Peabody, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Peabody is a city in Marion County
, Kansas
, United States
. It is named after F.H. Peabody, of Boston
, former vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
. Peabody is well known in the region for its Independence Day
Celebration on July 4, and its historic 1880's downtown main street. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,210, a decline from 1,384 in 2000.
. In 1803, most of modern Kansas
was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase
. In 1855, Marion County, Kansas
, where Peabody is located, was founded.
The first settler
in the Peabody area was W.C. Coble, from North Carolina, who set up ranch
headquarters a few miles east of Peabody in 1864.
The first settlement made in the area was in September 1870, by a colony of settlers from Wisconsin
. In October, more settlers arrived. During the first month, the colony officers laid out a town on the north-half of section 4 township 22 and survived it into lots. The town was named Coneburg after the town company president John Cone. The town site was located between the current 9th Street and Division Avenue. During the winter of 1870, some of the settlers returned east to get supplies and bring out their families. In 1871, while the other settlers were gone, dissatifaction arose in the community and it began to break up. Claim jumping of the Coneburg town site and nearby land started to occur, thus causing a legal mess.
In 1870, T.M. Potter homesteaded
the south-half of the same section of land. In spring of 1871, he and five other men started the Peabody town company. Since the land title for the Peabody town site had no legal disputes, businesses immediately moved from Coneburg. In June 1871, the town of Peabody was platted, and it included the land where the railroad was built in the same month.
In April 1872, during legal disputes, Coneburg became North Peabody. A revised plat
of Peabody was made in July 1875 and a supplemental plat
of North Peabody was made in April 1878. Because of the disputes, the street that ran down the middle of the border between the two towns was called "Division Avenue". The two towns merged into the city of Peabody in 1879.
The town of Peabody was named in 1871 after F.H. Peabody, of Boston
, formerly vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
company. In May 1874, Mr. Peabody visited the new town, at which time he announced he would donate money for a library
building, furniture, books, periodicals and landscaping if the Peabody township would secure four town lots for the site. The contract for construction was awarded in spring of 1875 and was opened to the public in June 1875, and the following February 1876 the state legislature authorized the township to levy a tax to support the library. The structure housed the library facilities until 1914 when a new Peabody Township Carnegie Library
was constructed on the old location.
In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
extended a main line from Emporia
through Peabody to Newton
. In 1996, it merged with Burlington Northern Railroad
and renamed to the current BNSF Railway
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe". The first depot
was built south of the tracks, then later a train wreck
destroyed it, so a second depot was built on the north side of the tracks. In 1873, three west-bound trains (9:05AM, 1:00PM, 8:30PM) and three east-bound trains (4:42AM, 6:50PM, 8:30PM) stopped at the Peabody depot. Rail service was still very strong five decades later. In 1925, three west-bound and four east-bound trains made stops at Peabody. The second depot was demolished in the 1970s after passenger transportation ended, then its land was converted into the Santa Fe Park, which is located at the south end of Walnut Street. Currently Amtrak
's Southwest Chief
passenger train currently passes through Peabody twice each day, but stops at nearby Newton
.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington
through Peabody to Caldwell
. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas
. It foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad
, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island". Its depot in Peabody was demolished in the early 1960s.
In 1875, Peabody held its first agricultural "county fair" and continued to hold them annually for many years. In September 1885, the Kansas State Fair
was held at Peabody during the first four days of the month. An outstanding feature of the state fair was "the First Monument to General Grant
", who passed away shortly before the fair. The temporary monument was an obelisk
about 40 feet (12.2 m) tall, and built from forty bushels of ears of corn. The fair had a grandstand
, which could hold 2000 people, to view horse races. The race track was used for a variety of events, including horse walking teams in harness, trotting, running, pacing, mule racing, and daily chariot races. A dining hall was built that was capable of feeding 10,000 people each day. In 1900, the Marion County Agricultural Society sold the fair grounds to the city, which renamed it the Peabody City Park, and its entrance is located at the corner of Locust and 2nd Streets.
Peabody was the home of famous race horses. Three of the more famous horses were world champions. Joe Young (known as the "iron horse") sold for $10,000 by C.E. Westbrook, the first horse west of the Mississippi River
to sell for such a high price. Joe Young sired Joe Patchen
in 1889, who earned his owner $40,000 in race purses and then was sold for $44,000. Joe Patchen sired Dan Patch
in 1896, a horse that sold in 1907 for $60,000. Other famous local racing horses included trotters McKinney, and Silver Sign. Silverthorne toured Austria
where he competed for three years against the best race horses in Europe
.
feeding districts. By 1911, approximately 20,000 head of cattle were imported from other states and fed within 20 miles (32.2 km) of Peabody at 50 farms. Because of this cattle industry, local farmers grew more corn
, alfalfa
, and other feed crops during the 1900s and 1910s.
Peabody experienced an oil boom
from 1918 to 1920. The influence of the petroleum industry remained strong in Peabody, and resulted in the greatest change upon the community in the shortest time. More than 100 residences were constructed in October and November 1919. From 1918 to 1919, the population increased by 75% or more, but later decreased as oil booms in other Kansas areas needed the workers.
The New Santa Fe Trail road was routed through Peabody in the late 1910s. Initially the road entered the north side of the city on Newell Rd (later on Old Mill Rd), and exited on the south-west side on 60th Street (known as the Old Trail). The trail became U.S. Route 50
in the late 1930s when the new highway was routed east to west on 9th Street. In 1998, the highway was moved about 1.5 blocks north so it could go over a new railroad overpass.
