Gypsum is a city in Saline 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 th ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 400.

History

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

Early history

For many

millennia A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by

nomadic A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...

Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, France secretly ceded

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861

became the 34th

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

. In 1860, Saline County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Gypsum. The community was founded as a Templer community called Tempelfeld. Gypsum was named after Gypsum Creek. The Gypsum post office has operated under that name since 1886.

Geography

Gypsum is located at (38.705118, -97.426876). 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 t ...

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

Demographics

It is part of the Salina Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 405 people, 162 households, and 111 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 187 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%

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 o ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 1.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 1.0% 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 1.7% 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 forme ...

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 2.5% of the population. There were 162 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.5% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 26.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 414 people, 158 households, and 111 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 179 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.17%

, 1.21%

, 0.24% from

, and 3.38% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.97% of the population. There were 158 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,833, and the median income for a family was $34,375. Males had a median income of $27,000 versus $17,386 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 $16,440. About 4.1% of families and 6.0% 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 3.5% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Gypsum government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 7 pm.Gypsum - Directory of Public Officials

Education

The community is served by

Southeast of Saline USD 306 Southeast of Saline USD 306 is a public unified school district headquartered approximately 4 miles west of Gypsum, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Assaria, Bridgeport, Gypsum, Kipp, Mentor, and nearby rural area ...

public school district. The Southeast of Saline High School mascot is the Trojans. Gypsum schools were closed through school unification. The Gypsum High School mascot was Pirates."The good ole days", The Salina Journal, 1 December 1994, p.17.

Notable people

* Steve Fritz (b1967), 4th place in 1996 Olympic decathlon, assistant coach for the Kansas State University track and field team for 21 years. * Bill Wheatley (1909-1992), basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics with the American basketball team that won a gold medal. * Frank Wilkeson (1848-1913), ''New York Times'' journalist and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

explorer who owned a large ranch in Gypsum for nearly forty years. * JD Andrew (b1973) sound engineer and musician; member of The Boxmasters with Billy Bob Thornton.

References

External links

*
Gypsum - Directory of Public Officials

Gypsum city map
KDOT {{Authority control Year of establishment missing Cities in Kansas Cities in Saline County, Kansas Salina, Kansas micropolitan area 1886 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1886