Concordia is a city in and 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 ...

of Cloud 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. It is located along the

Republican River The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, rising in the High Plains (United States), High Plains of eastern Colorado and flowing east U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline ...

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 ...

North Central Kansas North Central Kansas is a tourism and geographical region of the state of Kansas. It consists of 15 counties, and has a population of over 150,000. The Salina micropolitan area is part of North Central Kansas. The region stretches from the Nebr ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,111. Concordia is home of the

Cloud County Community College Cloud County Community College is a public community college with campuses in Concordia and Junction City, Kansas. Concordia campus Cloud County Community College was founded in Concordia in 1965 and began classes in the Concordia Junior-Sen ...

and the

Nazareth Convent and Academy The Nazareth Convent and Academy in Concordia, Kansas is the official Motherhouse and Home for the 160 Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. It was built in 1903 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places The National Register o ...

History

19th century

Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Cloud County

Concordia holds the distinction of being elected the

before the town was created. The founder of the town, James M. Hagaman had created a complete layout of the town on paper including streets, blocks, courthouse, and parks. The name "Concordia" was chosen because a member of the early group of promoters ("Cap" Snyder) had once lived in

Concordia, Missouri Concordia is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States. The population was 2,450 at the 2010 census. History Concordia was platted in 1868. The city was named after a place m ...

, and liked the name because it paid homage to the settlers-to-be's German heritage; the name "Concordia" is a German name found in many early Germanic poems. December 1869 was the first election for the county seat with Concordia,

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

, and the now defunct town Sibley. Without a clear majority, a second election was held between Concordia and Sibley on January 4, 1870. Concordia was declared the winner over Sibley 165 votes to 129. It was over a year later when Concordia officially became a community when the Republican Land District Office opened on January 16, 1871. The Concordia Land Office continued until February 28, 1889, when it was consolidated with the land office in

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...

. Also in 1871, Concordia elected its first mayor, R. E. Allen. Under his leadership, Concordia was officially incorporated as a third class city under Kansas law in August 1872. Concordia was visited in its early years by many traveling shows. As early as 1876, various traveling entertainers including

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement ...

Buffalo Bill Cody William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...

Ringling Brothers The Ringling brothers (originally Rüngling) were seven American siblings who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of the largest circuses in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Four brothers ...

, and others came to Concordia. In 1892, the Ringling train wrecked east of the town killing two men and 20 horses, but the show played the next day to a crowd of 4,000. The first schoolteacher to teach inside the city limits was Milo Stevens, who was paid a salary of $20 per month. A state

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

was set up in Concordia in 1874 with F. E. Robinson as principal and former state Superintendent H. D. McCarty became president the second year. In 1876, the state ceased to provide funding and the school was closed. In 1887,

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

built a branch line from

Neva The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it ...

(three miles west of Strong City) through Concordia to

Superior, Nebraska Superior is a city in Nuckolls County, Nebraska, Nuckolls County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city population was 1,957. Superior bills itself as the "Victorian Capital of Nebraska", and holds a ...

. In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. Its historical lineage begins in the e ...

and renamed to the current

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe." In 1897,

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

founded the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Concordia, Kansas The Diocese of Concordia in America ( la, Dioecesis Concordiensis in America) ) was founded on August 2, 1887, by Pope Leo XIII and based in Concordia, Kansas. On December 23, 1947, the Diocese was renamed the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina. I ...

. The diocese operated until 1947 when it was merged with the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina The Diocese of Salina ( la, Dioecesis Salinensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church covering thirty-one counties in Kansas. The counties included in this diocese are Cheyenne, Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Tho ...

. It was later restored as a titular see in 1995.

20th century

Carrie Nation Caroline Amelia Nation (November 25, 1846June 9, 1911), often referred to by Carrie, Carry Nation, Carrie A. Nation, or Hatchet Granny, was a radical member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol before the advent of Prohibition. Nat ...

visited Concordia in the early 1900s. Records are mixed, but the date is placed between 1908 and 1910. The ''Concordia Blade'' newspaper (now the ''

Concordia Blade-Empire The Concordia Blade-Empire is a local newspaper for Concordia, Kansas. It is the official newspaper for Cloud County, Kansas. The paper publishes five days a week, Monday through Friday. History The ''Concordia Blade-Empire'' has a rich history ...