In 1943, German
and Italian
prisoners of World War II
were brought to Kansas and other midwest states
as a means of solving the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large internment
camps were established in Kansas at Camp Concordia
, Camp Funston (at Fort Riley
), and Camp Phillips (at Salina
under Fort Riley
). Fort Riley
established 12 smaller branch camps, including Peabody and El Dorado
. Up to 150 prisoners were quartered at the Peabody branch camp. Farmers were to have first priority over other industries in requesting prisoner labor. County agents were responsible for processing the application of local residents seeking the use of the prisoners who were to be available only as group laborers. No fewer than four prisoners could be assigned to any farm, and one guard accompanied each group. The prisoners were not allowed to operate powered farm equipment. The farmer collected the workers at the camp and returned them at the end of the day. The Peabody branch camp was located in the Eyestone building, now occupied by Heckendorn Equipment Company, and located at 122 West 2nd Street. The prisoner yard was located in the north-east corner of the property and still exists as a storage area. The camp was closed in December 1945, after Germany surrendered.
There has been numerous floods during the history of Peabody. In June and July 1951, due to heavy rains, rivers and streams flooded numerous cities in Kansas, including Peabody. Many reservoirs and levees were built in Kansas as part of a response to the Great Flood of 1951
.
The community gradually increased in size as a commuter town
to support aircraft industries in Wichita
during World War II
and Soviet Union
Cold War
years. Over time, the aircraft industry worker requirement has shrank, thus has their influence on numerous commuter towns. Another gradual impact on the community has been the decrease in the size of farm families. Over time as farm equipment has increased in size, so has it decreased the number of family farms in the area, because fewer people are required to farm larger amounts of land. Fewer farms families has led to a gradual decrease in children at local schools. Peabody, like most rural towns, has seen a gradual loss of population do to rural flight
to larger cities.
The community has always had great pride in celebrating and promoting its past. Three centennials, Kansas
centennial in 1961, Peabody centennial in 1971, United States Bicentennial
in 1976, caused surges of historic pride, which eventually led to the creation of the Peabody Main Street Association (PMSA) in 1989 and the Peabody Community Foundation (PCF). The Peabody Main Street Association has won numerous awards since it was founded.
In 1998, the downtown area of Peabody was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP), and known as the Peabody Downtown Historic District
. Peabody had four previous listings on the NRHP: Peabody Historical Library Museum
(in 1973), Peabody Township Library
(in 1987), J.S. Schroeder Building
(in 1991), and W.H. Morgan House
(in 1996).
(Phase II) was constructed 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Peabody, north to south through Marion County
, with much controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).
in the Great Plains
. Peabody is approximately 15 mi (24 km) north-east of Newton
, 42 mi (68 km) north of Wichita
, 164 mi (264 km) south-west of Kansas City
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land except Doyle Creek and Spring Creek. The north-east corner of Harvey County
is 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Peabody.
(NRHP).
of 2000, there were 1,384 people, 531 household
s, and 346 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,124.7 people per square mile (434.4/km²). There were 602 housing units at an average density of 489.2 per square mile (189.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.81% White, 1.52% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.36% from other races
, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.82% of the population.
There were 531 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household
in the city was $29,792, and the median income for a family was $37,250. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $19,028 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,493. About 6.3% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
398, which has two schools in the city.
Note: Before 1905, terms were 1 year.
398. The school district includes Peabody, Burns
, Wonsevu
, and nearby rural areas of Marion
/ Chase
/ Harvey
/ Butler
Counties. The district has two schools in Peabody:
. For the 2010/2011 seasons, the football team competes as Class 8 Man - Division I in the Wheat State league.
Championships
398. The Summit school and Burns High School were closed. In 1996-1997, the current high school was built (and attached) to the south side the existing Brown Building at 810 North Sycamore Street. Soon afterward, the former 1923 high school across the street was demolished and converted into a football practice field. The Burns Grade School, which included a junior high, was closed. Currently all students in USD 398 attend schools in Peabody.
The city is served by the Peabody Township Carnegie Library at 214 North Walnut Street. The library was established in 1874, a Carnegie library
since 1914, was the first free tax-supported library in Kansas. Since 2008, two computers have been available for high-speed T1
internet access, and free WiFi access allow patrons to browse the internet. The library is a member of the North Central Kansas Libraries System, which provides an inter-library book loan service between its members.
Print
-Hutchinson
listening market area, and satellite radio
. See Media in Wichita, Kansas.
digital TV
of the Wichita
-Hutchinson
viewing market area, cable TV by Allegiance Communications
, and satellite TV
. See Media in Wichita, Kansas.
and Union Pacific Railroad
, pass through the city. The BNSF Railway runs east-west through the city and has a spur for grain cars at the east Mid Kansas Co-Op. Amtrak
's Southwest Chief
passenger train travels on the BNSF Railway but stops at nearby Newton
. The Oklahoma Kansas Texas (OKT) line of the Union Pacific Railroad
runs north-south through the city and has a spur for grain cars at the west Mid Kansas Co-Op. The two railroads cross each other as a Level junction
, and a rarely used connection between the two railroads allows eastbound BNSF trains to turn onto the northbound Union Pacific railroad.
In the early years of the highway before U.S. Route 50 was finalized in the late 1930s, the highway was known as the New Santa Fe Trail, which entered the north side of the city on Newell Rd (later on Old Mill Rd), and exited on the south-west side on 60th Street (known as the Old Trail). Up until the late 1950s, U.S. Route 50 was split into two routes through central Kansas. The routes were called 50N and 50S, and the highway through Peabody was 50S. From the late 1930s to 1998, the highway was routed east to west through Peabody on 9th Street, then a bypass and overpass was built about 1.5 blocks north to avoid a dangerous underpass which went under the Union Pacific Railroad.
It has been proposed, by the Kansas Department of Transportation
, that U.S. Route 50 should be converted into a 4-lane expressway from Emporia
to western Kansas. In the meantime, additional passing lanes may be added.
Marion County
Schools
Videos
Historical
Maps
Marion County, Kansas
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 12,660. The county seat is Marion...
, 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...
