Arkansas City, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Arkansas City is a city
situated at the confluence of the Arkansas
and Walnut
rivers in the southwestern part of Cowley County
, located in south-central Kansas
, in the central United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,415.
The name of this city is not pronounced like the nearby state of Arkansas
, but rather as ɑrˈkænzəs (the final "s" is pronounced). Over the years there has been much confusion about the regional pronunciation of "Arkansas," which locals render as /ɑrˈkænzəs/ rather than /ˈɑrkənsɔː/. Throughout much of Kansas, residents use this alternate pronunciation when referring to the Arkansas River
, as well as Arkansas Street in the city of Wichita
. Very few people from other states, and even much less from the state of Arkansas, use or have ever heard the anglicized pronunciation. Because of this, and for the sake of brevity, Arkansas City is most often referred to as simply Ark City.
led an expedition across the Great Plains
and found a large settlement of Indians he called Rayados
. The most likely location for the Rayado settlement was along the Walnut River
in the eastern part of Arkansas City. Extensive remains of Indian settlements have been found along six miles of the Walnut River. The Rayados were the ancestors of the Indians later called Wichita. Wichita settlements from the 18th century are also found a few miles south of Arkansas City on the west bank of the Arkansas River. (See Deer Creek/Bryson Paddock Sites)
and Walnut rivers.
Settlers supposedly established a town in around 1870. They had difficulty choosing a name; at first they hoped to flatter U.S. Postmaster General
John A. J. Creswell
(and win a highly-sought-after post office) by naming the town Creswell in his honor, but cities in other states had already used the name. The town fathers considered other names, such as: Delphi, Maple City, Walnut City. Finally, Arkansas City was chosen as the official name of the town.
A little known, and for that matter forgotten, fact is that the local Masonic
Lodge, Crescent Lodge #133, is almost as old as the town. According to records the first meeting was held in September 1872. Crescent Lodge received its Charter from the Grand Lodge of Kansas A.F. & A.M. in December 1873. Crescent Lodge has outlived almost everything in Arkansas City and still thrives today donating to local charities and community projects.
In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence
to El Dorado
, in 1881 it was extended to Douglass
, and later to Arkansas City. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
. The line from Florence
to El Dorado
was abandoned in 1942. The original branch line connected Florence
, Burns
, De Graff, El Dorado
, Augusta
, Douglass
, Rock
, Akron, Winfield
, Arkansas City.
Arkansas City grew steadily through the latter part of the 19th century, and enjoyed a population explosion starting in 1891, when thousands of people moved into the area in anticipation of the Cherokee Strip Land Run
. It has been estimated that the city's population swelled from 5,000 to 150,000 (most living in temporary encampments) as the nationally-hyped federal land giveaway approached, and shrank back to 5,000 in its aftermath.
A small cave just east of town (in the Flint Hills) was a rest stop for Buffalo Bill Cody when he transited the area working the railroad and killing buffalo
.
The James-Younger Gang
of outlaws famously hid out in a cave west of town when they rode through the area.
s were not allowed to swim in the Paris Park pool during the era of segregation
and used a separate facility colloquially referred to as "the black pool" by local residents.
The Kirkwood Wind Engine Company, a former windmill
manufacturer, was headquartered in Arkansas City near the turn of the 20th century.
In 1928, the city's official fall festival, Arkalalah, was inaugurated. This annual event still draws thousands of visitors each October, and features a queen, a carnival, dozens of homegrown fair food vendors and a spectacular parade typically lasting three hours or more. During the 1955 Arkalalah celebration, a retired Santa Fe
locomotive was driven on temporary tracks down the city's main street, Summit, to the spot in Wilson Park where it remains today.
