Olpe is a city in
Lyon 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 519.
History
Olpe had its start in the year 1879 by the building of the railroad through that territory. It had formerly been known as Eagle Creek Station before the name had been changed to Bitlertown for the owner of the townsite, Gilbert Bitler. A large share of the early settlers being natives of
Olpe, Germany
Olpe is a town situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of ...
, caused the name to be selected.
Olpe was incorporated as a city in 1905.
Geography
Olpe is located at (38.262070, -96.169322).
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 , of which is land and is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to 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, notabl ...
system, Olpe 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
Olpe is part of the
Emporia 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 incl ...
of 2010, there were 546 people, 220 households, and 151 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 239 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.7%
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 on ...
, 0.2%
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% 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 0.9% 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 ...
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 0.5% of the population.
There were 220 households, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% 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, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the city was 39 years. 27.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% 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 incl ...
of 2000, there were 504 people, 196 households, and 137 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 215 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.81%
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 ...
, 0.40%
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 ...
, 0.60%
Native American, and 0.20% 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 ...
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 2.58% of the population.
There were 196 households, out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 28.6% 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 2.57 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,643, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $18,542 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 $13,623. About 5.8% of families and 7.3% 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 10.8% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Attractions
![Olpe Chicken House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Olpe_Chicken_House.JPG)
The ''Chicken House'' is a restaurant that has been in operation since 1958 with roots to 1934. The restaurant has acted as a
town hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, playing host to governors and state representatives and was named by
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
as one of ''50 Great Plates From 50 Great States'' in 2000. The restaurant has raised notice as far away as New Jersey.
Education
The community is served by
Southern Lyon County USD 252
Southern Lyon County USD 252 is a Public school (government funded), public unified school district headquartered in Hartford, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Hartford, Neosho Rapids, Kansas, Neosho Rapids, Olpe, ...
public school district.
Olpe High School
Olpe Elementary School
Before Olpe Elementary was a school, the school was called Harmony Hill, that started as a one-room school house and had later additions. It was located in the country about 3 miles north of Olpe. In December 1991, Olpe Elementary School was completed. The elementary wing of the building adjoins the cafeteria to the west of the high school. In 1997, two additional classrooms and a library were added to the elementary school.
[Olpe High School history](_blank)
St. Joseph's Catholic School
Prior to the 1950s there was no public high school in Olpe. Area students attended St. Joseph's Catholic School. Olpe High School was built in the early 1950s. The first class graduated from Olpe Rural High School in 1952; however, the new building was then incomplete. That first year, the old St. Joseph's High School building was rented and classes were held there. Students began attending the newly constructed building the next year. Since then, it has housed kindergarten through sixth grade classes. After the 2012–2013 school year, Saint Joseph's Catholic School closed, due to the economy.
Notable people
* Donald Redeker - Environmentalist.
[Corn, Mik]
"Good Fences Make Good Neighbors"
''Emporia Gazette'', 9/18/2009, accessed April 7, 2011.
References
Further reading
External links
City of OlpeOlpe - Directory of Public OfficialsOlpe city map KDOT
{{Authority control
Cities in Kansas
Cities in Lyon County, Kansas
Emporia, Kansas micropolitan area