. It is named after F.H. Peabody, of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, former vice-president of 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...
. Peabody is well known in the region for its Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
Celebration on July 4, and its historic 1880's downtown main street. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,210, a decline from 1,384 in 2000.
History
19th century
For millennia, the land that is currently Kansas was inhabited by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. In 1803, most of modern Kansas
History of Kansas
The history of Kansas, argued historian Carl L. Becker a century ago, reflects American ideals. He wrote: "The Kansas spirit is the American spirit double distilled. It is a new grafted product of American individualism, American idealism, American intolerance. Kansas is America in...
was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
. In 1855, Marion County, Kansas
Marion County, Kansas
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 12,660. The county seat is Marion...
, where Peabody is located, was founded.
The first settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
in the Peabody area was W.C. Coble, from North Carolina, who set up ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
headquarters a few miles east of Peabody in 1864.
The first settlement made in the area was in September 1870, by a colony of settlers from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. In October, more settlers arrived. During the first month, the colony officers laid out a town on the north-half of section 4 township 22 and survived it into lots. The town was named Coneburg after the town company president John Cone. The town site was located between the current 9th Street and Division Avenue. During the winter of 1870, some of the settlers returned east to get supplies and bring out their families. In 1871, while the other settlers were gone, dissatifaction arose in the community and it began to break up. Claim jumping of the Coneburg town site and nearby land started to occur, thus causing a legal mess.
In 1870, T.M. Potter homesteaded
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
the south-half of the same section of land. In spring of 1871, he and five other men started the Peabody town company. Since the land title for the Peabody town site had no legal disputes, businesses immediately moved from Coneburg. In June 1871, the town of Peabody was platted, and it included the land where the railroad was built in the same month.
In April 1872, during legal disputes, Coneburg became North Peabody. A revised plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
of Peabody was made in July 1875 and a supplemental plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
of North Peabody was made in April 1878. Because of the disputes, the street that ran down the middle of the border between the two towns was called "Division Avenue". The two towns merged into the city of Peabody in 1879.
The town of Peabody was named in 1871 after F.H. Peabody, of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, formerly vice-president of 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...
company. In May 1874, Mr. Peabody visited the new town, at which time he announced he would donate money for a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
building, furniture, books, periodicals and landscaping if the Peabody township would secure four town lots for the site. The contract for construction was awarded in spring of 1875 and was opened to the public in June 1875, and the following February 1876 the state legislature authorized the township to levy a tax to support the library. The structure housed the library facilities until 1914 when a new Peabody Township Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library (Peabody, Kansas)
Peabody Township Library, also known under the older name of Peabody Township Carnegie Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-History:...
was constructed on the old location.
In 1871, 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...
extended a main line from Emporia
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
through Peabody to Newton
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
. In 1996, it merged with Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
and renamed to the current 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...
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe". The first depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
was built south of the tracks, then later a train wreck
Train wreck
A train wreck or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler...
destroyed it, so a second depot was built on the north side of the tracks. In 1873, three west-bound trains (9:05AM, 1:00PM, 8:30PM) and three east-bound trains (4:42AM, 6:50PM, 8:30PM) stopped at the Peabody depot. Rail service was still very strong five decades later. In 1925, three west-bound and four east-bound trains made stops at Peabody. The second depot was demolished in the 1970s after passenger transportation ended, then its land was converted into the Santa Fe Park, which is located at the south end of Walnut Street. Currently Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
passenger train currently passes through Peabody twice each day, but stops at nearby Newton
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington
Herington, Kansas
Herington is a city in Dickinson and Morris counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. Named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,526.-19th century:...
through Peabody to Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...
. By 1893, this branch line was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. It foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
-OKT I:The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad , was originally created on May 29, 1980 after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad on March 31, 1980...
, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
, and finally merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad
Union 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....
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island". Its depot in Peabody was demolished in the early 1960s.
In 1875, Peabody held its first agricultural "county fair" and continued to hold them annually for many years. In September 1885, the Kansas State Fair
Kansas State Fair
The annual Kansas State Fair is held in Hutchinson each September. The 2012 State Fair runs from September 7 through September 16.The Kansas State Fair is held annually beginning the Friday following Labor Day and lasts for 10 days at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas.The largest...
was held at Peabody during the first four days of the month. An outstanding feature of the state fair was "the First Monument to General Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
", who passed away shortly before the fair. The temporary monument was an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
about 40 feet (12.2 m) tall, and built from forty bushels of ears of corn. The fair had a grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
, which could hold 2000 people, to view horse races. The race track was used for a variety of events, including horse walking teams in harness, trotting, running, pacing, mule racing, and daily chariot races. A dining hall was built that was capable of feeding 10,000 people each day. In 1900, the Marion County Agricultural Society sold the fair grounds to the city, which renamed it the Peabody City Park, and its entrance is located at the corner of Locust and 2nd Streets.
Peabody was the home of famous race horses. Three of the more famous horses were world champions. Joe Young (known as the "iron horse") sold for $10,000 by C.E. Westbrook, the first horse west of the Mississippi River
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...
to sell for such a high price. Joe Young sired Joe Patchen
Joe Patchen
Joe Patchen was a Standardbred racehorse foaled in Peabody, Kansas in 1889. His sire was Patchen Wilkes and his dame was Josephine Young. Though best remembered for siring the famous Dan Patch, Joe Patchen enjoyed a successful racing career of his own....
in 1889, who earned his owner $40,000 in race purses and then was sold for $44,000. Joe Patchen sired Dan Patch
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was the outstanding pacer of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.-Life:He was a brown...
in 1896, a horse that sold in 1907 for $60,000. Other famous local racing horses included trotters McKinney, and Silver Sign. Silverthorne toured Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
where he competed for three years against the best race horses in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
20th century
Peabody became an important supply point for one of the state's cattleCattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
feeding districts. By 1911, approximately 20,000 head of cattle were imported from other states and fed within 20 miles (32.2 km) of Peabody at 50 farms. Because of this cattle industry, local farmers grew more corn
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
, alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, and other feed crops during the 1900s and 1910s.
