the probate court even though it isn’t being formally probated.
Simplified Administration – under the Kansas Simplified Estates Act (K.S.A. 59-3201 et seq.), the most common route for straightforward estates.
Formal Probate – supervised or unsupervised administration through the District Court for larger or more complex estates.
A will must be filed for probate within 6 months of death, or it may not be admitted, forcing the estate into intestate distribution.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Russell County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and appoints the personal representative.
Notice to creditors is published per court order; creditors have a defined window to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under unsupervised administration – acts with reduced court check-ins.
Without a surviving spouse or children, Kansas intestate succession law (K.S.A. 59-501 et seq.) determines which blood relatives inherit.
After debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets and files a final accounting; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Court costs may be remitted for small estates under recent statutory changes.
Executor/administrator and attorney fees are generally reasonable-fee based rather than a fixed statutory percentage.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit can proceed relatively quickly; formal probate commonly takes several months to over a year.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
401 N. Main St., Russell, KS 67665
(785) 483-2167
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
401 N. Main St., Russell, KS 67665
(785) 483-4641
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
401 N. Main St., Russell, KS 67665
(785) 483-4641
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Russell County Health Dept
(785) 483-3704
KS DCF — Northwest Region
(785) 628-1871
KS Medicaid (KanCare)
(800) 792-4884
Russell Regional Hospital
russellregional.com (quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Russell County Health Department – confirm current contact via russellcountykansas.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Russell
Population: 6,800
Area: 885 sq mi
Established: 1867
Tier: 3
Public Records
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