Blue Rapids, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Blue Rapids is a city in Marshall County
, Kansas
in the United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,019.
moved in, purchased land and water power rights, and began establishing a community. The Blue Rapids Town Company was formed, and by the end of 1870 the population was about 250. In 1872, Blue Rapids was incorporated as a city of third class under the statutes of Kansas.
Among the first projects in 1870 were a stone dam
and a wrought iron bridge
built on the Big Blue River. A hydroelectric power plant was then added to provide power for manufacturing and for the town. The power plant was destroyed by a flood
in 1903. In the late 19th century and early 20th century there were four gypsum mines in the area. The population peaked around 1910 at over 1,750. The public library
, built in 1875, is the oldest library west of the Mississippi
in continuous operation in the same building.
Blue Rapids was the birthplace of the pancreatic cancer drug Streptozotocin
. The bacterium from which the drug is derived was discovered in the late 1950s in a soil sample taken from "an uncultivated sandy soil in a grassland region" at Blue Rapids.
Blue Rapids claims to be the smallest town in the U.S. to have hosted a national league baseball
game. On October 24, 1913, more than 3,000 fans watched the Chicago White Sox
and New York Giants
play a world tour
exhibition game on the local ball field that is still in use today.
rivers, at 39°40′54"N 96°39′34"W. Its elevation is 1150 feet (350.5 m) above sea level. Located on highway US-77/K-9
, Blue Rapids is 5 miles (8 km) east of its sister town Waterville
, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of the county seat Marysville
, 13 miles (20.9 km) west of Frankfort
, and 46 miles (74 km) north of the large university town of Manhattan
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), which is 99% land.
Georgia-Pacific
has a gypsum
mine near Blue Rapids containing some of the purest gypsum in the world.
of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 439 households, and 295 families residing in the city. The population density
was 529 people per square mile (204/km²). There were 494 housing units at an average density of 240/sq mi (93/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.07% White, 0.18% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.37% from other races
, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.
There were 439 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,682, and the median income for a family was $37,273. Males had a median income of $30,066 versus $18,214 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,859. About 9.3% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
History
Maps
Marshall County, Kansas
Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 10,117. The largest city and county seat is Marysville.- History :...
, 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 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 1,019.
History
The first endeavor to establish a town below the junction of the rivers, in 1857, failed due to misfortunes of two of the three participants. No further attempt to utilize the impressive water power was made until 1869–1870, when a colony of about 50 families from Genesee County, New YorkGenesee County, New York
Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
moved in, purchased land and water power rights, and began establishing a community. The Blue Rapids Town Company was formed, and by the end of 1870 the population was about 250. In 1872, Blue Rapids was incorporated as a city of third class under the statutes of Kansas.
Among the first projects in 1870 were a stone dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and a wrought iron bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
built on the Big Blue River. A hydroelectric power plant was then added to provide power for manufacturing and for the town. The power plant was destroyed by a flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
in 1903. In the late 19th century and early 20th century there were four gypsum mines in the area. The population peaked around 1910 at over 1,750. The public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, built in 1875, is the oldest library west of the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in continuous operation in the same building.
Blue Rapids was the birthplace of the pancreatic cancer drug Streptozotocin
Streptozotocin
Streptozotocin is a naturally occurring chemical that is particularly toxic to the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas in mammals...
. The bacterium from which the drug is derived was discovered in the late 1950s in a soil sample taken from "an uncultivated sandy soil in a grassland region" at Blue Rapids.
Blue Rapids claims to be the smallest town in the U.S. to have hosted a national league baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game. On October 24, 1913, more than 3,000 fans watched the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
play a world tour
1913 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award** Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P** Jake Daubert, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B-MLB statistical leaders:1MLB Triple Crown Winner for Pitching...
exhibition game on the local ball field that is still in use today.
Geography
Blue Rapids is located in northeast Kansas near the junction of the Little Blue and Big BlueBig Blue River (Kansas)
The Big Blue River is the largest tributary of the Kansas River. The river flows for approximately from central Nebraska into Kansas, where it intersects with the Kansas River east of Manhattan. It was given its name by the Kansa tribe of Native Americans, who lived at its mouth from 1780 to...
rivers, at 39°40′54"N 96°39′34"W. Its elevation is 1150 feet (350.5 m) above sea level. Located on highway US-77/K-9
K-9 (Kansas highway)
K-9 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway goes east–west through Kansas. It has its western terminus south of Dresden at an intersection with K-123 and an eastern terminus at its junction with U.S. Route 73 near Lancaster....
, Blue Rapids is 5 miles (8 km) east of its sister town Waterville
Waterville, Kansas
Waterville is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 680.-Geography:Waterville is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of the county seat Marysville
Marysville, Kansas
Marysville is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,294.-History:...
, 13 miles (20.9 km) west of Frankfort
Frankfort, Kansas
Frankfort is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 726.-Geography:Frankfort is located at...
, and 46 miles (74 km) north of the large university town of Manhattan
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
. 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 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), which is 99% land.
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. As of Fall 2010, the company employed more than 40,000 people at more...
has a gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
mine near Blue Rapids containing some of the purest gypsum in the world.
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 1,088 people, 439 households, and 295 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 529 people per square mile (204/km²). There were 494 housing units at an average density of 240/sq mi (93/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.07% White, 0.18% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.37% 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 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.
There were 439 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,682, and the median income for a family was $37,273. Males had a median income of $30,066 versus $18,214 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 $16,859. About 9.3% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
External links
CitySchools
- USD 498, local school district
History
Maps
- Blue Rapids City Map, KDOT
- Marshall County Map, KDOT