Peabody experienced an oil boom
Oil boom
An oil boom is a boom in the oil producing sector of an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economical benefits, in term of increased GDP growth, but might later lead to a resource curse.-Consequences:...
from 1918 to 1920. The influence of the petroleum industry remained strong in Peabody, and resulted in the greatest change upon the community in the shortest time. More than 100 residences were constructed in October and November 1919. From 1918 to 1919, the population increased by 75% or more, but later decreased as oil booms in other Kansas areas needed the workers.
The New Santa Fe Trail road was routed through Peabody in the late 1910s. Initially the road entered the north side of the city on Newell Rd (later on Old Mill Rd), and exited on the south-west side on 60th Street (known as the Old Trail). The trail became U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
in the late 1930s when the new highway was routed east to west on 9th Street. In 1998, the highway was moved about 1.5 blocks north so it could go over a new railroad overpass.
In 1943, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
prisoners of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were brought to Kansas and other midwest states
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
as a means of solving the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
camps were established in Kansas at Camp Concordia
Camp Concordia
Camp Concordia was a Prisoner-of-war camp that operated from 1943-1945. Its location is two miles north and one mile east of Concordia, Kansas...
, Camp Funston (at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
), and Camp Phillips (at Salina
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
under Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
). Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
established 12 smaller branch camps, including Peabody and 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...
. Up to 150 prisoners were quartered at the Peabody branch camp. Farmers were to have first priority over other industries in requesting prisoner labor. County agents were responsible for processing the application of local residents seeking the use of the prisoners who were to be available only as group laborers. No fewer than four prisoners could be assigned to any farm, and one guard accompanied each group. The prisoners were not allowed to operate powered farm equipment. The farmer collected the workers at the camp and returned them at the end of the day. The Peabody branch camp was located in the Eyestone building, now occupied by Heckendorn Equipment Company, and located at 122 West 2nd Street. The prisoner yard was located in the north-east corner of the property and still exists as a storage area. The camp was closed in December 1945, after Germany surrendered.
There has been numerous floods during the history of Peabody. In June and July 1951, due to heavy rains, rivers and streams flooded numerous cities in Kansas, including Peabody. Many reservoirs and levees were built in Kansas as part of a response to the 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...
.
The community gradually increased in size as a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
to support aircraft industries in 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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
years. Over time, the aircraft industry worker requirement has shrank, thus has their influence on numerous commuter towns. Another gradual impact on the community has been the decrease in the size of farm families. Over time as farm equipment has increased in size, so has it decreased the number of family farms in the area, because fewer people are required to farm larger amounts of land. Fewer farms families has led to a gradual decrease in children at local schools. Peabody, like most rural towns, has seen a gradual loss of population do to rural flight
Rural flight
Rural flight is a term used to describe the migratory patterns of peoples from rural areas into urban areas.In modern times, it often occurs in a region following the industrialization of agriculture when fewer people are needed to bring the same amount of agricultural output to market and related...
to larger cities.
The community has always had great pride in celebrating and promoting its past. Three centennials, 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...
centennial in 1961, Peabody centennial in 1971, United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
in 1976, caused surges of historic pride, which eventually led to the creation of the Peabody Main Street Association (PMSA) in 1989 and the Peabody Community Foundation (PCF). The Peabody Main Street Association has won numerous awards since it was founded.
In 1998, the downtown area of Peabody was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP), and known as the Peabody Downtown Historic District
Peabody Downtown Historic District
Peabody Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It is located in Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas...
. Peabody had four previous listings on the NRHP: Peabody Historical Library Museum
Peabody Historical Library Museum
Peabody Historical Library Museum, also known under the older name of Old Peabody Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas...
(in 1973), Peabody Township Library
Carnegie Library (Peabody, Kansas)
Peabody Township Library, also known under the older name of Peabody Township Carnegie Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-History:...
(in 1987), J.S. Schroeder Building
J.S. Schroeder Building
J.S. Schroeder Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas...
(in 1991), and W.H. Morgan House
W.H. Morgan House
W.H. Morgan House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* List of museums in Kansas...
(in 1996).
21st century
In 2010, the Peabody Main Street Association received 5 state awards. In the same year, the Keystone-Cushing PipelineKeystone 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 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Peabody, north to south through Marion County
Marion County, Kansas
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 12,660. The county seat is Marion...
, with much controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).
Geography
Peabody is located at 38°10′8"N 97°6′26"W (38.168793, -97.107171) near the western edge of the Flint HillsFlint Hills
The Flint Hills, historically known as Bluestem Pastures or Blue Stem Hills, are a band of hills in eastern Kansas stretching into north-central Oklahoma, extending from Marshall County, Kansas and Washington County, Kansas in the north to Cowley County, Kansas and Osage County, Oklahoma in the south...
in 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...
. Peabody is approximately 15 mi (24 km) north-east of Newton
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
, 42 mi (68 km) north 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...
, 164 mi (264 km) south-west of Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. 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 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land except Doyle Creek and Spring Creek. The north-east corner of Harvey County
Harvey County, Kansas
Harvey County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 34,684. Its county seat and most populous city is Newton. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area which also includes Butler,...
is 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Peabody.
