Downs is a city in Osborne 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 800.

History

Downs had its start in the year 1879 when the Central Branch Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for William F. Downs, a railroad official from Atchison. Downs became an incorporated town in December of the same year. In 1910, the city had a population of 1,427. Business included 2 newspapers, a public library,

flour mills A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

grain elevator A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...

s, and an opera house.

Geography

Downs is located at (39.503305, -98.543500). 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.

Demographics

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 900 people, 424 households, and 239 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 508 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.6%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.1% Native American, 0.6%

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 0.7% 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 0.9% of the population. There were 424 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.68. The median age in the city was 49.5 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.1% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 26% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,038 people, 474 households, and 273 families residing in the city. The

was 941.4 people per square mile (364.3/km). There were 543 housing units at an average density of 492.5 per square mile (190.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.75%

, 0.67% Native American, 0.29%

, 0.10% 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 0.19% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 474 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.77. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 29.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,808, and the median income for a family was $36,518. Males had a median income of $24,940 versus $16,302 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 $15,001. About 9.0% of families and 11.1% 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 5.5% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Waconda USD 272 public school district. The district elementary school is Lakeside Elementary School in Cawker City. The district high school is Lakeside High School in Downs, with the mascot Knights. School unification combined Downs and Waconda East schools into

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

272 in 2003. The combined high school became Lakeside Jr./Sr. High School located in Downs. Downs High School was closed through school unification. The Downs High School mascot was Dragons. The Downs Dragons won the following Kansas State High School championships: * 1938 Boys Basketball - Class B * 1950 Boys Basketball - Class B * 1988 Boys Cross Country - Class 2-1A Previously the community had Downs Elementary School and Downs Junior High School.Home
Waconda USD 272. April 9, 2002. Retrieved on February 25, 2017.

Notable people

Francis Schmidt Francis Albert Schmidt (December 3, 1885 – September 19, 1944) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa (1919–1921), the University of Arka ...

, football and basketball coach

References

External links

City of Downs

Downs - Directory of Public Officials

Historic Images of Downs
Wichita State University Library
Downs city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Osborne County, Kansas 1879 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1879