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Parsons is a city in
Labette County Labette County (county code LB) is a county located in Southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 20,184. Its county seat is Oswego, and its most populous city is Parsons. The county was named after LaBette creek, the ...
,
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 9,600. It is the most populous city of Labette County, and the second-most populous city in the southeastern region of Kansas. It is home to
Labette Community College Labette Community College (LCC) is a public community college in Parsons, Kansas, United States. LCC's main campus is situated in Parsons and satellite campuses are located in Cherokee, Oswego and Pittsburg. The mascot of the school is Chris t ...
and the Parsons State Hospital & Training Center.


History

Parsons was named after Levi Parsons, president of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad. The town was founded in 1870 and incorporated the following year by the railroad. The location for the town was chosen because it was where the two branches of the railroad being built from
Junction City, Kansas Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby. History Junction City is so named from its ...
and
Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had ...
would meet, and was on a ridge between Labette Creek and Little Labette Creek, which were soon dammed to provide a water source. The railroad commenced building a massive rail yard, foundry, and locomotive shop at Parsons, which for many years was the third largest railroad facility west of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
with only
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
being larger. Settlers from nearby towns uprooted and moved to Parsons, and new settlers arrived on every incoming train. Parsons soon became a major hub for several railroads including the Missouri Kansas & Texas Railroad, Parsons & Pacific Railroad, Kansas City & Pacific Railroad, and the Memphis, Kansas & Colorado Railroad. In the early part of the twentieth century, Parsons operated its own street car system, and also had an interurban electric railroad connecting it to the nearby cities of Cherryvale,
Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
, Coffeyville, and
Nowata Nowata ( Lenape: ', ' ) is a city and county seat of Nowata County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,731 at the United States Census, 2010, a 6.0 percent decline from the figure of 3,971 recorded in 2000. The area where it was estab ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
it was home to the Kansas Ordnance Plant, which later operated for some years as the
Kansas Army Ammunition Plant The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (Kansas AAP) was a government-owned, contractor-operated ( GOCO) facility, established in 1942, located near Parsons, Kansas. The plant produced ammunition during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. ...
. In Spring of 2005, the munitions plant was placed on the BRAC list for closure. The community has rallied behind the current plant operator, Day and Zimmerman, to keep the company on the grounds after closure and to keep those jobs and more in the Parsons area. (See link to "Great Plains Industrial Park" in "External Links", below)


Hospital

Parsons is also home to the Parsons State Hospital & Training Center, which has been in operation since 1903 when it was opened as the Kansas State Hospital for Epileptics. In 1957 the hospital was renamed Parsons State Hospital and Training Center. At that time it began providing programs for individuals with
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
. The Hospital occupies 43 buildings on . The hospital also includes residential services, the University Center on Developmental Disabilities and the Parsons Research Center for the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
, the Special Purpose School of the Southeast Regional Education Service Center. The Southeast Kansas Agricultural Research Center of
Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
is also located on the grounds, as is the
Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association was founded by Jerome H. Stone with the help of several family members in Chicago, Illinois, and incorporated on April 10, 1980, as the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc. It is a non-profit Ame ...
, Heart of America Chapter, Southeast Kansas Regional Office.


Library

The first library began as a subscription library in 1904 and was located in city hall. Parsons Public Library, a Carnegie library, opened on May 18, 1909. A new library opened on April 18, 1977, and the former library has since been renovated to become a visual and performing arts center.


Industry

The sale of
Katy Industries Katy Industries, Inc. is a holding company for a group of businesses whose operations are divided between maintenance products and electrical products. The first manufactures and distributes commercial cleaning products, and sells consumer home an ...
to
Union Pacific 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 ...
, in 1988, eventually saw the loss of scores of railroad jobs and, in effect, severed a major part of Parsons' city history which stretched back to its 1871 incorporation. While, in return, the city received a million dollars to help it recover (and so that it would not file lengthy paperwork opposing the sale and thus delaying it), that money is kept in a fund by the city government, which uses the accrued interest on economic development projects. The only reminder of the
Katy Railroad Katy or KATY may refer to: People * Katy, a short form of the name Katherine * Katy (given name) * Katy (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a fictional character * Katy Perry Places Serbia * Kać, Serbia ( hu, Káty, link=no) United States * Katy, Mi ...
is now found in the local historical society's museum, the annual Katy Days Festival and of course the tracks, over which trains now speed through Parsons. The
Kansas Army Ammunition Plant The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (Kansas AAP) was a government-owned, contractor-operated ( GOCO) facility, established in 1942, located near Parsons, Kansas. The plant produced ammunition during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. ...
also was down scaled in the 1980s.


