Greensburg 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 ...

of,

Kiowa County, Kansas Kiowa County (standard abbreviation: KW) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,460. The largest city and county seat is Greensburg. History 19th century In 1854, the Kansas Ter ...

, United States. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the population of the city was 740. It is home to the world's largest hand-dug well. On the evening of May 4, 2007, Greensburg was devastated by an EF5 tornado that leveled at least 95 percent of the city and killing eleven people between the ages of 46 and 84. Today, Greensburg stands as a model "green town", often described as the greenest in America. The hospital, city hall, and school have all been built to the highest certification level issued by

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...

(LEED).

History

Early history

For millennia, 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, a ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans.

19th century

The first settlement was made at Greensburg in 1885. Greensburg was named for D.R. "Cannonball" Green, who owned a stagecoach company and who helped to form the city. In 1887, construction began on the Big Well, the largest hand-dug well in the world. In 1888, Greensburg was advertised as the "liveliest town in the state." In the same year, the Big Well finished construction.

20th century

The Big Well stopped being a source of the city's water in 1932. One of the largest

pallasite The pallasites are a class of stony–iron meteorite. Structure and composition It consists of centimetre-sized olivine crystals of peridot quality in an iron-nickel matrix. Coarser metal areas develop Widmanstätten patterns upon etching. Min ...

meteorites ever discovered was found near Greensburg in 1949, weighing over 1,000 pounds. In 1972, the Big Well was declared a national museum.

21st century

At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007, during a deadly tornado outbreak, Greensburg was hit by an EF5 tornado. The tornado was estimated to be in width — wider than the city itself — and traveled for nearly . Ninety-five percent of the city was confirmed to be destroyed, with the other five percent being severely damaged. The

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...

estimated winds of the tornado to reach . This was the first tornado to be rated EF5 since the implementation of the

Enhanced Fujita scale The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repl ...

earlier that year and the first F5 or EF5 classification since May 3, 1999, when an F5 tornado ripped through

Moore, Oklahoma Moore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 62,793 at the 2020 census, making Moore the seventh-largest city in the state of Oklahoma. Located between Okla ...

, as part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. Tornado sirens sounded in the city twenty minutes before the tornado struck, and a

tornado emergency A tornado emergency is an enhanced version of a tornado warning, which is used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States during imminent, significant tornado occurrences in highly populated areas. Although it is not a new warning ...

was issued, which undoubtedly saved many lives. The tornado lasted for a total of one hour and five minutes and caused $250 million dollars in damages. Kansas

Governor 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 ...

Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius (; née Gilligan, born May 15, 1948) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as the 21st United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2009 until 2014. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebel ...

and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

George W. Bush both declared Kiowa County a disaster area, which opened up the affected areas for national and

international aid In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. A ...

. The tornado took 10 lives in Greensburg and two more in neighboring towns. While some rebuilding was done, the population by 2010 was about 50% of what it was in 2000, as the 2000 census found 1,574 residents, while only 777 were recorded in the 2010 census. After the tornado, the city council passed a resolution stating that all city buildings would be built to

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

— platinum standards, making it the first city in the nation to do so. Greensburg is rebuilding as a "green" town, with the help of Greensburg GreenTown, a non-profit organization created to help the residents learn about and implement the green living initiative. With extra help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Greensburg residents developed a long-term plan for Greensburg. The city's power is supplied by ten 1.25 MW wind-turbines. Carbon offsets generated from the turbines are being managed by NativeEnergy, and have been purchased by charter supporters including

Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings Inc., trading and commonly known as Ben & Jerry's, is an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. Founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, the company went from a single ice cream ...

Clif Bar Clif Bar & Company is an American company that produces energy foods and drinks. The company's flagship product, CLIF Bar, was created by Gary Erickson and Lisa Thomas. The company is based in Emeryville, California and was privately held unti ...

, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Stonyfield Farm. Greensburg also has numerous electric vehicle charging stations and complimentary bikes.

Geography

Greensburg is located at

coordinates In geometry, a coordinate system is a system that uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine the position of the points or other geometric elements on a manifold such as Euclidean space. The order of the coordinates is sig ...

(37.6027963, -99.2926131). 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 th ...

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

Climate

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

system, Greensburg 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

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

, there were 1,574 people, 730 households, and 453 families 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 1,055.9 people per square mile (407.9/km²). There were 887 housing units at an average density of 595.0 per square mile (229.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.01%

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 ...

, 0.83% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population. There were 730 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% 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 ...

living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% 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 2.76. The city population contained 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,438, and the median income for a family was $39,188. Males had a median income of $28,426 versus $20,875 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 $18,054. About 8.4% of families and 12.4% 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 ...

, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, there were 777 people, 355 households, and 212 families in the city. The

was . There were 431 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 1.0% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 355 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were

living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 45.2 years. The city population contained 22% of residents under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 740 people, and 365 households. The

was . There were 403 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.6%

, 2.2%

, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population. There were 365 households. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the city was 45.6 years. The city population contained 25.3% of residents under the age of 18; 74.7% were between the ages of 18 and 64; and 24.0% were 65 years of age or older. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $40,729.