'') reported:

"Carrie Nation is in town. That wonderfully brave little woman who started the crusade against Kansas saloons lectured at the M.E. Church this afternoon, and will talk again tonight at the courthouse. While in this city she is the guest of Mrs. George Mohr."

A major geographic change in the city and the area occurred on July 9, 1902. The

flooded near town and broke a dam. The flooding resulted in re-routing the river by 1/4 of a mile. The year of 1912 brought a major blizzard to Concordia with snow so deep that a Union Pacific train became stuck northeast of town and snowbanks on main street piled as high as peoples' heads. Also in 1912, the first official inspection team for

Meridian Highway Meridian Highway was a United States auto trail in the early twentieth century. It roughly followed the path of present-day U.S. Route 81 from Pembina, North Dakota to Fort Worth, Texas, and Interstate 35 from Fort Worth to Laredo, Texas. History ...

(now US-81) came through Concordia on their tour from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. In 1913, the

Missouri Pacific Railway The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as 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. In 1967, the railroad o ...

depot Depot ( or ) may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica * Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica * Depot Island Formation, Greenland Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...

was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the old building. Another flood took place on June 20, 1915. Damage from the flood was significant but not as wide-sweeping as the flood of 1902.

Geography

Concordia is located at (39.569035, −97.658398) and is at an elevation of 1,378 feet (420 m). It lies on the south side of the

in the

region of the

. Lost Creek, a tributary of the Republican, flows north along the western edge of the city. Located in north-central Kansas at the intersection of

U.S. Route 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Stat ...

and K-9, Concordia is approximately north of Wichita, southwest of

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, and west-northwest 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 ...

. 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 land.

Climate

Concordia has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dfa''), with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters; it is part of USDA

Hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

6a. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July. On average, there are 8.2 days that reach or higher, 49 days that reach or higher, 30 days that do not climb above freezing, and 5.7 days with a low of or below. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 15 thru April 18, allowing a growing season of 179 days. Extreme temperatures officially range from on January 8, 1886, up to on August 12, 1936; the record cold daily maximum is on January 14, 1888, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is on July 1, 1933. Precipitation is greatest in May and has ranged from in 1956 to in 1993. Snowfall averages per season, and has historically ranged from in 1903–04 to in 1959–60.

Demographics

According to the census ( estimate), Concordia is the most populous city in the county and of all six adjacent counties.

2010 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 2010, there were 5,395 people, 2,186 households, and 1,301 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 2,545 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%

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 ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 1.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.9% from two or more races.

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 4.3% of the population. There were 2,186 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 38.7 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 20.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,714 people, 2,310 households, and 1,399 families residing in the city. The

was 1,689.0 people per square mile (652.7/km). There were 2,671 housing units at an average density of 789.5 per square mile (305.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.90%

, 0.58%

, 0.25% Native American, 0.39%

, 0.14% from

, and 0.75% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.74% of the population. There were 2,310 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,398, and the median income for a family was $40,389. Males had a median income of $27,764 versus $20,885 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 $17,019. About 7.1% of families and 12.9% 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 15.3% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

City government

The Concordia city government consists of five commissioners, of which one is elected mayor each year by the other four members. The commission meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:30PM.Concordia - Directory of Public Officials
Other government facilities include city services such as water, sewer, police, and fire departments.

Other government services

Concordia holds other government services in its city limits. The town is home to various county services such as the county sheriff and county court house as well as state government buildings including an

armory Armory or armoury may mean: * An arsenal, a military or civilian location for the storage of arms and ammunition Places *National Guard Armory, in the United States and Canada, a training place for National Guard or other part-time or regular mili ...

for the

Kansas National Guard The Kansas National Guard, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Kansas. It comprises both the Kansas Army National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard. The Governor of Kansas is Commander-in-Chief of the Ka ...

