WaKeeney, Kansas
Encyclopedia
WaKeeney is a city in and the county seat
of Trego County
, Kansas
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,862.
, purchased land at the site of modern-day WaKeeney from the Kansas Pacific Railway
in 1877. He and business partner Albert Warren formed Warren, Keeney, & Co., surveyed and plotted the site in 1878, and established a colony there in 1879. They named the colony WaKeeney, a portmanteau of their surnames, and billed it as "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers. The colony grew rapidly, but crop failures drove settlers to leave in 1879 and 1880. Years later, Volga Germans began settling the area.
WaKeeney became the county seat in June 1879 and was incorporated
as a city in 1880.
region of the Great Plains
approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Big Creek, a tributary
of the Smoky Hill River
. A small tributary of Big Creek flows south from near the center of the city. Located in northwestern Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70
and U.S. Route 283
, WaKeeney is approximately 162 miles (260.7 km) northwest of Wichita
, 281 miles (452.2 km) east-southeast of Denver, and 284 miles (457.1 km) west of Kansas City
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all of it land.
, humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa)
, and semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), WaKeeney experiences hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature is 52.8 °F (11 °C), and the average yearly precipitation is 22.3 inches (566 mm). Snowfall averages 25.2 inches (640 mm) per year. On average, January is the coolest month, and July is both the warmest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in WaKeeney was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1980; the coldest temperature recorded was -25 °F (-32 °C) in 1989.
of 2000, there were 1,924 people, 882 households, and 539 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,124.8 people per square mile (434.4/km2). There were 1,023 housing units at an average density of 598.1 per square mile (231.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.14% White, 0.05% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 882 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,945, and the median income for a family was $40,547. Males had a median income of $26,292 versus $16,435 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,596. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
208 provides public primary
and secondary education
with two schools in WaKeeney: WaKeeney Grade School (Grades Pre-K-8) and Trego Community High School (9-12).
and U.S. Route 40
run concurrently
southeast-northwest immediately south of WaKeeney, intersecting U.S. Route 283
which runs north-south through the city. U.S. 283 runs east-west for one mile in downtown WaKeeney, concurrent with a U.S. 40 business route
and the old alignment of U.S. 40.
Trego WaKeeney Airport is located on the west side of U.S. 283 immediately south of I-70.
A Union Pacific Railroad
line runs east-west though WaKeeney.
, The Western Kansas World.
K231BG, a translator of radio station
KJIL-FM in Copeland, Kansas
, broadcasts from WaKeeney on 94.1 FM
playing a Contemporary Christian format.
in the center of town. The tree is ceremonially lit the Saturday night after Thanksgiving
through New Years.
and Big Creek
limestone, was the first major building in the town. It was inaugurated on July 4 of that year, with officials from Warren, Keeney and the Kansas governor in attendance. Union Pacific later acquired the depot and used it until the 1930s.
The Opera House was the next major building, completed in 1884 with ceiling murals, a Rochester electric brass chandelier, and seating for 400. It was destroyed by fire the following year.
The Trego County Courthouse, constructed of Trego County hard stone and Manhattan stone, was designed by Topeka architect George R. Ropes in the Queen Anne style, with a 100-ft cupola and European tin roof which lasted until 1952. The courthouse is still in use, although the basement jail, with unusual flat bars, was closed in 1976. The building appeared in several scenes in the 1974 film Paper Moon
.
Schools
Historical
Maps
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Trego County
Trego County, Kansas
Trego County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,001...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,862.
History
James Keeney, a land speculator in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, purchased land at the site of modern-day WaKeeney from the Kansas Pacific Railway
Kansas Pacific Railway
The Kansas Pacific Railway was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century. It was a federally chartered railroad, backed with government land grants. It operated many of the first long-distance lines in the state of Kansas in the 1870s,...
in 1877. He and business partner Albert Warren formed Warren, Keeney, & Co., surveyed and plotted the site in 1878, and established a colony there in 1879. They named the colony WaKeeney, a portmanteau of their surnames, and billed it as "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers. The colony grew rapidly, but crop failures drove settlers to leave in 1879 and 1880. Years later, Volga Germans began settling the area.
WaKeeney became the county seat in June 1879 and was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a city in 1880.
Geography
WaKeeney is located at 39.024467°N 99.881972°W (39.024467, -99.881972) at an elevation of 2,447 feet (746 m). It lies in the High PlainsHigh Plains (United States)
The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains mostly in the Western United States, but also partly in the Midwest states of Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains...
region of 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...
approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Big Creek, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Smoky Hill River
Smoky Hill River
The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through the U.S. states of Colorado and Kansas.-Names:The Smoky Hill gets its name from the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas through which it flows...
. A small tributary of Big Creek flows south from near the center of the city. Located in northwestern Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283 is a spur of U.S. Route 83. It currently runs for 731 miles from Brady, Texas at U.S. Route 87 to Lexington, Nebraska at U.S. Route 30. It passes through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.-Texas:...
, WaKeeney is approximately 162 miles (260.7 km) northwest 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...
, 281 miles (452.2 km) east-southeast of Denver, and 284 miles (457.1 km) west of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
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 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all of it land.