The city prospered through much of the 20th century, but by the 1980s, the community was facing economic challenges. The railroads shifted many of their crews to other stops, the old Rodeo meat packing plant, which for a short time was Morrell Meats, closed. In 1991 Total Petroleum was bought by UltraMar Diamond Shamrock, after Total Petroleum was found to be illegally dealing with Iraq and was forced out of the United States. In 1995 Ultramar Diamond Shamrock was purchased by Valero Energy Corporation. Valero began the process of cleaning up the soil and water. By 2003 other large employers in Cowley County, Binney & Smith (Crayola
plant) and Winfield State Hospital in nearby Winfield, Montgomery KONE Elevator, Strother Field were also shuttered.
stores (a new Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in Arkansas City in March 2006, and another has been constructed in Winfield); conversely, both towns' (in Arkansas City - the Burford, the Howard, and the Crest) movie theaters recently closed and were replaced by a single facility halfway between the cities, just south of the Strother Field industrial park. B & B Theatres donated the two downtown buildings to non-profit organizations in each of the respective communities. The Ark City Burford Theatre and Commercial Building is undergoing a transformation/renovation that will become a new community arts center and gathering space. Construction began in spring 2006 on the planned downtown revitalization streetscape.
In 2006, the local physicians in Arkansas City banded together with the South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center (SCKRMC) board and the City of Arkansas City to build a new hospital, which opened in March 2011.
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline
(Phase II) was constructed west of Arkansas City, north to south through Cowley County
, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).
and to the west of its confluence
with the Walnut River
. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 77
and U.S. Route 166
, only four miles north of the Kansas
-Oklahoma
state border. Winfield
, the county seat
, is 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Arkansas City along US-77, and Strother Field
, a general aviation
airport, is about eight miles (13 km) north.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²), of which 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²), or 0.27%, is water.
of 2000, there were 11,963 people, 4,855 households, and 3,102 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,592.5 people per square mile (615.0/km²). There were 5,628 housing units at an average density of 749.2 per square mile (289.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.15% White, 4.51% African American, 2.69% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.95% from other races, and 3.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.47% of the population.
There were 4,855 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household
in the city was $29,158, and the median income for a family was $39,962. Males had a median income of $30,665 versus $19,919 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,933. About 12.4% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.
Media
Schools
Maps
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
situated at the confluence of the Arkansas
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
and Walnut
Walnut River
The Walnut River is a tributary of the Arkansas River, long, in the Flint Hills region of Kansas in the United States. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed....
rivers in the southwestern part of Cowley County
Cowley County, Kansas
Cowley County is a county located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 36,311. Its county seat and most populous city is Winfield...
, located in south-central Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, in the central United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,415.
The name of this city is not pronounced like the nearby state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, but rather as ɑrˈkænzəs (the final "s" is pronounced). Over the years there has been much confusion about the regional pronunciation of "Arkansas," which locals render as /ɑrˈkænzəs/ rather than /ˈɑrkənsɔː/. Throughout much of Kansas, residents use this alternate pronunciation when referring to the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
, as well as Arkansas Street in the city of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. Very few people from other states, and even much less from the state of Arkansas, use or have ever heard the anglicized pronunciation. Because of this, and for the sake of brevity, Arkansas City is most often referred to as simply Ark City.
History
In 1601, New Mexico Governor Juan de OñateJuan de Oñate
Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar was a Spanish explorer, colonial governor of the New Spain province of New Mexico, and founder of various settlements in the present day Southwest of the United States.-Biography:...
led an expedition across the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and found a large settlement of Indians he called Rayados
Rayado tribe
Rayados was the Spanish name for a Native American group visited by Umana and Leyba in 1594 and Juan de Oñate in 1601. Rayado was also a generic term used occasionally by the Spanish to refer to any Indians with painted or tattooed faces....
. The most likely location for the Rayado settlement was along the Walnut River
Walnut River
The Walnut River is a tributary of the Arkansas River, long, in the Flint Hills region of Kansas in the United States. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed....
in the eastern part of Arkansas City. Extensive remains of Indian settlements have been found along six miles of the Walnut River. The Rayados were the ancestors of the Indians later called Wichita. Wichita settlements from the 18th century are also found a few miles south of Arkansas City on the west bank of the Arkansas River. (See Deer Creek/Bryson Paddock Sites)
19th century
White settlers first congregated in the area where Arkansas City now stands in the 1860s. The natives referred to the place as "Nichonka," which roughly translates as "place between the waters" — a reference to the confluence of the ArkansasArkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
and Walnut rivers.