2000-2020

On April 19, 2000, an F3 tornado cut a devastating path of destruction through the center of Parsons. About 700 homes were damaged and about 100 destroyed, about 60 businesses were damaged and 11 destroyed. On June 5, 2006 the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
named Parsons a 2006 Great American Main Street Award winner for its successful efforts in revitalizing its downtown area through historic preservation. The award was presented during the 2006 National Main Streets Conference in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. Parsons was one of only five cities receiving the 2006 award. Parsons is the home of Dwayne's Photo, which became the last processor of K-14
Kodachrome Kodachrome is the brand name for a color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was one of the first successful color materials and was used for both cinematography and still photography. For many years Kodachrome was widely used ...
film in the world and was the location of the final frame taken on the final roll of Kodachrome film produced. Parsons is featured prominently in the plot of the 2018
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
movie ''Kodachrome'' about a man who takes a
road trip A road trip, sometimes spelled roadtrip, is a long-distance journey on the road. Typically, road trips are long distances travelled by automobile. History First road trips by automobile The world's first recorded long-distance road trip by t ...
to develop a roll of Kodachrome film.


Film

The motion picture ZombieGeddon (2003) was filmed in Parsons in July 2002.


Geography

Parsons is located at (37.339070, -95.269747). The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 59 and
U.S. Route 400 U.S. Route 400 (US 400) is a mostly east–west U.S. Highway, commissioned in 1994. The highway's western terminus is in Granada, Colorado, at an intersection with US 385. The highway's eastern terminus is southwest of Joplin, Missouri, ...
. Along US-59, the city of
Erie Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
(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 Neosho County) is to the north and Oswego (the county seat of Labette County) is south and east.
Big Hill Lake Big Hill Lake is a body of water in Labette County, Kansas, United States. It is located east of Cherryvale and southwest of Parsons. The reservoir holds of water, with available for public use. Fishing, picnicking, boating, and a sandy bea ...
is several miles to the west of the city, and Lake Parsons is situated northwest of the city. The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP) is located southeast of the city. The facility was completed in 1942 to support
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
operations and consists of 21 separate facilities over . The installation is actively used as a munitions loading, assembly, and packing facility. 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


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 10,500 people, 4,351 households, and 2,586 families living 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 5,034 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.3%
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 ...
, 18.6%
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 ...
, 1.4% 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 4.3% 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 16.7% of the population. There were 4,351 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% 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, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.


2000 census

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 11,514 people, 4,738 households, and 2,909 families living 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 1,111.2 people per square mile (429.1/km2). There were 5,359 housing units at an average density of 517.2 per square mile (199.7/km2). The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 85.54%
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 ...
, 8.17%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
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 ...
, 1.12% Native American, 0.42%
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 ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.90% from other races, and 2.84% from
two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...
of any race were 4.64% of the population. There were 4,738
household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...
s, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% 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 t ...
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,345, and the median income for a family was $36,557. Males had a median income of $28,667 versus $21,558 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 $15,763. About 9.9% of families and 14.6% 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 16.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Events

Katy Days is an annual festival held
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
weekend to celebrate the
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive ra ...
, also known as "the Katy" railroad. The founders of the festival are Mary and Pete Hughes. Activities are held in Forest Park, the largest community park in Parsons, and typically include live music,
food truck A food truck is a large motorized vehicle (such as a van) or trailer, equipped to cook, prepare, serve, and/or sell food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food; others have on-board kitchens and prepare food from scratc ...
s, and a
parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
.


Education


College

*
Labette Community College Labette Community College (LCC) is a public community college in Parsons, Kansas, United States. LCC's main campus is situated in Parsons and satellite campuses are located in Cherokee, Oswego and Pittsburg. The mascot of the school is Chris t ...


Public

Parsons USD 503 public school district serves most of the city of Parsons: *
Parsons Senior High School Parsons Senior High School is a public secondary school in Parsons, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Parsons USD 503 school district, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. It is the sole high school in the school district. The scho ...
(9-12) * Parsons Middle School (6-8) * Guthridge Elementary (4-5) * Garfield Elementary (2-3) * Lincoln Elementary (PreK-1)
Labette County USD 506 Labette County USD 506 is a public unified school district headquartered in Altamont, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Altamont, Angola, Bartlett, Dennis, Edna, Labette, Mound Valley, western and southern Par ...
public school district serves southern and western parts of the city of Parsons: * Meadow View Elementary (K-8) Erie-Galesburg USD 101 public school district serves north of Parsons.


Private

* St. Patrick Catholic School (PreK-8)


Library

The first public library building in Parsons was the Carnegie Library, established in 1909. The Parsons Public Library moved to a modern facility in 1977.