Climate
On average in Peabody, January is the coolest month with an average low of 19 °F (-7 °C), July is the warmest month with an average high of 92 °F (33 °C), and May is the wettest month with an average precipitation of 4.64 in. The hottest temperature recorded in Peabody was 115 °F (43 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -22 °F (-31 °C) in 1989.Area events
- July 4th Celebration In 2011, its 90th year, fireworksFireworksFireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
will be in the historical Peabody City Park. The fireworks are infamous for the ending display called the Battle of New OrleansBattle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
, which explodes over 1 Million individual items. In 1960s and 1970s, up to 30,000 or more people attended the event, including a CarnivalTraveling carnivalA traveling carnival is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, animal acts or sideshow curiosities. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park, but is moved from...
of rides. - Memorial Weekend - Operation Celebration, a tribute to the men and women who served in the United States military. Events include a popular World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
reenactment and parade. - Sleepy Creek Concert Series, one concert is played in the Santa Fe Park each month in the late summer.
- Doyle Valley Farmers Market, held in the Santa Fe Park, Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Area attractions
Peabody has five listings on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP).
- 1880's Peabody Downtown Historic DistrictPeabody Downtown Historic DistrictPeabody Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It is located in Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas...
(NRHP). The Downtown Business District of Peabody boasts of 42 contributing buildings in the district. The significant period for the district began in 1874 with the construction of the first free public library and ended in 1922 with the decline in oil production. Peabody is the 2nd community in the State of Kansas to have its entire downtown district on the National Register of Historic Places.- 1884 J.S. Schroeder BuildingJ.S. Schroeder BuildingJ.S. Schroeder Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas...
(NRHP), 111 North Walnut Street. This first floor has been many types of businesses, but most older locals remember it as the McMillen grocery store. For the past couple of decades, the first floor has been occupied by the Mayesville Mercantile. - 1914 Peabody Township Carnegie LibraryCarnegie Library (Peabody, Kansas)Peabody Township Library, also known under the older name of Peabody Township Carnegie Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-History:...
(NRHP), 214 North Walnut Street. - 1919 Eyestone building, previously a POW camp during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 122 West 2nd Street, private business.
- 1884 J.S. Schroeder Building
- Peabody Museum Historical Complex, Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- 1874 Peabody Historical Library MuseumPeabody Historical Library MuseumPeabody Historical Library Museum, also known under the older name of Old Peabody Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas...
(NRHP), 106 East Division Avenue (east of Carnegie Library). After the new Carnegie library was built in 1914, the first library was moved and used for club meetings and stood idle for a number of years. In 1960, while planning for the 1961 Kansas centennial celebration, local citizens organized to move the structure to a lot near its original location. The old library building was converted and dedicated as a museum on July 3, 1961. - 1881 W.H. Morgan HouseW.H. Morgan HouseW.H. Morgan House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* List of museums in Kansas...
(NRHP), 212 North Walnut Street. A two-story Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architectureThe Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
Cottage built by W.H. Morgan, first editor of the Peabody Gazette newspaper. - 1904 W.H. Morgan Barn, east of House. Will contain larger items that can't fit in the museum. Not open to public yet.
- 1920 Peabody Printing Museum, 210 North Walnut Street. The Peabody Printing Museum has a collection of hot type equipment dating from 1870 to 1920.
- 1874 Peabody Historical Library Museum
- 1881 Fair Floral Exhibition Hall, west of football field in Peabody City Park. It has unique octagon walls, and the only remaining fair building. Not open to public.
- 1887 T.B. Townsend Barn, several miles east near U.S. Route 50. It is a three-story, 80 feet by 140 feet, limestone barn, and can easily be seen on the north side of the highway. Not open to public.
- 1927 Indian Guide Monument, several miles east near U.S. Route 50. Can be seen on bluff over-looking south side of highway. Not open to public.
- 1974 Mennonite Centennial Memorial Monument, south-east corner of Walnut and 1st Streets in the Santa Fe Park. A Threshing stoneThreshing stoneA threshing stone is a roller-like tool used for the threshing of wheat. Similar to the use of threshing boards, the stone was pulled by horses over a circular pile of harvested wheat on a hardened dirt surface , and the rolling stone knocked the grain from the head of wheat. The straw was removed...
was cut and placed on 4 sides of this monment. - Marion ReservoirMarion ReservoirMarion Reservoir is a reservoir on the Cottonwood River and north-west of Marion, on the western edge of the Flint Hills region of Kansas. It was completed in 1968 and is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of flood control...
, approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Peabody.
Films
- Small Town, USA, 2011, a feature documentary, currently in pre-production, examines the challenges faced by communities, employers and individuals as they strive to develop cultural and economic models that will ensure survival. IMG Pictures filmed in many small towns in rural Kansas, including Peabody. The Peabody downtown is being used for the promotional picture.
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 1,384 people, 531 household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s, and 346 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 1,124.7 people per square mile (434.4/km²). There were 602 housing units at an average density of 489.2 per square mile (189.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.81% White, 1.52% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.36% 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 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.82% of the population.
There were 531 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% 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, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 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 $29,792, and the median income for a family was $37,250. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $19,028 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 $15,493. About 6.3% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The largest employer in Peabody is Unified School DistrictUnified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
398, which has two schools in the city.
Government
The Peabody government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets the 2nd and last Monday of each month at 7 pm.- City Hall, 300 North Walnut Street.
- Fire Department, 103 North Sycamore Street.
- Police Department and City Shop, 107 East 9th Street.
- U.S. Post Office, 105 West 2nd Street.