Settlers supposedly established a town in around 1870. They had difficulty choosing a name; at first they hoped to flatter U.S. Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
John A. J. Creswell
John A. J. Creswell
John Angel James Creswell was an American politician from Maryland. He served as Postmaster General of the United States during the Grant administration.- Biography :...
(and win a highly-sought-after post office) by naming the town Creswell in his honor, but cities in other states had already used the name. The town fathers considered other names, such as: Delphi, Maple City, Walnut City. Finally, Arkansas City was chosen as the official name of the town.
A little known, and for that matter forgotten, fact is that the local Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
Lodge, Crescent Lodge #133, is almost as old as the town. According to records the first meeting was held in September 1872. Crescent Lodge received its Charter from the Grand Lodge of Kansas A.F. & A.M. in December 1873. Crescent Lodge has outlived almost everything in Arkansas City and still thrives today donating to local charities and community projects.
In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence
Florence, Kansas
Florence is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The city was named after the daughter of former Kansas Governor Samuel J. Crawford. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 465.-19th century:...
to El Dorado
El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
, in 1881 it was extended to Douglass
Douglass, Kansas
Douglass is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,700.-19th century:In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado, in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to...
, and later to Arkansas City. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
. The line from Florence
Florence, Kansas
Florence is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The city was named after the daughter of former Kansas Governor Samuel J. Crawford. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 465.-19th century:...
to El Dorado
El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
was abandoned in 1942. The original branch line connected Florence
Florence, Kansas
Florence is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The city was named after the daughter of former Kansas Governor Samuel J. Crawford. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 465.-19th century:...
, Burns
Burns, Kansas
Burns is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The city name came from a nearby train station, which was named prior to the city being incorporated. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 228.-History:-19th century:...
, De Graff, El Dorado
El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
, Augusta
Augusta, Kansas
Augusta is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,274.-19th century:The confluence of the Whitewater River and the Walnut River was originally inhabited by Native Americans , who found the land ideal for hunting and fishing. In 1868 C. N...
, Douglass
Douglass, Kansas
Douglass is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,700.-19th century:In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado, in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to...
, Rock
Rock, Kansas
Rock is an unincorporated community in Cowley County, Kansas, United States.-19th century:The post office was established August 12, 1870. The nearby Bucher Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places....
, Akron, Winfield
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield is a city situated along the Walnut River in the west-central part of Cowley County, located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,301...
, Arkansas City.
Arkansas City grew steadily through the latter part of the 19th century, and enjoyed a population explosion starting in 1891, when thousands of people moved into the area in anticipation of the Cherokee Strip Land Run
Cherokee Outlet
The Cherokee Outlet, often mistakenly referred to as the Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma, in the United States. It was a sixty-mile wide strip of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between the 96th and 100th meridians. It was about 225 miles long and in 1891...
. It has been estimated that the city's population swelled from 5,000 to 150,000 (most living in temporary encampments) as the nationally-hyped federal land giveaway approached, and shrank back to 5,000 in its aftermath.
A small cave just east of town (in the Flint Hills) was a rest stop for Buffalo Bill Cody when he transited the area working the railroad and killing buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
.
The James-Younger Gang
James-Younger gang
The James-Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that included Jesse James.The gang was centered in the state of Missouri. Membership fluctuated from robbery to robbery, as the outlaws' raids were usually separated by many months...
of outlaws famously hid out in a cave west of town when they rode through the area.
20th century
At the turn of the century, Arkansas City was a rival to Wichita in size and enterprise, boasting several busy rail lines, an elegant opera house, numerous fine hotels, a manufacturing base and a bustling agricultural economy. There was even a famous sanitarium (health spa) at nearby Geuda Springs, served by an electric railway running a triangular route from there to Ark City and Winfield. A popular swimming hole called Paris Lake was located west of downtown; the lake — and the hot springs at Geuda as well — was mired with silt in a flood about 1919. Nearly 20 years later the WPA would build the Paris Park pool in the same spot. African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s were not allowed to swim in the Paris Park pool during the era of segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
and used a separate facility colloquially referred to as "the black pool" by local residents.
