Chanute, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Chanute is a city in Neosho County
Neosho County, Kansas
Neosho County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 16,512...

, 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...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute
Octave Chanute
Octave Chanute was a French-born American railway engineer and aviation pioneer. He provided the Wright brothers with help and advice, and helped to publicize their flying experiments. At his death he was hailed as the father of aviation and the heavier-than-air flying machine...

. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,119. Chanute is the largest city in Neosho County.

History

In 1870 when the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Rail Road (later the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, now the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

) crossed the Missouri, Kansas and Texas line within the limits of Neosho county four rival towns sprang up, in the vicinity of the junction: New Chicago, Chicago Junction, Alliance, and Tioga. Two years of the most bitter animosity ensued until the four were consolidated in 1872, and the name of Chanute given it in honor of Octavius Chanute, a railroad civil engineer.

Though Chanute was not founded until 1873, settlers had begun populating the area as early as 1856. With the LL&G Railroad set to arrive shortly thereafter, the early residents of the towns of Tioga, Chicago Junction, Alliance, and New Chicago needed an innovative solution to an escalating dispute over which town would claim the right to house the LL&G Railroad’s new land office. The towns were unable to settle their differences until an individual by the name of Octave Chanute
Octave Chanute
Octave Chanute was a French-born American railway engineer and aviation pioneer. He provided the Wright brothers with help and advice, and helped to publicize their flying experiments. At his death he was hailed as the father of aviation and the heavier-than-air flying machine...

 came to town. Octave was the Chief Engineer and General Superintendent of the LL&G Railroad. In 1872, he suggested the towns merge together to end the bickering. On January 1, 1873 the towns merged and became chartered as the City of Chanute.

With the Southern Kansas Railroad locating a division headquarters in Chanute, the city began to flourish. In 1887, Chanute boasted a rapid growth in flourmills, grain elevators, banks, drug and hardware stores, and natural gas. In 1903, the City of Chanute established the electric utility, and in the years to follow, established the gas, water, wastewater, and refuse utilities. In 2011, local residents raised environmental concerns regarding Chanute's Ash Grove cement plant
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...

. The plant provides 131 jobs and burns hazardous waste. Chanute is one of only a handful of remaining full-service cities in the State of 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...

.

Geography

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...

, Chanute has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.61%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 9,411 people, 3,864 households, and 2,496 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 1,533.7 people per square mile (591.8/km²). There were 4,262 housing units at an average density of 694.6 per square mile (268.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.20% White, 1.42% African American, 1.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.

There were 3,864 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,912, and the median income for a family was $36,630. Males had a median income of $25,696 versus $17,938 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 $16,288. About 12.0% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Public Schools

Chanute public schools (Unified School District #413) include one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. Elementary schools included, up to the 2008-09 school year: Lincoln Kindergarten, Alcott Elementary, Hutton Elementary, and Murray Hill Elementary. Currently, only one elementary school is in operation,the newly built Chanute Elementary School, which combined all the separate elementary schools into one big, new building. Chanute’s middle school is Royster Middle School. Chanute’s high school is Chanute High School
Chanute High School
-Curriculum:Chanute High School offers a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum. Advanced Placement classes are offered in biology, calculus, European history and literature.-Extracurricular activities:...

. Chanute’s public school system also includes Chanute High School-affiliated New Beginnings Academy, a program for students lacking credits to graduate and designed for individuals who have dropped out or are in danger of dropping out of high school. High school credits for New Beginnings Academy are provided by Chanute High School.

Private schools

Chanute is also home to two private schools: Saint Patrick Catholic School and Chanute Christian Academy. Saint Patrick Catholic School provides schooling for students from pre-school(ages three to four) through the fifth grade while Chanute Christian Academy provides schooling for students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade.

St. Patrick Catholic School was awarded the Governor's Award for meeting the standard of excellence and scoring in the top 5% on Kansas assessments in both reading and math.

Colleges

Chanute’s only college is the Neosho County Community College
Neosho County Community College
Neosho County Community College is located in Chanute, Kansas, USA and a secondary campus is located in Ottawa, Kansas. NCCC began in 1936 as Chanute junior college for graduates of high school. In 1961, due to state legislators Chanute Junior College included both Neosho County and Franklin...

 known locally as NCCC, or sometimes as NC3. Neosho County Community College is a public, two-year institution, that currently provides post-secondary education for just under 3,200 students.

Area attractions

The Chanute area has many tourist attractions known for their historical significance.

Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum
The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum offers award winning exhibits and programs that highlight the achievements of Martin and Osa Johnson
Martin and Osa Johnson
Martin Johnson and his wife Osa Johnson were American adventurers and documentary filmmakers.-Biography:...

, pioneering documentary filmmakers, photographers, authors, explorers, and Kansans. A trip to the museum allows one to relive the Johnsons’ 1917-1936 adventures in Africa, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

 and the South Seas. Additional exhibits feature the rich cultures and art of Africa.

Tioga Suites Hotel
The Tioga Suites Hotel was built in 1929 as Kansas' first "fireproof" hotel. All exterior and interior walls, floors and ceilings are masonry or concrete. This Art Deco building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been completely remodeled and modernized. Known as the "Jewel of Southeast Kansas" it is the hub of many of the community and area activities. It is located in the heart of downtown Chanute.