Points of interest

* Parsons Arboretum * Tri-City Airport *
Big Hill Lake Big Hill Lake is a body of water in Labette County, Kansas, United States. It is located east of Cherryvale and southwest of Parsons. The reservoir holds of water, with available for public use. Fishing, picnicking, boating, and a sandy bea ...
* Lake Parsons *
Neosho State Fishing Lake Neosho State Fishing Lake, also known as Lake McKinley is located in the state of Kansas. Located in Neosho County north on highway 59 and east on 40th Rd from the city of Parsons, Kansas, United States. Construction of this lake was completed i ...
* Oakwood Cemetery * Parsons Historical Society Museum * Forest Park


Notable people

* Gilbert Baker, civil rights activist and creator of the pride flag * Fred Bradley, Major League Baseball pitcher * Gil Britton, Major League Baseball player * Jamie Anne (Brown) Allman, actress *
Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...
aka Wilbur Dorsey Clayton, jazz musician *
William Coffin Coleman William Coffin Coleman (May 21, 1870 – November 2, 1957) was a businessman, the American founder of the Coleman Company, a maker of camping equipment, and a politician. He served as the Mayor of Wichita, Kansas from 1923 to 1924. Biography ...
, founder of the
Coleman Company The Coleman Company, Inc. is an American brand of outdoor recreation products, especially camping gear, now owned by Newell Brands. The company's new headquarters are in Chicago, and it has facilities in Wichita, Kansas, and in Texas. There are ...
, and mayor of
Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
* William W. Cranston, civil war soldier and
medal of honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient *
Walter Davidson, Sr. Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
, co-founder of Harley-Davidson Motor Company * Pintip Dunn, author of young adult fiction * Fletcher Flora, author * Myron V. George, U.S. congressman * Derrel Gofourth, NFL offensive lineman *
Bill Guthridge William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 – May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing ...
, college basketball coach * George Harvey, professional football player *
Clancy Hayes Clarence Leonard Hayes (November 14, 1908 – March 13, 1972) was an American jazz vocalist and banjo player. Early life Hayes was born in Caney, Kansas, on November 14, 1908. As a child, he learned the drums, then switched to guitar and banjo. ...
, jazz musician *
Shaun Hill Shaun Christopher Hill (born January 9, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college fo ...
, NFL quarterback *
Jeff Kready Jeff Kready (born in Parsons, Kansas, United States) is an American stage performer and has been featured in Broadway musicals. Raised in Topeka, Kansas, Kready made his Broadway debut in the 2006 revival of ''Les Misérables'' in the role of ...
, Broadway and television actor *
Roland Lakes Roland Hayes Lakes (December 25, 1939 – March 5, 2012) was an American football defensive lineman. He played defensive tackle at University of Wichita, and then for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) (San Francisco 49ers ...
, Wichita State and NFL lineman *
Deb Miller Debra L. "Deb" Miller was the vice chair of the Surface Transportation Board. She previously served as the Kansas Secretary of Transportation under three successive Governors of Kansas between 2003 and 2011. She is Kansas' first female and longe ...
, Kansas Secretary of Transportation (2003–2012) *
Ajit Pai Ajit Varadaraj Pai (; born January 10, 1973) is an American lawyer who served as chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2017 to 2021. He has been a partner at the private-equity firm Searchlight Capital since April 20 ...
, former FCC Chairman *
George Pepperdine George Pepperdine (; June 20, 1886 – July 31, 1962) was an American entrepreneur and Christian philanthropist who was the founder of Pepperdine University in California. Biography Early life George Pepperdine was born on June 20, 1886, on a farm ...
, founder of
Western Auto Western Auto Supply Company—known more widely as Western Auto—was a specialty retail chain of stores that supplied automobile parts and accessories. It operated approximately 1200 stores across the United States. It was started in ...
and
Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and t ...
*
ZaSu Pitts Zasu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic 1924 silent film ''Greed'', and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the ...
, film and television actress and comedian * Payne Harry Ratner, Kansas Governor * Clyde M. Reed, Kansas Governor and U.S. Senator * Nell Donnelly Reed, businesswoman * T. Claude Ryan, aviator, aerospace engineer * Dan Smith, major league baseball player *
Clark Tippet Clark Tippet (October 5, 1954 in Parsons, Kansas – January 28, 1992 in Parsons, Kansas) was a danseur and choreographer. He was a member of the American Ballet Theatre company in New York City. Among other roles, he was the male Spanish Danc ...
, ballet dancer and choreographer *
Levi Watkins Levi Watkins Jr. (June 13, 1944 – April 11, 2015) was an American heart surgeon and civil rights activist. On February 4, 1980, he and Vivien Thomas were the first to successfully implant an automatic defibrillator in a human patient at Johns Ho ...
, heart surgeon and civil rights activist * Ella B. Ensor Wilson, social reformer


References


Further reading


External links


Parsons - Official

Parsons - Directory of Public Officials

Parsons Chamber of Commerce

''The Parsons Sun''
local newspaper
Parsons city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Labette County, Kansas Populated places established in 1870 1870 establishments in Kansas