Plainville is a city in

Rooks County Rooks County (standard abbreviation: RO) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 4,919. The county seat is Stockton, and the largest city is Plainville. The county was named for Pri ...

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,746. It was named from its setting upon the plains.

History

Washington Irving Griffin settled along a freight trail in an area known as Paradise Flats in 1877. In order to establish a post office, Griffin completed a US Postal Service application that required the signature of the local

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...

. While reviewing the application, Justice of the Peace Lambert P. Darland suggested the name "Plainville". Griffin operated the Plainville post office and a small store from his

sod house The sod house or soddy was an often used alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, ...

, the first structure in what would become the city of Plainville.Dougherty, Harriet. "History of Plainville City and Township", Plainville Times, September 21, 1961, pp. 12-13. In 1888, Plainville filed for incorporation with 500 residents. Dan E. Miller was elected the first mayor. The first city council consisted of Dr. Volney M. Gray, Murray C. Knox, John Mullin, George Brooks and David E. Mickey.

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 ...

established an east–west route through Plainville in August 1888. The train tracks ran parallel to Mill Street, approximately one block to the north. The

Train Depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing such ...

was located on the northwest corner of N First Street and Meridian Street. A Roundhouse was located at N First Street and Madison Street. Plainville Mill & Elevator Co., (est. 1893) was a major employer and purchaser of locally grown wheat. The original mill was destroyed by fire in 1899 and soon replaced by a larger mill. The flour produced by the mill was of such fine quality, the company won a gold medal at the

1904 World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

. The mill was again destroyed by fire in 1950. Plainville Mill & Elevator Co. was located on N First Street between Madison and Meridian Streets. In 1909, fire devastated the Plainville business district. The fire apparently started in a butcher shop on the south side of Mill Street in the early morning hours. Fire quickly spread to the north side of Mill Street. Seventeen structures were destroyed before the fire was contained. The burned out wooden buildings were replaced with stone and brick structures, many still standing on Mill Street today. Oil was discovered in Rooks County in 1927. The oil boom brought significant growth to Plainville in the 1940s and 1950s. The Bemis-Shutts oil field in the Saline River valley south of Plainville is one of the largest oil producers in the state of

Geography

Plainville is located at (39.232102, -99.303166) at an elevation of 2,146 feet (654 m). It lies in the

Smoky Hills The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the Midwestern United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a disse ...

region of 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, an ...

on the north side of Paradise Creek, a tributary of the Saline River. Southwest of the city, the creek has been dammed to form a small reservoir, Plainville Township Lake. Plainville is approximately north of the Saline River and south of the

South Fork Solomon River The South Fork Solomon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 29, 2011 river in the central Great Plains of North America. The entire length of the river lies in ...

. Located in north-central Kansas at the intersection of

U.S. Route 183 U.S. Route 183 (US 183) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with Interstate 90. Its southern terminus is in Refugio, Texas, at the southern intersection ...

and K-18, Plainville is approximately northwest of Wichita and west of

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 ...

. 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 , all of it land.

Climate

Plainville has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dfa'') with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average yearly temperature in Plainville is 51.9 °F (11 °C), and, on average, the city receives 23.2 inches (589 mm) of precipitation a year. Snowfall averages 23.3 inches (592 mm) per year. On average, January is the coolest month, July is the warmest month, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Plainville was 114 °F (46 °C) in 1940; the coldest temperature recorded was -29 °F (-34 °C) in 1989.

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 1,903 people, 819 households, and 516 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 949 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.0%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.5% 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 ...

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 1.5% of the population. There were 819 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% 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, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 20.2% 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

of 2000, there were 2,029 people, 865 households, and 565 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 948 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.42%

, 0.39%

, 0.39% Native American, 0.20%

, and 0.59% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.30% of the population. There were 865 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were

living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $29,402, and the median income for a family was $35,673. Males had a median income of $29,408 versus $17,245 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 $15,134. About 7.7% of families and 8.6% 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 9.8% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Points of Interest

* Plainville Township Hall (1914) * GAR Memorial (1925) * Plainville Township Lake dam (1937) * Rock Gym (1937) * Plainville Junior High School building (1939) * Plainville Rural High School (1952) * Scout House (1964) * Clarence Audburn Gilbert memorial (1966) * Veterans Memorial (2016)

Parks and Recreation

Max Malin Memorial Ballpark is a multi-field baseball complex. Plainville City Park includes a playground, basketball court and swimming pool. Plainville Township Lake is located a half mile west of town. Fishing, picnics and other outdoor recreation are popular activities. Rooks County Golf Course is a nine-hole, public course located 5 miles north of Plainville.

Education

Public schools

Plainville is part of

Unified School District A unified school district (in the states of Arizona, California, Kansas and Oregon) or unit school district (in Illinois), in the United States of America, is a school district that generally includes and operates both primary schools (kindergarten ...

270. The district has two schools. * Plainville Jr-Sr High School * Plainville Elementary School Plainville High School Cardinals has won the following Kansas State High School championships: * 1980 3A Football * 1985 3A Football * 1988 3-2-1A Wrestling * 1992 3-2-1A Wrestling * 2012 2A Boys Track & Field * 2013 2A Boys Track & Field * 2017 2A Boys Track & Field

Private schools

* Sacred Heart Grade School

Library

Plainville Memorial Library is a public library serving the community since 1902.

Media

Newspaper

Plainville has one weekly

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

, ''Plainville Times''.

Radio Station

Radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

KFIX is

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

to Plainville, but broadcasts from

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 ...

playing a

Classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

format.

Infrastructure

Transportation

runs north–south through Plainville, intersecting highway K-18 on the north end of town. Rooks County Regional Airport is located seven miles north of Plainville.

Healthcare

Rooks County Health Center is located on the north end of Plainville.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Plainville include: *

Brent Collins Brent Collins (October 31, 1941 – January 6, 1988) was an American actor who played the role of Mr. Big in the daytime soap opera ''As the World Turns'' from 1982 to 1983, and Wallingford on '' Another World'', from 1984 until his death. O ...

(1941-1988), Actor * Dale Dodrill (1926-2019), NFL Player *

Jack Hartman Jack Hartman (October 7, 1925 – November 6, 1998) was an American gridiron football player and basketball coach. Hartman played basketball and football collegiately at Oklahoma State University with his basketball tutelage under famed coach ...

(1925-1998), Basketball Coach *

Jerry Moran Gerald Wesley Moran ( ; born May 29, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Kansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was chair of the National Republican Senat ...

(1954- ),

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

* Carl Weeks (1876-1962), Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Gallery

File:Plainville Kansas Plainville Township Hall (1).jpg, Township Hall File:Plainville Kansas Rock Gym.jpg, Rock Gym File:Plainville_Kansas_GAR_Memorial.jpg, GAR Memorial File:Plainville Kansas Clarence Audburn Gilbert memorial.jpg, Clarence Audburn Gilbert Memorial File:Plainville Kansas Scout House.jpg, Scout House File:Plainville Kansas City Park.jpg, City Park

References

External links

City of Plainville

Plainville - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities
Historic Images of Plainville
Wichita State University Library
Plainville city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Rooks County, Kansas Cities in Kansas 1888 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1888