Climate
Lying in the transition zone between North America's humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa)Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
, humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa)
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, and semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), WaKeeney experiences hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature is 52.8 °F (11 °C), and the average yearly precipitation is 22.3 inches (566 mm). Snowfall averages 25.2 inches (640 mm) per year. On average, January is the coolest month, and July is both the warmest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in WaKeeney was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1980; the coldest temperature recorded was -25 °F (-32 °C) in 1989.
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 1,924 people, 882 households, and 539 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 1,124.8 people per square mile (434.4/km2). There were 1,023 housing units at an average density of 598.1 per square mile (231.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.14% White, 0.05% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 882 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,945, and the median income for a family was $40,547. Males had a median income of $26,292 versus $16,435 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 $17,596. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
USDUnified 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....
208 provides public primary
Primary education in the United States
Primary education in the United States typically refers to the first six years of formal education in most jurisdictions. Primary education may also be referred to as elementary education and most schools offering these programs are referred to as elementary schools...
and secondary education
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
with two schools in WaKeeney: WaKeeney Grade School (Grades Pre-K-8) and Trego Community High School (9-12).
Transportation
Interstate 70Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
run concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
southeast-northwest immediately south of WaKeeney, intersecting U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283 is a spur of U.S. Route 83. It currently runs for 731 miles from Brady, Texas at U.S. Route 87 to Lexington, Nebraska at U.S. Route 30. It passes through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.-Texas:...
which runs north-south through the city. U.S. 283 runs east-west for one mile in downtown WaKeeney, concurrent with a U.S. 40 business route
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
and the old alignment of U.S. 40.
Trego WaKeeney Airport is located on the west side of U.S. 283 immediately south of I-70.
A 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....
line runs east-west though WaKeeney.
Media
WaKeeney has a weekly newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The Western Kansas World.
K231BG, a translator of radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
KJIL-FM in Copeland, Kansas
Copeland, Kansas
Copeland is a city in Gray County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 310. Copeland was named after E.L. Copeland, secretary-treasurer of the Santa Fe Railroad.-Geography:Copeland is located at...
, broadcasts from WaKeeney on 94.1 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
playing a Contemporary Christian format.
Culture
Since 1950, WaKeeney has hosted an ornate civic Christmas lighting display, which now includes over 6,000 lights and a 35-foot man-made Christmas treeChristmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
in the center of town. The tree is ceremonially lit the Saturday night after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
through New Years.
Architecture
The train depot, built in 1879 with Saline RiverSaline River
Saline River may refer to several rivers:In Canada:*Saline River , a tributary of the Mackenzie RiverIn Italy:*Saline , an Italian river in AbruzzoIn the United States:...
and Big Creek
Big Creek
-In Canada:* Big Creek , a tributary of the Chilcotin River* Big Creek Provincial Park, a British Columbia Provincial Park* Big Creek, British Columbia, a locality and former post office in the Chilcotin District of British Columbia...
limestone, was the first major building in the town. It was inaugurated on July 4 of that year, with officials from Warren, Keeney and the Kansas governor in attendance. Union Pacific later acquired the depot and used it until the 1930s.
The Opera House was the next major building, completed in 1884 with ceiling murals, a Rochester electric brass chandelier, and seating for 400. It was destroyed by fire the following year.
The Trego County Courthouse, constructed of Trego County hard stone and Manhattan stone, was designed by Topeka architect George R. Ropes in the Queen Anne style, with a 100-ft cupola and European tin roof which lasted until 1952. The courthouse is still in use, although the basement jail, with unusual flat bars, was closed in 1976. The building appeared in several scenes in the 1974 film Paper Moon
Paper Moon (film)
Paper Moon is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown, and the film was shot in black-and-white. The film is set during the Great Depression in the U.S. states of Kansas and...
.
Notable people
- Charles Harris GarriguesCharles Harris Garriguesthumb|upright|right|C.H. Garrigues,about 1941Charles Harris Garrigues was a California writer and journalist who wrote as C.H. Garrigues. He was a general-assignment reporter in Los Angeles, California, in the 1920s, a grand jury investigator and political activist in the 1930s, a newspaper copy...
, journalist - Steve GotscheSteve GotscheSteve Gotsche is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Gotsche joined the PGA Tour in 1994, earning his Tour card through qualifying school. In his rookie year he recorded the best PGA Tour finish of his career, a fifth place finish at the New England...
, former PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and Nationwide TourNationwide TourThe Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er - Andrew J. HarlanAndrew J. HarlanAndrew Jackson Harlan was a U.S. Representative from Indiana, cousin of Aaron Harlan.Born near Wilmington, Ohio, Harlan attended the public schools. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1839 and commenced practice in Richmond, Indiana. He moved to Marion, Indiana, in 1839...
, U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... - Orrin UpshawOrrin UpshawOrrin Thomas Upshaw was an American tug of war athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.In the 1904 Olympics he won a silver medal as a member of Southwest Turnverein of Saint Louis No. 1 team....
, U.S. Olympic1904 Summer OlympicsThe 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
tug of warTug of war at the Summer OlympicsTug of war was contested as a team event in the Summer Olympics at every Olympiad from 1900 to 1920. Originally the competition was entered by clubs, which meant that one country could win several medals. This happened in 1904, when the United States won all three medals, and in 1908 when the...
athlete
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
CitySchools
- USD 208, local school district
Historical
Maps
- WaKeeney City Map, KDOT
- Trego County Map, KDOT