unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Franklin County, Kansas
Franklin County (county code FR) is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 25,996. Its county seat and most populous city is Ottawa. The county is predominantly rura ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 100. It is located about 11 miles northwest of
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. In the 1850s, Centropolis had the distinction of briefly vying for territorial capital of Kansas.
History
The area was first settled by Perry Fuller in 1855 who established a store in order to trade with the nearby
Ottawa Indians
The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...
. His store prospered and in 1856 he established the Centropolis Town Company and began selling lots. The community name is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsJotham Meeker for the Ottawa Baptist Mission was the first newspaper in Franklin County. The first commercial newspaper in the County, the ''Kansas Leader'', was founded in 1857. Not only did Fuller expect his new town to become
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 ...
but also the territorial capital of
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 ...
and eventually state capital.
Just a couple miles east of Centropolis, St. Bernard was established and the Territorial Legislature made St. Bernard the Franklin County seat but despite having the county seat, St. Bernard did not grow and post office was closed and renamed Minneola.
The Centropolis post office closed in 1930.
Geography
Centropolis has an elevation of .
Demographics
For statistical purposes, 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 ...
has defined this community as a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...