. There also are federal offices and buildings common to small communities such as the

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

Education

Colleges and universities

Concordia is the location of

, a two-year

junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

. Other post-secondary schools in Concordia's history are

Concordia Normal School Concordia Normal School located in Concordia, Kansas was a state-funded normal school operated by the Kansas state government from 1874 until 1876. Concordia Normal began on March 10, 1874, with Professor E. F. Robinson as the Principal. The sch ...

and ''Concordia Business College''.

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by

Concordia USD 333 Concordia USD 333 is a public unified school district headquartered in Concordia, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Concordia, Jamestown, Aurora, Hollis, Huscher, Rice, and nearby rural areas. Schools The schoo ...

public school district. Education for grades K-6 are completed in the district across several buildings. Public secondary education for grades 7-12 is completed at

Concordia Junior-Senior High School Concordia Junior-Senior High School is a Public high school, public secondary school in Concordia, Kansas, United States operated by Concordia USD 333, and serves students of grades Seventh grade, 7 to Twelfth grade, 12. It is called the "Junior ...

. Class sizes typically range between 80 and 120 students. The school district also runs the Cloud County Alternative High School, primarily for area

non-traditional student A nontraditional student is a term originating in North America, that refers to a category of students at Higher education, colleges and universities. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) notes that there are varying definitions o ...

s. Students can earn their diploma online or through computer-based classes. Enrollment is very small, typically graduating less than ten students each year. The Catholic Church in Concordia operated Notre Dame High School a private Catholic High School from 1962 to 1969. It remained open as a Catholic grade school until 1971, when the local district purchased the property and has used it for fifth and sixth grades under the name Concordia Middle School.

Libraries

Concordia is home to the

Frank Carlson Library The Frank Carlson Library is a public library in Concordia, Kansas. The library is named for former Governor of Kansas, State Representative, Representative, and Senator Frank Carlson Frank Carlson (January 23, 1893May 30, 1987) was an Americ ...

, a public library named for former Kansas governor

Frank Carlson Frank Carlson (January 23, 1893May 30, 1987) was an American politician who served as the 30th governor of Kansas, Kansas State representative, United States representative, and United States senator from Kansas. Carlson is the only Kansan to ...

. Other public libraries in Concordia's history include the Carnegie Library, built with a $10,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie in 1908.

Transportation

Concordia is the host of Blosser Municipal Airport (CNK). Blosser Municipal Airport is publicly owned by the City of Concordia. The

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

and the

maintain facilities at this location.

Media

The ''

'' is the official county newspaper and publishes its edition five days a week from its location in Concordia. Radio stations KNCK (1390 AM) and KNCK-FM (94.9 FM) operate from the same broadcasting facility in Concordia and are privately owned. Radio station KVCO (88.3 FM) operates as a broadcast journalism project by Cloud County Community College in Concordia. KVCO is publicly owned and operated by the school.

Culture

Points of interest

In November 1905, Concordia resident Colonel Napoleon Bonaparte Brown announced to the townspeople his plans to build the

Brown Grand Theatre The Brown Grand Theatre is a community-based historical theatre located in Concordia, Kansas and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theatre has been called "the most elegant theater between Kansas City and Denver" and to th ...

, a fully outfitted opera house for Concordia. Renowned

theater architect Carl Boller was hired to prepare the design drawings and the blueprints. Restored to its original 1907 state, the 650 seat Brown Grand Theatre now serves as a tourist attraction and performing arts/community center for Concordia and North Central Kansas.

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. The camp was used primarily for German Army prisoners during World War II who were captured in battl ...

, a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

camp for captured Germans, was maintained a few miles north of Concordia during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The original guard house remains and has been restored. The

Cloud County Historical Museum The Cloud County Historical Museum is located in Concordia, Kansas. The Museum preserves and exhibits objects and documents of historical items representing early-day Kansas. It is housed in the former 1908 Carnegie library building and an annex ...

preserves and exhibits objects and documents of historical items representing early-day Kansas. It is housed in the former 1908

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

Library building and a large newer annex.

