Marysville 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
Marshall 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 3,447.
History
![Pony Express Marysville KS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Pony_Express_Marysville_KS.JPG)
Marysville was laid out in 1855 by Francis J. Marshall, and designated in that same year the county seat. It was incorporated as a city in 1861.
Marysville was located on the
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...
and the route of the
Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pi ...
, the St. Joe Road, the Overland Stage, The Military Road, and the Otoe-Missouria Trail. British explorer
Richard Francis Burton
Sir Richard Francis Burton (; 19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, writer, orientalist scholar,and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary kn ...
en route to California in 1860 noted: "Passing by Marysville, in old maps Palmetto City, a country-town which thrives by selling whiskey to ruffians of all descriptions ..." The old Pony Express Station still stands in downtown Marysville. In ''Beyond the Mississippi'' (1867),
Albert D. Richardson
Albert Deane Richardson (October 6, 1833 – December 2, 1869) was a well-known American journalist, Union spy, and author. Among his works is his noted biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Richardson was shot on two occasions, the second time fatally, ...
, who passed through Marysville in 1860, wrote that the town—which was named after the Border Ruffian Marshall's wife—"had 50 houses and was famed for whisky and shooting affrays."
Marysville owed much of its prosperity to the
Union Pacific Railroad
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 ...
, which became a major employer. But as the city grew along the railroad most of the community was across the tracks from a good part of downtown. As rail traffic increased, vehicular delays were estimated at 7.5 to 8 hours per day at the five grade crossings, which also affected emergency vehicles. In 2006 the main line was moved out of the center of town to a bypass to the south and west, with grade separations for
US-36 and
US-77.
Financing Freight Improvements, Case Studies: Kansas
Federal Highway Administration, US Department of Transportation.
Marysville is also known as the "Black Squirrel
Black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup of squirrels with black coloration on their fur. The phenomenon occurs with several species of squirrels, although it is most frequent with the eastern gray squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis'') and the ...
City" due to an isolated community of all-black squirrels that make their homes in the town. The squirrels are said to be the result of escapees from a traveling circus.
Geography
Marysville is located in northeast Kansas near the Nebraska border, about 75 miles (120 km) northwest of the Kansas capital of Topeka
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Uni ...
and 67 miles (108 km) south of Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
. 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 , of which is land and is water.
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 3,294 people, 1,468 households, and 859 families living 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 1,646 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.7% 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 ...
, 0.3% 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 ...
, 0.2% 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 ...
, 0.8% 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 1.4% 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 ...
or 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 2.6% of the population.
There were 1,468 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 41.8 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 3,271 people, 1,437 households, and 865 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,614 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.04% 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 ...
, 0.15% 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 ...
, 0.34% Native American, 0.49% 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 ...
, 0.15% 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 0.83% 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 ...
or 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 0.73% of the population.
There were 1,437 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $40,427. Males had a median income of $28,065 versus $18,063 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 $19,196. About 5.7% of families and 8.5% 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 8.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The community is served by Marysville USD 364
Marysville USD 364 is a public unified school district headquartered in Marysville, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Marysville, Beattie, Oketo, Bremen, Herkimer, Home, Marietta, and nearby rural areas.
Sch ...
public school district.
Notable people
* Helen Arnold, Oklahoma House of Representative legislator (1976–82)
* Kenneth Dam
Kenneth Willard Dam (August 10, 1932 – May 31, 2022) was an American politician and academic who served as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (the second highest official in the United States Department of the Treasury) from 2001 to 2004, where ...
, Deputy Secretary of State (1982–85)
* Brian Duensing
Brian Matthew Duensing (born February 22, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs.
Amateur career
High school
Duensing went ...
, professional baseball player
* Ralph Elliott, accountant and developer of the Elliott Wave Theory
* Louis Hardin, a.k.a. Moondog
Louis Thomas Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999), known professionally as Moondog, was an American composer, musician, performer, music theoretician, poet and inventor of musical instruments. Largely self-taught as a composer, his ...
, composer, musician and poet
* Michael McClure
Michael McClure (October 20, 1932 – May 4, 2020) was an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famous ...
, poet and playwright
* Kendra Wecker
Kendra Renee Wecker (born December 16, 1982 in Marysville, Kansas) is a former American professional basketball player in the WNBA. She formerly played forward for the San Antonio Silver Stars and Washington Mystics. In the off season, she playe ...
, collegiate and professional basketball player
See also
* KNDY (AM) and KNDY-FM - radio stations
References
Further reading
External links
City of Marysville
Marysville - Directory of Public Officials
Marysville - Tourist Information
Marysville city map
KDOT
{{Authority control
Cities in Kansas
County seats in Kansas
Cities in Marshall County, Kansas
Pony Express stations
Populated places established in 1855
1855 establishments in Kansas Territory