Chanute Art Gallery
The Chanute Art Gallery includes more than 1,500 square feet of exhibit area and houses a Permanent Core Collection of more than 500 works of art that includes 25 mediums, representing 135 artists. Special exhibits change every month. Collections include: The Luigi Kasimir Etchings, European and Oriental Art, The Kansas Prairie Printmakers and local and area artists.

Chanute Historical Museum
The Chanute Historical Museum is commonly known as the Flat Iron Building, this unusual structure is now home to a museum featuring Chanute artifacts. It houses a large genealogy collection and various artifacts from Chanute's colorful history, including an extensive collection of MKT Railroad memorabilia. Members of the Chanute Historical Society opened the museum in June 2005. The collection on display contains sports, railroad and aviation memorabilia.

Downtown & Historic Homes
Both the downtown and historic home districts offer a variety of architectural styles and beautiful examples of restoration. The historic home driving tour takes you down broad, tree-lined streets that make you feel you have stepped back into another era. Chanute's wonderful downtown is filled with historic buildings, most of which have been restored to their original beauty. Chanute also has several examples of WPA projects.

Cardinal Drug Store
Th Cardinal Drug Store in downtown Chanute is the home of one of the oldest original soda fountains in Kansas. It has a collection of Coke memorabilia and medicine bottles. Cardinal is located at 103 East Main Street.

Austin Bridge
The King Bridge Company constructed the Austin Bridge in 1872. The 160-foot bowstring arch design spanned the Neosho River east of what is now Chanute. Local pioneers invested $15,000 in the bridge for their economic future of getting livestock and crops to the railhead. In 1910 the bridge was moved downstream to the community of Austin. In 1972 it was closed to vehicular traffic, remaining open to foot traffic. On September 15, 1977 the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In August of 1999 the bridge was moved into Santa Fe Park to become the southern terminus of a 3.11 mile hike/bike path. A Federal grant, Neosho County and the City of Chanute funded the project.

Summit Hill Gardens
Summit Hill Gardens was the first school in Neosho County. Summit Hill was restored and a historic home and modern structure were added to the family residence. It has a flower and herb garden. It is located at 2605 160th Road.

Chanute-Write Brothers Memorial
Located in the heart of downtown, this sculpture was dedicated in September 2003 and a gift to the community by the Chanute High School Class of 1941. The sculpture honors engineer and city namesake, Octave Chanute, and the Wright Brothers. Chanute was a mentor to Wilbur and Orville Wright and very influential in the early days of flight exploration. The sculpture measures 23 feet from wingtip to wingtip and 20 feet from nose to tail. The project was in partnership with the City of Chanute.

Highways

Major highways running through Chanute are US-169 (North-South) and K-39 (East-West). US-75 and US-59 both are within 10 miles of Chanute. These highways provide easy access to I-70, I-35, and US-400. A full-line of trucking companies serves Chanute.

Railways

The South Kansas Oklahoma (SKO) Railroad serves Chanute, as well as Southern and Eastern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma. The SKO connects to several major railroads allowing local businesses the opportunity to bid and negotiate their rail transportation costs to acquire the best possible price to all locations throughout North America.

Airports

Chanute's Martin Johnson Municipal Airport is 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 with a 4,255-foot runway and taxiway. Expansion of services and infrastructure is in the planning stages, including new T-hangars and pavement improvements.

Google Earth

The Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...

 version of Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...

, software that allows the user to "fly" over the surface of the earth, mapped with high-quality satellite photography and accurate topographical data, has a default position when started up that is centered exactly on the town of Chanute (specifically, on the corner of Lincoln and Main). This may be verified by running the software on the Macintosh and zooming in from the default start position without rotating the virtual globe at all. This location was set by Dan Webb, who was born and raised in Chanute, graduated from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...

 in 1986, and is now a senior software engineer at Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

. Webb is a long time friend of Brian McClendon, who centered the Windows version of Google Earth on his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...

.

Notable people

  • eden ahbez
    Eden Ahbez
    eden ahbez was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement...

     (1908–1995), Songwriter and mystic, lived in the town in his youth, when known as George McGrew.
  • Osa Johnson
    Martin and Osa Johnson
    Martin Johnson and his wife Osa Johnson were American adventurers and documentary filmmakers.-Biography:...

    , Adventurer, author, and documentary filmmaker
  • Jennifer Knapp
    Jennifer Knapp
    Jennifer Lynn Knapp is an American-Australian folk rock, and formerly contemporary Christian musician. She is best known for her first single "Undo Me" from her debut album Kansas , and the song "A Little More" from her Grammy Award-nominated album Lay It Down . The Way I Am , was also nominated...

    , Christian Singer-Songwriter
  • Paul Lindblad
    Paul Lindblad
    Paul Aaron Lindblad was an American Major League Baseball left-handed middle-relief pitcher. During his career, he pitched primarily for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics. At the time of his retirement in , he had recorded the seventh-most appearances of any left-hander in history.Lindblad...

    , MLB player
  • Ralph Miller
    Ralph Miller
    Ralph H. Miller was an American basketball coach. A native of Chanute, Kansas, Miller coached at the University of Wichita , the University of Iowa and Oregon State University , compiling a 657-382 overall record in 38 seasons combined...

    , Hall of Fame basketball coach
  • Kustom Amplification, had a factory in Chanute. Bud Ross changed the face of American Music in the 60's and 70's.

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Neosho County, Kansas
  • Great Flood of 1951
    Great Flood of 1951
    In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. Flooding resulted in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 exceeded $935 million dollars in an area covering eastern Kansas and...


External links

City
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