Cloud County, Kansas Cloud County (county code CD) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 9,032. Its county seat and most populous city is Concordia. History Early history For many millennia, the Great ...

artifacts exhibited for viewing include items relating to nature, radio, railroads, quilts, photography, toys,

vintage clothing Vintage clothing is a generic term for garments originating from a previous era, as recent as the 1990s. The term can also be applied in reference to second hand retail outlets, e.g. i''n vintage clothing store''. While the concept originated ...

and furniture, musical instruments, fossils, tools, and stained glass. The museum is also home of one of the largest hand carved brick murals. Records are on display of the military Prisoner of War Camp, churches, organizations, schools, and businesses. Displays of glass cutting, rare coins and books, rock and gem shop, micro-film of county newspapers and many others too numerous to list. Large displays in the annex include the 1908 Lincoln-Page

Airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...

, an 1898 Holsman belt driven

horseless carriage Horseless carriage is an early name for the car, motor car or automobile. Prior to the invention of the motor car, carriages were usually pulled by animals, typically horses. The term can be compared to other transitional terms, such as mobile ph ...

, and a 1915

Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...

. The Cloud County Veterans Memorial is housed in the courthouse block of Concordia. The memorial includes an "eternal flame" that has been burning since the monument was established on November 11, 1968. Concordia is the home of the national

Orphan Train The Orphan Train Movement was a supervised welfare program that transported children from crowded Eastern cities of the United States to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the Midwestern United States, Midwest. The orphan trains opera ...

complex, housed in the restored historic Union Pacific Railroad Depot. The complex currently houses a museum and research center dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement from 1854 to 1929. The

is the official Motherhouse and Home for the 260

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...

of Concordia. It was built in 1903 and is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The sisters at Nazareth earned a reputation for their

education of young women Female education is a catch-all term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education ( primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girl ...

, giving them a sound academic program and instruction in the fine arts, music, French, and the social graces. In 1903, the Sisters of St. Joseph entered the health care field in Concordia with the establishment of the St. Joseph Hospital on the original site after the new Nazareth Motherhouse was built at its present location. The most common historic bridge visited is the Republican River Pegram Truss, a three-span through

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

built in 1893 for the

Union Pacific Railway 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 ...

. As of 2007, the bridge is used for local automobile traffic. Other bridges in the area are the

County Line Bowstring The County Line Bowstring is a bridge located near unincorporated Hollis, Kansas, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It spans West Creek on the border between Cloud and Republic counties and has a wooden de ...

bridge near

Hollis Hollis may refer to: *Hollis (singer) *Hollis (name) Places * Hollis, Alaska * Hollis, Kansas * Hollis, Maine * Hollis, Missouri * Hollis, New Hampshire * Hollis, Oklahoma * Hollis, Queens, neighborhood in New York **Hollis (LIRR station), its Lon ...

and the

Pott's Ford Bridge Pott's Ford Bridge is a bridge 1/2 mile south of Glasco, Kansas, USAthat spans the Solomon River in Cloud County, Kansas. It has a wooden deck with three bowstring pony trusses and one Pratt pony truss. The lengths of the trusses are , , and ...

near Glasco. All three bridges are listed on the

. Concordia claims the title "The

Stained Glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

Capital of Kansas" and a tour of local stained glass pieces has been established. Although common in houses of worship, many private residences also have quality stained glass installed and available for viewing on the tour.

Parks and recreation

Small game hunting (particularly game birds such as

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...

quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New Wor ...

, and

dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

) attracts a large number of people from all over the world. Opening Day of hunting season is an especially active day for Concordia as it brings a large number of visitors and a boost to the local economy. The city of Concordia has complementary overnight camping available at Airport Park, one of several city parks. Airport Park is located at the Blosser Municipal Airport.

Notable people

Academic

George Norlin George Norlin (April 1, 1871 – March 31, 1942) was president of the University of Colorado. During his tenure as president, Norlin oversaw the redesign of the campus in Boulder, Colorado. Biography Norlin was born in Concordia, in Cloud Count ...

, former president of the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

Arts/Entertainment

Jim Garver James Garver (born September 8, 1957) is a country music guitarist. Garver is credited with referencing the bar "The Oasis" (after a closed establishment in his hometown of Concordia, Kansas) in the song '' Friends in Low Places'' made famous by ...

