Bunker Hill is a city in Russell County,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 103.

History

J. B. Corbett and Valentine Harbaugh, leaders of a colony from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, founded Bunker Hill at a site on the

Kansas Pacific Railway The Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) 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. At a time when the first transcontine ...

in the summer of 1871. The settlement received its name from a

Butterfield Overland Despatch {{distinguish, text = the Butterfield Overland Mail, an unaffiliated company with a similar name The Butterfield Overland Despatch was a mail and freight service operating across the Great Plains of America in the 1860s. Due to increased travel t ...

station, built in 1865, that had preceded it on the site. County commissioners declared Bunker Hill the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

in 1872, but, two years later, a popular vote moved the seat to nearby

Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia *Russell, Australian Capital Territory *Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **Ru ...

. Many Bunker Hill residents moved with it, stunting the growth and development of the town. By 1883, a small business community emerged, including a hotel, flour mill, and several shops.

Geography

Bunker Hill is located at (38.874716, -98.702759), at an elevation of 1,860 feet (567 m). Located in north-central Kansas, Bunker Hill is 108 miles (174 km) northwest of Wichita and 221 miles (355 km) west of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

. Located 1 mile (1.7 km) north of

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 in ...

, it is roughly 8 miles (13 km) east of

, the

. The community lies in the

Smoky Hills The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the Midwestern United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a disse ...

region of the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of the

Smoky Hill River The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through Colorado and Kansas.Smoky Hill River. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.br ...

and 7 miles (11 km) south of the Saline River. Wilson Lake lies 6 miles (10 km) to the northeast. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Bunker Hill has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 95 people, 47 households, and 21 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 66 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 1.1% from some other race. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 1.1% of the population. There were 47 households, of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 2.1% had a male householder with no wife present, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.3% were non-families. 53.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 42.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02, and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 14.8% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males age 18 and over. The median income for a household in the city was $31,875, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $30,313 versus $37,917 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $20,661. 4.2% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 101 people, 51 households, and 29 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 68 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 6.93% of the population. There were 51 households, out of which 13.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were

living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.59. In the city the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 1.0% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 37.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.

Economy

As of 2012, 70.7% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.0% was in the armed forces, and 70.7% was in the civilian labor force with 70.7% being employed and 0.0% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 34.5% in service occupations; 32.8% in sales and office occupations; 17.2% in management, business, science, and arts; 12.1% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 3.4% in production, transportation, and material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: retail trade (27.6%); arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (13.8%); and wholesale trade (13.8%). The cost of living in Bunker Hill is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 80.0. As of 2012, the median home value in the city was $45,000, the median selected monthly owner cost was $717 for housing units with a mortgage and $275 for those without, and the median gross rent was $913.

Government

Bunker Hill is a city of the third class with a mayor-council form of government. The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

consists of five members, and it meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Bunker Hill lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the

Kansas Legislature The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, with 125 state representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 state senators. ...

, the city is located in the 36th district of the

Kansas Senate The 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 elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...

and the 109th district of the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature 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 craftin ...

Education

The community is served by

Russell County USD 407 Russell County USD 407 is a Public school (government funded), public unified school district headquartered in Russell, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Russell, Kansas, Russell, Bunker Hill, Kansas, Bunker Hill, G ...

public school district. The district high school is Russel High School located in

. Bunker Hill schools were closed through school unification. The Bunker Hill High School mascot was White Owls.

Infrastructure

Transportation

and

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

run concurrently east-west a mile south of the city. Bunker Hill-Luray Road, a paved county road, runs north-south along the city's western edge.

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

operates one freight rail line, its Kansas Pacific (KP) Line, through Bunker Hill. The line runs east-west through the community.

Utilities

Western Electric provides electricity to local residents. Rural Telephone provides landline telephone service, and Nex-Tech offers cable television and internet access. Most residents use

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

for heating fuel; service is provided by Midwest Energy, Inc.

Media

Bunker Hill is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market. Smoky Hills Public Television, the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

member network for western Kansas, is headquartered in Bunker Hill.

Culture

Points of interest

The Bunker Hill Museum, located in an old limestone church one block east of Main Street, displays documents and artifacts from the community's history.

In popular culture and the arts

Bunker Hill is the setting and namesake of the 2008 film '' Bunker Hill''.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Bunker Hill include: *

Mary Ann Bickerdyke Mary Ann Bickerdyke (July 19, 1817 – November 8, 1901), also known as Mother Bickerdyke, was a hospital administrator for Union soldiers during the American Civil War and a lifelong advocate for veterans. She was responsible for establishing 3 ...

(1817-1901),

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

nurse

References

External links

Bunker Hill - Directory of Public Officials

Bunker Hill city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Russell County, Kansas Populated places established in 1871 1871 establishments in Kansas