Independence, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Independence is a city in and the county seat
of Montgomery County
, Kansas
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,483.
just south of its confluence with the Elk River
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 9,846 people, 4,149 households, and 2,609 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,979.4 people per square mile (764.9/km²). There were 4,747 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile (368.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.00% White, 7.17% African American, 1.16% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races
, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.
There were 4,149 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,574, and the median income for a family was $37,134. Males had a median income of $26,552 versus $20,017 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,496. About 11.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
main campus is located two miles south of the city. ICC West Campus is located in the city one mile west of the downtown.
and South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
. The Independence Municipal Airport
(IDP) is located 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the center of the city.
Montgomery County
Kansas
Schools
Maps
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....
of Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Kansas
Montgomery County is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 35,471. Its county seat is Independence, and its most populous city is Coffeyville. The Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Montgomery...
, 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 9,483.
Geography
Independence is located at 37°13′42"N 95°42′41"W (37.228251, -95.711392), along the Verdigris RiverVerdigris River
The Verdigris River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. It is about long...
just south of its confluence with the Elk River
Elk River (Kansas)
The Elk River is a tributary of the Verdigris River in southeastern Kansas in the United States. Via the Verdigris and Arkansas rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.-Description and course:...
. 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 5 square miles (12.9 km²), all of it land.
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 9,846 people, 4,149 households, and 2,609 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 1,979.4 people per square mile (764.9/km²). There were 4,747 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile (368.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.00% White, 7.17% African American, 1.16% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.10% 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 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.
There were 4,149 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% 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, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,574, and the median income for a family was $37,134. Males had a median income of $26,552 versus $20,017 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 $15,496. About 11.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
Primary and secondary education
- Independence High School, grades 9-12
- Independence Middle School, grades 6-8
- Jefferson Elementary School, grades 3-5
- Eisenhower Elementary School, grades Pre-K-2
- Zion Lutheran School, grades Pre-K-8
- St. Andrews School, grades Pre-K-8
- Independence Bible School, grades Pre-K-12
- Tri-County Education Co-operative, special education, all grades
- Sunflower Academy - Child Care Learning Center - Ages 2–5
Community college
The Independence Community CollegeIndependence Community College
Independence Community College is a community college in Independence, Kansas, United States. It is located between Tulsa, Kansas City, Wichita, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri and was formerly known as Independence Community Junior College....
main campus is located two miles south of the city. ICC West Campus is located in the city one mile west of the downtown.
Transportation
Independence is located at the intersection of US-75 and US-160. Rail freight service is provided by the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a short line railroad which operates 511 miles of rail lines in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. SKOL is a unit of Watco Companies....
. The Independence Municipal Airport
Independence Municipal Airport (Kansas)
Independence Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located southwest of the central business district of Independence, a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States.-History:...
(IDP) is located 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the center of the city.
Area events
- Neewollah Festival, annual Halloween festival in late October. Neewollah is halloween spelled backwards.
Area attractions
- Independence Community CollegeIndependence Community CollegeIndependence Community College is a community college in Independence, Kansas, United States. It is located between Tulsa, Kansas City, Wichita, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri and was formerly known as Independence Community Junior College....
is home to the William Inge Center for the Arts, which maintains the archives of playwright William IngeWilliam IngeWilliam Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
(an alumnus), utilizes the writer's boyhood home for a playwrights-in-residence program, and sponsors the annual William Inge Festival. Each year during the festival a lifetime achievement award is bestowed on a nationally-recognized American playwright. - The State of Kansas designated the childhood home of Laura Ingalls WilderLaura Ingalls WilderLaura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
and the Ingalls family at Independence as a historic site, which is open to visitors. It is the location from which the events of the book Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie (novel)Little House on the Prairie is a children's novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder and was published in 1935. This book is the third of the series of books known as the Little House series....
take place. It includes a cabin modeled after the original and the post officePost officeA post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
that was originally located at nearby Wayside, Kansas. The Sunnyside School, a one room schoolhouse that was moved to the site is also featured. Much of the surrounding countryside retains its open and undeveloped nature. It is located on the William Kurtis Ranch about 13 miles southwest of downtown Independence. - Miss Able, a rhesusRhesus MacaqueThe Rhesus macaque , also called the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats...
monkey, was born at Ralph Mitchell Zoo. Miss Able along with Miss BakerMiss BakerMiss Baker was a squirrel monkey who became, along with rhesus monkey Miss Able, one of the first two animals launched into space by the United States and recovered alive....