, guitarist for

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

* Robert E. Pearson, movie director *

Marilyn Schreffler Marilyn Sue Schreffler (June 14, 1945 – January 7, 1988) was an American voice actress who provided voice-overs for several animated television series, mostly for Hanna-Barbera Productions. Biography Marilyn Schreffler was born in Wichita, Ka ...

, American actress who provided voice-overs for several animated TV programs *

Helen Talbot Helen Talbot (April 7, 1924 January 29, 2010) was a motion picture actress and pin-up girl in the United States. She was born Helen Darling in Concordia, Kansas and lived there until 1941 when she moved to live with her brother in West Los A ...

, motion picture actress and

pin-up girl A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

. Born Helen Darling in Concordia. * ''The Sensational Showmen'', Rock show band from 1964 to 1968, inducted into Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2009.

Business/Politics

* Charles H. Blosser, local businessman and namesake of Blosser Municipal Airport in Concordia * Napoleon Bonaparte Brown, local businessman and philanthropist, namesake of the

in Concordia *

, former

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and

Governor of Kansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

Deanell Reece Tacha Deanell Reece Tacha (born January 26, 1946) is a retired United States Circuit Judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She was the Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law from 2011 to 2016. Education ...

, chief judge of the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Colorado * District of Kansas * Distri ...

Clyde Short Clyde Lorraine Short (January 30, 1883 – February 27, 1936) was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Kansas, best known as a former two-time candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Kansas Democratic P ...

, former Chairman of the

Kansas Democratic Party The Kansas Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Kansas and one of two major parties in the state, alongside the Republicans. The chair of the party is Vicki Hiatt. The party currently controls the state's gove ...

Religion

* Most Reverend Charles Joseph Chaput, OFM Cap,

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

* Right Rev. John Francis Cunningham, Bishop of Concordia *

Constantine Scollen Father Con Scollen OMI. (4 April 1841 – 8 November 1902) was an Irish Catholic, Missionary priest who lived among and evangelized the Blackfoot, Cree and Métis peoples on the Canadian Prairies and in northern Montana in the United States. He ...

famous missionary priest was resident from 1896 until 1898 *

Jim Garlow Jim Garlow is the former Senior Pastor of Skyline Church located in La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego. Garlow is often cited as an evangelical leader in the political arena, quoted on issues such as the 2012 Republican presidential prima ...

, pastor of

Skyline Church Skyline Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego, affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination. The church currently averages 2,500 in attendance per week. History In 1954, Orval ...

La Mesa, California La Mesa () is a city in San Diego County, located east of Downtown San Diego in Southern California. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of the Hills." History La Me ...

. Garlow is often cited as an evangelical leader in the political arena

Sports

* Tom Brosius, track and field athlete *

Greg Brummett Gregory Scott "Spike" Brummett (born April 20, 1967) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins in 1993. Prior to playing professionally, Brummett attended Wichita S ...

, baseball player in 1990s, pitched for

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

and

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

; head baseball coach at

Keith Christensen Keith Elmore "Pinky" Christensen (May 10, 1947 – February 17, 2023) was a college and professional football player in the United States. Christensen played at offensive tackle at the University of Kansas where he was coached first by Jack Mi ...

, former NFL football player

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

Billy Dewell William Austin Dewell (January 2, 1917 – January 19, 2000) was an American football player. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1939 NFL Draft. He played professionally with the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He ...

, former NFL football player

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

Bill Dotson William Robert Dotson (December 27, 1940 – June 16, 2021) was a track and field athlete from the University of Kansas. He was the seventh person in the United States to break the four-minute mile barrier, with a time of 3:59.0 on June 23, 1962. ...

, track and field athlete * Mike Gardner, head football coach at Tabor College and

Malone University Malone University is a private Christian university in Canton, Ohio. It was founded in 1892 by Walter and Emma Malone as a small, co-educational Bible institute called Cleveland Bible College. The institution has always maintained a close relat ...

Larry Hartshorn Larry LeRoy "Rube" Hartshorn (May 19, 1933 – September 19, 2007) was an American gridiron football player. He played prolifically in the National Football League (NFL) as an offensive guard with the Chicago Cardinals in 1955 and 1957. He lat ...