Free housing lots
The city of Peabody is offering free lots to anyone that will build a house on them.Historical list of Mayors
| Years | Terms | Mayor |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-Now | 2 | Larry K Larsen |
| 2007–2008 | 1 | Edmund Slocombe |
| 2005–2006 | 1 | Tom Schmidt |
| 2003–2004 | 1 | Randy Dallke |
| 2001–2002 | 1 | Kevin Ensminger |
| 1998–2001 | 1+ | N.M. Patton |
| 1977–1998 | 10+ | Douglas Porter |
| 1971–1976 | 3 | Guy Meirowsky |
| 1967-1970 1961-1964 1953-1956 |
6 | John DeForest |
| 1965-19661957-1960 | 3 | Earl Graham |
| 1949–1952 | 2 | Ray Beeton |
| Years | Terms | Mayor |
|---|---|---|
| 1941–1948 | 4 | D.M. Ward |
| 1937–1940 | 2 | A.H. Gilfillan |
| 1933–1936 | 2 | Oliver Kornhaus |
| 1931–1932 | 1 | John Willoughby |
| 1928–1930 | 1+ | Herbert H Wehry |
| 1925–1927 | 1+ | L.W. Noble |
| 1923-24 1916 |
1+ | J.W. Nusbaum |
| 1919–1922 | 2 | Arnold Berns |
| 1917–1918 | 1 | Orlando Jolliffe |
| 1915 | <1 | H.A. Kobel |
| 1911–1914 | 2 | W.H. Sulphin |
| 1905–1910 | 3 | J.S. Holmberg |
| Years | Terms | Mayor |
|---|---|---|
| 1903–1904 | 2 | G.W. Campbell |
| 1902 1897-1898 |
3 | O.J. Furst |
| 1901 | 1 | D.L. Sammis |
| 1900 | * | John Janett |
| 1899–1900 | 1+ | Thomas Osborne |
| 1896 1891 |
2 | W.M. Irwin |
| 1894–1895 | 2 | A.A. Wheeler |
| 1893 | 1 | W.H. Traver |
| 1992 | 1 | J.M Bechtel |
| 1890 | 1 | A.H. Smock |
| 1889 | * | W.M. Brueser |
| Years | Terms | Mayor |
|---|---|---|
| 1889 1887 |
1+ | F.B. McKercher |
| 1888 | 1 | J.F. Hess |
| 1886 | * | I.A. Shriver |
| 1886 | <1 | G.A. Funk |
| 1884-1885 1880 |
3 | G.W. Neal |
| 1883 | 1 | D. McKercher |
| 1882 | 1 | F.C. Bush |
| 1881 | 1 | F.H. Kollock |
| 1879 | 1 | Philip Weidlein |
| 1878 | 1 | W.H. Prescott |
Note: Before 1905, terms were 1 year.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Peabody is part of Unified School DistrictUnified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
398. The school district includes Peabody, 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:...
, Wonsevu
Wonsevu, Kansas
Wonsevu is an unincorporated community in Chase County, Kansas, United States.-Primary and secondary education:Wonsevu is part of Unified School District 398...
, and nearby rural areas of Marion
Marion County, Kansas
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 12,660. The county seat is Marion...
/ Chase
Chase County, Kansas
Chase County is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,790. Its county seat and most populous city is Cottonwood Falls. Chase County is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area.The county has been the subject...
/ Harvey
Harvey County, Kansas
Harvey County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 34,684. Its county seat and most populous city is Newton. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area which also includes Butler,...
/ Butler
Butler County, Kansas
Butler County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 65,880. Its county seat and most populous city is El Dorado. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.-19th century:It was named in...
Counties. The district has two schools in Peabody:
- Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High SchoolPeabody-Burns Junior/Senior High SchoolPeabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School is a public secondary school in Peabody, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 398, and serves students of grades 7 to 12. It is the sole high school in the district for Peabody, Burns, Wonsevu, and nearby rural areas of Marion / Chase / Harvey /...
, 810 North Sycamore Street, Grades 7Seventh gradeSeventh grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12–13 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school...
to 12Twelfth gradeTwelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
. - Peabody-Burns Elementary School, 506 North Elm Street, Grades KKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to 6Sixth gradeSixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
.
Academics
The high school band is well known in competitions, and especially popular in regional parades. The high school is a member of T.E.E.N., a shared video teaching network, started in 1993, between five area high schools.Sports
The Peabody-Burns High School mascot is the Warrior. All high school athletic and non-athletic competition is overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities AssociationKansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
. For the 2010/2011 seasons, the football team competes as Class 8 Man - Division I in the Wheat State league.
Championships
- 1977, 2nd Place, Class 2A, High School Boys Football, Head Coach Dennis FranchioneDennis FranchioneDennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
. - 1963, 1st Place, Class B, High School Boys Basketball, Head Coach Cal Reimer.
History
The first school in Peabody was organized in 1871. The first school building, two stone rooms, was built in 1872. The first high school classes were taught in 1879, and the first graduation class in 1881 consisted of 2 students. In 1923, a new high school was built at 900 North Walnut Street. In 1946-1947, the School Reorganization Act consolidated many one-room rural schools into the Peabody school district. In 1953, the Brown Building was built to house a larger gymnasium, band / lunch room, and vocational agriculture rooms. In 1965, the Burns and Summit school districts were unified with Peabody to form Unified School DistrictUnified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
398. The Summit school and Burns High School were closed. In 1996-1997, the current high school was built (and attached) to the south side the existing Brown Building at 810 North Sycamore Street. Soon afterward, the former 1923 high school across the street was demolished and converted into a football practice field. The Burns Grade School, which included a junior high, was closed. Currently all students in USD 398 attend schools in Peabody.
Library
Each USD 398 school has a library for student access.The city is served by the Peabody Township Carnegie Library at 214 North Walnut Street. The library was established in 1874, a Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
since 1914, was the first free tax-supported library in Kansas. Since 2008, two computers have been available for high-speed T1
Digital Signal 1
Digital signal 1 is a T-carrier signaling scheme devised by Bell Labs. DS1 is a widely used standard in telecommunications in North America and Japan to transmit voice and data between devices. E1 is used in place of T1 outside North America, Japan, and South Korea...
internet access, and free WiFi access allow patrons to browse the internet. The library is a member of the North Central Kansas Libraries System, which provides an inter-library book loan service between its members.
- Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, local newspaper in Peabody.
- The Newton KansanNewton KansanThe Newton Kansan is a newspaper that serves Newton and Harvey County, Kansas. The Kansan is published daily .The paper was founded as a weekly in 1872 and converted to a daily circulation in 1886...