Education

The community is served by Kiowa County USD 422 public school district. Greensburg schools were closed through school unification. The Greensburg Rangers won the Kansas State High School boys class B basketball championship in 1948. As of the 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 82.35% of School Enrolled Population are Enrolled in Kindergarten to 12th Grade in Greensburg. 27.4% of residents have a High School or Equivalent degree, 27.4% have some college but no degree, 8.6% have an Associate's degree, 16.8% have a Bachelor's degree, and 7.2% have a Graduates or Professional degree.

Attractions

Greensburg is home to the world's largest hand dug well. Work had begun on the well in 1887 to provide water for the steam engines of the

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 and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

and

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

. When the well was completed in 1888 it was deep and in diameter. The well was used as the city's water supply until 1932. In 1939 it was opened as a tourist attraction allowing visitors to descend to the bottom of the well. The adjacent museum displayed a 1000-pound

meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object ...

until the museum fell down around the meteorite during the 2007 tornado that destroyed the city. The Well was not destroyed, and the meteorite was found in the rubble of the museum and moved to a temporary home in

Hays, Kansas Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 21,116. It is ...

while Greensburg was rebuilding. In May 2012, the new Big Well Museum and Visitor Information Center opened featuring exhibits about the history of Greensburg, The Big Well, the 2007 tornado, rebuilding and Space Wanderer Pallasite Meteorite. On October 16, 2006, a related smaller meteorite measuring 154 pounds (70 kilograms) was dug up near Greensburg () and Haviland (). The only scientific publication discussing time of impact suggests a terrestrial age of 20,000 years. It was once thought that its age was around 10,000 years. The town serves as a time station for the annual

Race Across America The Race Across America, or RAAM, is an ultra-distance road cycling race held across the United States that started in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race. RAAM is one of the longest annual endurance events in the world. All entrants must prove ...

, a transcontinental bicycle race. The 5.4.7 Arts Center serves as a non-profit organization for hosting visual and performative arts, and acts as the only arts center between Dodge City, Kansas and Wichita, Kansas. The Kiowa County Historical Museum and Soda Fountain operates as a museum for Kiowa County. It contains artifacts and information from the westward expansion of the United States fueled by ideas of

Manifest Destiny Manifest destiny was a cultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America. There were three basic tenets to the concept: * The special virtues of the American people and th ...

. It also contains local history including sporting equipment and notable people from around Kiowa County. West of Greensburg, the M.T. Liggett Art Environment offers a kinetic art display that utilizes pieces of discarded metal along with wind energy to create a roadside attraction. The Fromme-Birney Round Barn is a notable horse barn that was built in 1912. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Transportation

Greensburg is served by three U.S. Highways: *, *. Bus service is provided daily eastward towards

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

and westward towards

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most popu ...

by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

Media

Several television networks have drawn an interest in Greensburg as a subject for reality shows as a result of the Greensburg City Council's decision to make the city a "green" town. A documentary on its reconstruction, called '' Greensburg'', aired on Planet Green, a sister network of

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

. Another documentary, '' Earth 2100'', drew attention to Greensburg as "the green town" that was built after the devastating 2007 tornado. The ABC film suggested a fictionalized, future Greensburg as a model showing how American towns can successfully implement green technology, and become a beacon for hope on a planet doomed to destruction from climate change and overpopulation. Multiple books have been written about Greensburg and the 2007 tornado. ''Greensburg: The Twisted Tales'' (Janice Haney) recounts several residents' experiences with the tornado. ''Aftermath: Scenes from the Sudden Destruction of an American Hometown'' (Merlin Peck) showcases images of destruction and debris from the event.

Notable people

* Manvel H. Davis, Republican loser to Harry S. Truman in 1940 U.S. senatorial Missouri campaign *

Dennis McKinney Dennis McKinney (born July 24, 1960) is a former Kansas State Treasurer. He was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives where he represented the 116th House District for ten terms, the last six as the Democratic Party's leader (Minorit ...

, Kansas State Treasurer 2008-2010 * Sandra Seacat, actress and acting coach

Gallery

Image:Greensburg, Kansas 2007May09 - after tornado.jpg,

Marine One Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) "Nighthawks", consisting of either the large ...

, carrying President George W. Bush, flies over Greensburg after the destructive tornado. Image:S.D. Robinett Building.jpg, The S.D. Robinett Building, the only historic building in downtown Greensburg to survive the tornado. Image:Arts Center Greensburg, Kansas, Photo by Eric Ascalon.jpg, Greensburg's arts center, constructed after the tornado to environmentally stringent LEED Platinum standards. The facility integrates its own solar panels and wind generators for energy self-sufficiency. Image:Kiowa county kansas courthouse 2009.jpg, Renovated Kiowa County courthouse in 2009. Image:Rebuilt_Big_Well.jpg, Rebuilt Big Well in 2013. Image:Greensburg_Pallasite_Meteorite.jpg, "World's Largest Pallasite Meteorite", now stored in the rebuilt Big Well Museum.

References

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

TV news Other sites
Kiowa County Signal

Greensburg city map
{{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Kiowa County, Kansas

History

Early history

19th century

20th century

21st century

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2000 census

2010 census

2020 census

Education

Attractions

Transportation

Media

Notable people

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links