, former NFL football player

Tim McCarty Tim McCarty is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Western Heights High School (Oklahoma), Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City. McCarty served two stints as the head football coach at East Central ...

, head football coach at East Central University *

Ernie Quigley Ernest Cosmos Quigley (March 22, 1880 – December 10, 1960) was a Canadian-born American sports official who became notable both as a basketball referee and as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He also worked as an American football coach an ...

, professional basketball

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...

and

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

; member

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

Harry Short Harry Bernard Short (1 September 1864 – 15 April 1937) was a Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Bear River, Nova Scotia and became a corporate manager and municipal politician. Short attended school at ...

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

baseball player *

Shanele Stires Shanele Marie Stires (born ) is an American retired professional women's basketball player and current college basketball coach. Career She is the head coach of the Cal Poly women's basketball team since April 2022. Stires attended Cloud Count ...

, former WNBA basketball player

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded pr ...

and college basketball coach *

Kaye Vaughan Charles Kaye Vaughan (born June 30, 1931) is a former professional football player, a lineman with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League for twelve seasons. He won the CFL's Outstanding Lineman Award in 1956 and 1957 and is a ...

, former

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

and Hall of Fame player with

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine ...

, winner CFL's Outstanding Lineman Award

Other

Boston Corbett Thomas H. "Boston" Corbett (January 29, 1832 – presumed dead September 1, 1894) was an American Union Army soldier who shot and killed U.S. president Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Corbett was initially arrested for disob ...

, Union

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 ...

soldier, famous for shooting

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth th ...

, the man who assassinated

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

Pop Hollinger Harvey T. "Pop" Hollinger (October 13, 1886 – March 6, 1977) was one of the first comic book collectors. He set up his retail and mail order shop for new and used comics in Concordia, Kansas, in the late 1930s. Biography Early life Hollinger ...

, one of the first

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

collectors of all time

Popular culture

The song '' Friends in Low Places'' made famous by

mentions a bar called "The Oasis" that is named after a now-closed establishment in Concordia.

Image gallery

File:Concordia,_Kansas_City_Limits.JPG, City limits, north side of town File:Concordia,_Kansas_Main_Street.JPG, Main Street (looking west) File:Cloud_County_Court_House.JPG, Cloud County Court House File:Cloud County Fairgrounds.JPG, Welcome sign for the Cloud County Fairgrounds File:Circle B Grain Elevator.JPG, Circle B Grain Elevator File:CO-OP_grain_elevator_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG,

CO-OP A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

grain elevator File:Concordia_City_Park_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, City Park File:Concordia_City_Park_and_Farmers_Market_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Farmer's Market File:Decker_Park_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Decker Park File:Hood_Park_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Hood Park File:Sunset_Home_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Sunset Home File:Manna House of Prayer.JPG, Manna House of Prayer File:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Concordia, Kansas).JPG, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints File:First Baptist Church (Concordia, Kansas).JPG, The Baptist Church File:First Christian Church (Concordia, Kansas).JPG, First Christian Church File:First United Methodist Church (Concordia, Kansas).JPG, First United Methodist Church File:Episcopal_Church_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Episcopal Church File:Faith_Baptist_Church_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Faith Baptist Church File:Lutheran_Church_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Lutheran Church File:Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (Concordia, Kansas).JPG, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church File:Presbyterian_Church_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Presbyterian Church File:Trinity_United_Methodist_Church_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Trinity United Methodist Church File:Wesleyan_Church_(Concordia,_Kansas).JPG, Wesleyan Church

Notes

References

External links

*
Concordia - Directory of Public Officials

Concordia - Chamber of Commerce
* , from ''Hatteberg's People'' on

KAKE KAKE (channel 10) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC and owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on West Street in northwestern Wichita, and ...

TV news
Concordia city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Cloud County, Kansas Populated places established in 1871 1871 establishments in Kansas

History

19th century

20th century

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

2000 census

Government

City government

Other government services

Education

Colleges and universities

Primary and secondary education

Libraries

Transportation

Media

Culture

Points of interest

Parks and recreation

Notable people

Academic

Arts/Entertainment

Business/Politics

Religion

Sports

Other

Popular culture

Image gallery

Notes

References

Further reading

External links