, a squirrel monkey, became the first animals to fly in space and return alive on May 28, 1959. - At the 1964 New York World's Fair, Sinclair OilSinclair OilSinclair Oil Corporation is an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916 as the Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Sinclair Oil reincorporated in Wyoming in 1976...
sponsored a dinosaur exhibit, featuring life size replicas of nine different dinosaurs. On flatbed trucks they toured the United States. Sinclair was acquired by Atlantic Richfield (ARCO). After the acquisition by ARCO, one of the nine dinosaurs, the CorythosaurusCorythosaurusCorythosaurus is a genus of duck-billed dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Period, about 77-76.5 million years ago. It lived in what is now North America...
was donated to Riverside Park.
Notable people
- Sheila C. BairSheila C. BairSheila Colleen Bair was the 19th Chairperson of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation . She was appointed to the post for a five-year term on June 26, 2006 by George W. Bush. Bair served as a member of the FDIC Board of Directors through July 8, 2011.-Early life:Bair is a native of...
, former Chairwoman, Federal Deposit Insurance CorporationFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a United States government corporation created by the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, currently up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. , the FDIC insures deposits at... - Gerry BammanGerry BammanGerry Bamman is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Uncle Frank McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.-Biography:...
, actor - Donald Graham BurtDonald Graham BurtDonald Graham Burt is a film production designer. He has worked on multiple films including The Joy Luck Club, Dangerous Minds, and Donnie Brasco, as well as with David Fincher on Zodiac in 2007...
, Academy Award winning production designerProduction designerIn film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the... - Scott HastingsScott Hastings (basketball)Scott Alan Hastings is a retired American player in the National Basketball Association. His career spanned from 1982–1993 and he played forward/center for the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets.- College :Hastings played collegiate ball at the...
, NBA basketball player - William Wadsworth Hodkinson, founded Paramount PicturesParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and ventured into commercial aviation - Lyman U. HumphreyLyman U. HumphreyLyman Underwood Humphrey was the 11th Governor of Kansas.-Early life:Humphrey was born in New Baltimore, Ohio to Lyman and Elizabeth Humphrey, one of two sons born to the couple. His father was born in Connecticut, but relocated to Deerfield, Ohio, where he purchased a tannery formerly owned by...
, newspaper editor, banker, 7th governor of Kansas - William IngeWilliam IngeWilliam Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning playwright, Academy Award-winning screenwriter - Bill KurtisBill KurtisBill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
, television journalist - Alf LandonAlf LandonAlfred Mossman "Alf" Landon was an American Republican politician, who served as the 26th Governor of Kansas from 1933–1937. He was best known for being the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States, defeated in a landslide by Franklin D...
, 1936 Republican presidential candidate, 26th governor of Kansas - Mary Howard de LiagreMary Howard de LiagreMary Howard de Liagre, née Rogers was an American actress usually credited as Mary Howard....
, actress - Dave McGinnisDave McGinnisDave McGinnis is the linebackers coach of the Tennessee Titans. He formerly was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2000 through 2003.-Biography:...
, NFL coach - Gareth PorterGareth PorterGareth Porter is an American historian, investigative journalist and policy analyst on U.S. foreign and military policy. A strong opponent of U.S. wars in Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, he has also written on the potential for diplomatic compromise to end or avoid wars in Korea, Vietnam,...
, historian, journalist and author - Derek SchmidtDerek SchmidtDerek Schmidt is a the 44th and current Attorney General of Kansas. Schmidt previously served as member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 15th district, and as Senate Majority Leader. Before serving in the legislature, he was Special Counsel to Governor Bill Graves.Schmidt defeated former...
, current Attorney General of Kansas - Harry F. SinclairHarry F. SinclairHarry Ford Sinclair was an American oil industrialist.-Early life:Harry Sinclair was born in Benwood, West Virginia, now a suburb of the city of Wheeling. Sinclair grew up in Independence, Kansas. The son of a pharmacist, after finishing high school, he entered the pharmacy department of the...
, founder of Sinclair OilSinclair OilSinclair Oil Corporation is an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916 as the Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Sinclair Oil reincorporated in Wyoming in 1976... - Ron Warner, NFL football player
Further reading
Independence- Brown, Ken D. A Guide to Historic Homes in Independence, Kansas Independence: Tribune, 1993.
Montgomery County
- Humphrey, Lyman U. History of Montgomery County, Kansas. IolaIola, KansasIola is a city situated along the Neosho River in the northwestern part of Allen County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,704. Iola is the county seat of Allen County. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn.-History:The...
: Duncan, 1903.
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
CitySchools
- USD 446, local school district
- Independence Community College
Maps
- Independence City Map, KDOT
- Cherokee County Map, KDOT