, regional newspaper in NewtonNewton, KansasNewton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
. - The Wichita EagleThe Wichita EagleThe Wichita Eagle is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas. It is owned by The McClatchy Company, which publishes 31 other newspapers, including The Kansas City Star.It is the largest newspaper in Wichita, Kansas and the surrounding area....
, major regional newspaper in WichitaWichita, KansasWichita 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...
.
Radio
Peabody is served by numerous radio stations of the WichitaWichita, 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...
-Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
listening market area, and satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
. See Media in Wichita, Kansas.
Television
Peabody is served by over-the-air ATSCATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
digital TV
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
of the 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...
-Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
viewing market area, cable TV by Allegiance Communications
Allegiance Communications
Allegiance Communications is an American provider of cable TV, broadband Internet, and VOIP telephony services to rural and mid-size markets in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas...
, and satellite TV
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
. See Media in Wichita, Kansas.
Infrastructure
Rail
Two railroads, BNSF RailwayBNSF 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...
and Union Pacific Railroad
Union 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....
, pass through the city. The BNSF Railway runs east-west through the city and has a spur for grain cars at the east Mid Kansas Co-Op. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
passenger train travels on the BNSF Railway but stops at nearby Newton
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
. The Oklahoma Kansas Texas (OKT) line of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union 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....
runs north-south through the city and has a spur for grain cars at the west Mid Kansas Co-Op. The two railroads cross each other as a Level junction
Level junction
In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction is a railway junction that has a track configuration in which merging or crossing railroad lines provide track connections with each other that require trains to cross over in front of opposing traffic at grade In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction...
, and a rarely used connection between the two railroads allows eastbound BNSF trains to turn onto the northbound Union Pacific railroad.
Highway
U.S. Route 50 passes through the northern edge of the city, and follows roughly parallels the BNSF Railway.In the early years of the highway before U.S. Route 50 was finalized in the late 1930s, the highway was known as the New Santa Fe Trail, which entered the north side of the city on Newell Rd (later on Old Mill Rd), and exited on the south-west side on 60th Street (known as the Old Trail). Up until the late 1950s, U.S. Route 50 was split into two routes through central Kansas. The routes were called 50N and 50S, and the highway through Peabody was 50S. From the late 1930s to 1998, the highway was routed east to west through Peabody on 9th Street, then a bypass and overpass was built about 1.5 blocks north to avoid a dangerous underpass which went under the Union Pacific Railroad.
It has been proposed, by the Kansas Department of Transportation
Kansas Department of Transportation
The Kansas Department of Transportation is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Kansas.-Organization:*Secretary of Transportation...
, that U.S. Route 50 should be converted into a 4-lane expressway from Emporia
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
to western Kansas. In the meantime, additional passing lanes may be added.
Utilities
- Internet
- Wired is provided by Allegiance CommunicationsAllegiance CommunicationsAllegiance Communications is an American provider of cable TV, broadband Internet, and VOIP telephony services to rural and mid-size markets in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas...
(cable). - Wireless is provided by Pixius Communications (wireless), Verizon (cellular).
- Satellite is provided by HughesNet, StarBandStarBandStarBand is a two-way satellite broadband Internet service available in the U.S.. StarBand Communications Inc. was initially a joint venture between Gilat Satellite Networks, EchoStar and Microsoft, and the StarBand service was launched in 2000. StarBand Communications filed for Chapter 11...
, WildBlue. - Dialup is provided by AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, EarthLinkEarthLinkEarthLink , is an Internet service provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It claims 1.94 million subscribers.- Business :EarthLink provides a variety of Internet connection types, including dial-up, DSL, satellite, and cable. Both dial-up and high speed Internet access are available...
/ Southwind, InterKan, KITUSA / Carroll's Web, WWWebservice.
- Wired is provided by Allegiance Communications
- TV
- Cable is provided by Allegiance CommunicationsAllegiance CommunicationsAllegiance Communications is an American provider of cable TV, broadband Internet, and VOIP telephony services to rural and mid-size markets in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas...
. - Satellite is provided by DirecTVDirecTVDirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
, Dish NetworkDish NetworkDish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
. - Terrestrial is provided by regional digital TVDigital televisionDigital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
stations.
- Cable is provided by Allegiance Communications
- Telephone
- Landline is provided by AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. - Cell Phone is provided by Verizon.
- Landline is provided by AT&T
- Electricity
- City is provided by Westar EnergyWestar EnergyWestar Energy is an investor owned electric utility headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. Westar is the largest electric company in Kansas, serving 687,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the eastern third of the state. Westar Energy generates more than 27,000,000 megawatt-hours of...
. - Rural is provided by Flint Hills RECA and Butler REC.
- City is provided by Westar Energy
- Natural Gas is provided by Atmos EnergyAtmos EnergyAtmos Energy Corporation , headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the largest distributor of natural gas in the United States, serving 3.2 million customers nationwide. Atmos acquired TXU's natural gas and pipeline holdings in 2004. The company began as Energas in 1983, a spinoff of the natural gas...
. - Water
- City is provided by City of Peabody.
- Rural is provided by Harvey County RWD #1.
- Sewer is provided by City of Peabody.
- Trash is provied by Waste Connections.
Notable people
- James Henry Clay Brewer, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, Captain in Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, Peabody merchant. - Edgar F. Davison, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, banker. - Rebecca L. EdigerRebecca L. EdigerRebecca Lee Ediger was a Past Deputy Assistant Director/Administration, Office of Human Resources and Training, United States Secret Service, United States Department of Homeland Security. Agent Ediger retired after 23 years of service in 2006.Ms Ediger was born in Newton, Kansas...