The Kirkwood Wind Engine Company, a former windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
manufacturer, was headquartered in Arkansas City near the turn of the 20th century.
In 1928, the city's official fall festival, Arkalalah, was inaugurated. This annual event still draws thousands of visitors each October, and features a queen, a carnival, dozens of homegrown fair food vendors and a spectacular parade typically lasting three hours or more. During the 1955 Arkalalah celebration, a retired Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
locomotive was driven on temporary tracks down the city's main street, Summit, to the spot in Wilson Park where it remains today.
The city prospered through much of the 20th century, but by the 1980s, the community was facing economic challenges. The railroads shifted many of their crews to other stops, the old Rodeo meat packing plant, which for a short time was Morrell Meats, closed. In 1991 Total Petroleum was bought by UltraMar Diamond Shamrock, after Total Petroleum was found to be illegally dealing with Iraq and was forced out of the United States. In 1995 Ultramar Diamond Shamrock was purchased by Valero Energy Corporation. Valero began the process of cleaning up the soil and water. By 2003 other large employers in Cowley County, Binney & Smith (Crayola
Crayola
Crayola is a brand of artists' supplies manufactured by Crayola LLC, which was founded in 1885 as Binney & Smith. It is best known for its crayons...
plant) and Winfield State Hospital in nearby Winfield, Montgomery KONE Elevator, Strother Field were also shuttered.
21st century
Arkansas City is now home to state-of-the-art meat processor Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC which employees over 700 workers. Several smaller manufacturing companies are expanding their operations while new start ups are finding a home in Cowley County due to the great workforce supplied by the two local colleges in the county. Both cities, only eleven miles apart, now have large Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
stores (a new Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in Arkansas City in March 2006, and another has been constructed in Winfield); conversely, both towns' (in Arkansas City - the Burford, the Howard, and the Crest) movie theaters recently closed and were replaced by a single facility halfway between the cities, just south of the Strother Field industrial park. B & B Theatres donated the two downtown buildings to non-profit organizations in each of the respective communities. The Ark City Burford Theatre and Commercial Building is undergoing a transformation/renovation that will become a new community arts center and gathering space. Construction began in spring 2006 on the planned downtown revitalization streetscape.
In 2006, the local physicians in Arkansas City banded together with the South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center (SCKRMC) board and the City of Arkansas City to build a new hospital, which opened in March 2011.
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline
Keystone Pipeline
The Keystone Pipeline System is a pipeline system to transport synthetic crude oil and diluted bitumen from the Athabasca Oil Sands in northeastern Alberta, Canada to multiple destinations in the United States, which include refineries in Illinois, Cushing oil distribution hub in Oklahoma, and...
(Phase II) was constructed west of Arkansas City, north to south through Cowley County
Cowley County, Kansas
Cowley County is a county located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 36,311. Its county seat and most populous city is Winfield...
, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).
Geography
Arkansas City is located at 37°3′55"N 97°2′23"W (37.065267, -97.039608). The city is situated along the northern bank of the Arkansas RiverArkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
and to the west of its confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
with the Walnut River
Walnut River
The Walnut River is a tributary of the Arkansas River, long, in the Flint Hills region of Kansas in the United States. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed....
. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 77
U.S. Route 77
U.S. Route 77 is a north–south United States highway. It is unsigned in and around Dallas, Texas. Its historic segment through South Dakota and Minnesota was decommissioned with the advent of Interstate 29 but otherwise the route has been spared the decommissioning that has shortened other US...
and U.S. Route 166
U.S. Route 166
U.S. Route 166 is an east–west United States highway. This route and US-266 are the only two remaining spurs of historic U.S. Highway 66, since US-666 was renumbered in 2003....
, only four miles north of the Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
-Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
state border. Winfield
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield is a city situated along the Walnut River in the west-central part of Cowley County, located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,301...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
, is 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Arkansas City along US-77, and Strother Field
Strother Field
Strother Field is a public airport located in Cowley County, Kansas, five miles southwest of the central business district of Winfield and north of Arkansas City...
