Portis, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Portis is a city in Osborne County
Osborne County, Kansas
Osborne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,858. The largest city and county seat is Osborne.-19th century:...

, 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...

. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 103.

19th century

Portis is located on the north fork of the Solomon River. Since 1871 it has been an ideal trading point because of its location. When it first became a town in May 1879 it was named Bethany. The Central Branch Railroad made Bethany one of its stations, but years later, when they sold it to the Missouri Pacific Railroad it made for a second Bethany along the same railroad. Because the Missouri Pacific was embarrassed by having two stops with the same name along the same route, they wanted to change one of the town's names. By mutual consent, they decided to change the name of Bethany to Portis rather than changing the Bethany, Missouri stop. They renamed it Portis after the Vice-President of the Missouri Pacific.

Geography

Portis is located at 39°33′46"N 98°41′29"W (39.562813, -98.691408). 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 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²), all of it land.

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 123 people, 58 households, and 33 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 452.6 people per square mile (175.9/km²). There were 87 housing units at an average density of 320.1 per square mile (124.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.75% White, 0.81% Asian, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.

There were 58 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% 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, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 1.6% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $28,333. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $17,500 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 $23,653. There were 3.6% of families and 6.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 13.6% of those over 64.

Cultural references

A memorial was put up in this small city in honor of Melvin "Tubby" Millar. Millar was the animator of the Looney Tune's cartoon character, Porky Pig. The Millar Memorial reads: "In memory of Melvin Tubby Millar, animator for Looney Tunes Porky Pig cartoons and assistant to Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....

, creator of Porky Pig." Millar included his hometown name into many of his cartoon episodes, including:

1) In "Porky's Pet" (King, 1936) the train station has a poster in the background reading "When in Portis, Stop at Millar Manor".

2) In "Bingo Crosbyana
Bingo Crosbyana
Bingo Crosbyana is a 1936 Merrie Melodies cartoon short directed by Friz Freleng, and notable for its title song, composed by Sanford Green and with lyrics by Irving Kahal.-Plot:...

" (Freleng, 1936) there is a matchbox with the name "Portis Matches" and a wine glass with the label saying "90 Percent Portis".

3) A crate in the episode "Porky of the North Woods" (Tashlin, 1936) reads "#2 Portis Kan". It is apparent by the label that the word "Kansas" did not get finished, thus ending with just "Kan" and half of an 'S'.

External links

City
Schools
Historical
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