, United States Secret ServiceUnited States Secret ServiceThe United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent. - Dennis FranchioneDennis FranchioneDennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
, college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach. - J.G. Johnson, William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
Campaign Committee for 1896 presidential election, Kansas Delegate for Democratic National Committee in 1896 / 1900, various Democratic Committees for 1900 / 1904 / 1908 elections, Peabody postmaster. - Orlando Jolliffe, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, Peabody Mayor, Peabody banker, oilman, rancher. - Alfred R. Kent, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
. - F.H. Kollock, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
. - Willard J. Madsen, University Professor, Sign LanguageSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
Expert, author of two sign languageSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
text books. - Dick Myers, Forward for 1965–66 Texas Western Miners men's basketball team1965–66 Texas Western Miners men's basketball teamThe 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team represented Texas Western University, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso and was coached by Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The team made history by winning the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 1966, becoming the...
and inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. - Fred Eugene Pettit, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, Peabody merchant. - Bertine Pinckney, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
, Wisconsin Senate, Colonel in Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, Peabody postmaster, farmer. - T.M. Potter, Kansas SenateKansas SenateThe Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term....
, Infantry in Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, rancher, school teacher in MarionMarion, KansasMarion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Francis Marion, a Brigadier General of the American Revolutionary War, known as the "Swamp Fox". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,927....
, original owner of south half-section of Peabody, organized Peabody town company, member of Board of RegentsBoard of RegentsIn the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
of Kansas University, Potter Lake at Kansas University was named after him. - Frederic RemingtonFrederic RemingtonFrederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
, American Old WestAmerican Old WestThe American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
artist. - Lawrence David Slocombe, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, rancher, farmer, businessman. - Oscar S. StaufferOscar S. StaufferOscar Stanley Stauffer was founder of the media company Stauffer Communications and is often credited with starting the bandwagon for Kansas Governor Alf Landon getting the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1936.At the time of his death, Stauffer owned 20 newspapers, two...
, founder of Stauffer CommunicationsStauffer CommunicationsStauffer Communications was a corporation which until 1995 owned many media and other companies in Topeka, Kansas including the Topeka Capital-Journal and WIBW, WIBW-FM, and WIBW-TV....
, editor of Peabody Gazette newspaper. - William W. Waring, Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
.
Famous visitors
- William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, politician and speaker, gave speeches in Peabody on multiple occasions while Democratic candidate for President of the United States in 1896, 1900, 1908 because his friend and advisor J.G. Johnson lived in Peabody.
Gallery
- Historic Images of Peabody, Special Photo Collections at Wichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityWichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
Library
See also
- Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High SchoolPeabody-Burns Junior/Senior High SchoolPeabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School is a public secondary school in Peabody, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 398, and serves students of grades 7 to 12. It is the sole high school in the district for Peabody, Burns, Wonsevu, and nearby rural areas of Marion / Chase / Harvey /...
- Main Street Programs in the United StatesMain Street Programs in the United StatesOver the past several decades a national movement of Main Street Programs has emerged. These may be statewide or regional "coordinating programs" or "local programs." Programs determined to be "Designated" follow best-practices established by the National Main Street Center and/or statewide or...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, KansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Marion County, Kansas, United States...
- Peabody Downtown Historic DistrictPeabody Downtown Historic DistrictPeabody Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It is located in Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas...
- Peabody Historical Library MuseumPeabody Historical Library MuseumPeabody Historical Library Museum, also known under the older name of Old Peabody Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas...
- Peabody Township LibraryCarnegie Library (Peabody, Kansas)Peabody Township Library, also known under the older name of Peabody Township Carnegie Library, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-History:...
- W.H. Morgan HouseW.H. Morgan HouseW.H. Morgan House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* List of museums in Kansas...
- J.S. Schroeder BuildingJ.S. Schroeder BuildingJ.S. Schroeder Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It is located in the Downtown Historic District of Peabody, Kansas.-See also:* National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Kansas...
- Peabody Downtown Historic District
- Sunflower TheaterBoller BrothersBoller Brothers, also spelled as Boller Bros., was an architectural firm based in Kansas City, Missouri which specialized in theater design in the Midwest of the United States during the first half of the 20th century...
- Threshing StoneThreshing stoneA threshing stone is a roller-like tool used for the threshing of wheat. Similar to the use of threshing boards, the stone was pulled by horses over a circular pile of harvested wheat on a hardened dirt surface , and the rolling stone knocked the grain from the head of wheat. The straw was removed...
- Historical Maps of Marion County, KansasMarion County, KansasMarion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 12,660. The county seat is Marion...
- Great Flood of 1951Great Flood of 1951In 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...
- Kaycee NicoleKaycee NicoleKaycee Nicole was a fictitious persona played by Debbie Swenson in a well-known case of Münchausen by Internet. Between 1999 and when the hoax was discovered in 2001, Swenson, playing the role of Kaycee, represented herself on numerous websites as a teenager suffering from terminal leukemia...
Further reading
Peabody- The Women of Peabody; Peabody Historical Society; Mennonite Press in Newton, KS; LCCN 2010928692; 250 pages; 2010. (Cover)
Marion County
- Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House in Hillsboro, KS; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.
- The Early Schools of Marion County Kansas; Wilma Stewart Stallwitz; Located at Peabody Township Library; 33 pages; November 11, 1960.
- World War Roll of Honor : Marion County Kansas 1917-1920; Mrs Alexander and Mrs Dean of Marion, Kansas; 221 pages; 1920. (11MB PDF)
- Standard Atlas of Marion County Kansas; Geo A. Ogle & Co; 103 pages; 1902.
External links
Schools
- USD 398, school district
Videos
Historical
- Detailed history of all buildings in Peabody Downtown Historic District (10MB)
- 1901 Peabody newspaper articles, many articles and photos
- List of Marion County cemeteries
Maps
- Peabody City Map, KDOT
- Marion County Map and Harvey County Map, KDOT
- Topo Map of Peabody area, USGS