, a general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport, is about eight miles (13 km) north.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²), of which 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²), or 0.27%, is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,963 people, 4,855 households, and 3,102 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,592.5 people per square mile (615.0/km²). There were 5,628 housing units at an average density of 749.2 per square mile (289.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.15% White, 4.51% African American, 2.69% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.95% from other races, and 3.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.47% of the population.
There were 4,855 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
in the city was $29,158, and the median income for a family was $39,962. Males had a median income of $30,665 versus $19,919 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,933. About 12.4% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.
College
- Cowley CollegeCowley County Community CollegeCowley College is a two-year college located in Arkansas City, Kansas. It also operates satellite facilities in nearby Winfield, Wellington, Mulvane, and Wichita, and offers distance-learning classes at nine area high schools. Cowley College is accredited by the NCA's Higher Learning Commission.-...
, formerly Cowley County Community College, is located between 1st and 4th streets, and Central and Adams Avenues in Ark City. Cowley is a community college and vocational/technical school with more than 68 majors and degree possibilities. Cowley College celebrates 85 years of innovation and excellence in 2007. (Beginning in 1922 in the basement of Arkansas City High School.) Other campuses include: Southside Campus (Wichita, KS) Aviation Tech Center (Wichita, KS), Allied Health Center (Winfield, KS), Career & Technical Education Center (Mulvane, KS), and Bloomenshine Center (Mulvane, KS). Its primary buildings are the Brown Center Theatre, W.S. Scott Auditorium, Renn-Memorial Library, Kerr Building, Walker Industrial Technology Building, Ben Cleveland Wellness Center, Kerr Building, Galle-Johnson Hall and four separate dormitories: Storbeck, Kirke W. Dale, Docking, and Kimmell. The college also owns one of the old high school buildings (Ireland Hall), which houses its criminal justice and cosmetology classes. The most recent building, Webb-Brown, is located on the Eastern corner of 3rd and Washington, replacing the former Ark City Junior High School.
Notable people
- Darren DaultonDarren DaultonDarren Arthur Daulton , nicknamed Dutch, is a former catcher in Major League Baseball best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies...
, played baseball for the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Florida MarlinsFlorida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at... - Robert DockingRobert DockingRobert Blackwell Docking, , was the 38th Governor of Kansas from 1967 until 1975.Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Docking attended public school in Lawrence, Kansas, before attending the University of Kansas, and served in the Air Force during World War II...
, Mayor of Arkansas City, Governor of Kansas, 1967-1975 - Robert James EatonRobert James EatonFor the professional wrestler, Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton, see Bobby Eaton.Robert James "Bob" Eaton is a U.S. automobile businessman....
, automobile businessman, grew up in Arkansas City - Lionel HollinsLionel Hollins-External links:***...
, former NBA professional basketball player and current head coach of the Memphis GrizzliesMemphis GrizzliesThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's... - Nila MackNila MackNila Mack was the creator and director of Let's Pretend, the long-running CBS radio series for children. She was the Director of Children's Programs for CBS from 1930 to 1953....
, actress, writer and director, golden age radio program Let's PretendLet's PretendThis article is on the US radio series. For the UK TV series see Let's Pretend .Let's Pretend, created and directed by Nila Mack , was a long-run CBS radio series for children.... - Leslie Miller, former professional American football player, born in Arkansas City
- Euclid James SherwoodEuclid James SherwoodJim "Motorhead" Sherwood is an American rock musician notable for playing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone, tambourine, vocals and vocal sound effects in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention...
, commonly known as Motorhead Sherwood, vocalist and saxophonist for The Mothers of InventionThe Mothers of InventionThe Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
during the band's early years - Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, actress, briefly lived and attended school in Arkansas City in 1937
Further reading
Kansas- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook), (Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
CityMedia
- The Arkansas City Traveler, Local Newspaper
- KACY Radio, Local Radio Station
Schools
- USD 470, local school district
- Cowley College
Maps
- Arkansas City Map, KDOT
- Cowley County Map, KDOT