Wamego is a city in Pottawatomie 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 ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,841.

History

Wamego was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted in 1866. It was named for a

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

Native American chief. The first post office in Wamego was established in October 1866.

Geography

Wamego is located at (39.204074, -96.308328). 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Wamego is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 24 and

K-99 K99 or K-99 may refer to: *K-99 (Kansas highway) K-99 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway runs from Oklahoma State Highway 99 (SH-99) at the Oklahoma state line near Chautauqua north to Nebraska Highway 99 (N-99) at the ...

. It is approximately east of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

; and about west-northwest 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 ...

. The Kansas River flows along the southern edge of the city.

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, nota ...

system, Wamego has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Wamego is part of the

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County, Kansas, Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

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 4,372 people, 1,758 households, and 1,176 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 1,882 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.1%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 1.0% from other races, and 2.9% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 1,758 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 33.3 years. 27.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,246 people, 1,630 households, and 1,155 families living in the city. The

was 2,615.3 people per square mile (1,012.0/km). There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of 1,071.7 per square mile (414.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 96.75%

, 0.73%

, 0.35% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.78% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population. There were 1,630 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were

living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% 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 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,115, and the median income for a family was $46,017. Males had a median income of $29,881 versus $21,974 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 $16,307. About 5.7% 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 ...

, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The primary industry of the area is

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

. The broad river valley is used to grow alfalfa,

sweetcorn Sweet corn (''Zea mays'' convar. ''saccharata'' var. ''rugosa''), also called sugar corn and pole corn, is a variety of maize grown for human consumption with a high sugar content. Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive muta ...

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

and

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

. In the hills around the city, rocky pastures support herds of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

. There is a processing plant for alfalfa in Wamego. The other major industry is a factory which produces attachments for earth-moving and other heavy construction equipment, wholly owned by

Caterpillar, Inc. Caterpillar Inc. (stock symbol CAT) is an American ''Fortune'' 500 corporation and the world's largest construction-equipment manufacturer. In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 65 on the ''Fortune'' 500 list and number 238 on the Global ''Fo ...

Many of the residents of the city commute to nearby areas for employment, chiefly

and

Area attractions

Wamego City Park

Wamego is home to a 12-acre park in the center of town that includes several historic features. The Dutch Mill, a stone windmill built in 1879, is located in the Park, along with the Wamego Historical Museum and Prairie Town Village. Prairie Town Village is a collection of buildings from the 1800s that are a part of Wamego's history. The City Park includes a swimming pool, tennis courts, playground, and fishing pond.

Oz Museum

Wamego is home to a museum dedicated to ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' or ''The Wizard of Oz'' most commonly refers to: *'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum often reprinted as ''The Wizard of Oz'' ** Wizard of Oz (character), from the Baum novel serie ...

'', featuring a collection of over 25,000 Oz artifacts on permanent loan from Friar Johnpaul Cafiero. The Museum was founded in April 2004, and led to the development of several other small businesses with the Oz theme, which have come to be known as the "Oz Cluster." Prominent Oz-related businesses include the Oz Winery, Lincoln Street Station, Barleycorns and Toto's Tacoz. On the first weekend of October, Wamego holds its Annual OZtoberFEST, an Oktoberfest-type celebration with an Oz theme. The annual street festival typically hosts Hot Air Balloon Rides, Tallgrass Brewery Beer Garden, the Yellow Brick Road Bike Ride, and a local stage or music production. Image:Museum of OZ in 2008.JPG, OZ Museum (2008) File:OZ Winery, Wamego, Kansas 2008.jpg, OZ Winery (2008) Image:Totos Tacoz 2008.jpg, Toto's Tacoz (2008)

Points of interest

The Columbian Theatre The Columbian Theatre is a richly historic music hall from the turn of the 20th century located in Wamego, Kansas. Early history This music hall was built in 1893 by J. C. Rogers, a Wamego banker. He had been amazed by the scope and beauty of the ...

* Wamego City Park, Windmill, and Wamego Area Veterans Memorial * Poppyfield Gallery * Walter Percy Chrysler boyhood home * Wamego Public Library *

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

Exhibit

Filmmaking

Wamego served as the backdrop for the independent film production of Steve Balderson's surrealist crime drama, '' Firecracker''.

Education

The community is served by Wamego USD 320 public school district, which provides Kindergarten through 12th grade public education. Highland Community College has a branch facility in the city.

Notable people

* Steve Balderson, filmmaker *

Benjamin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler is best ...

, painter *

Walter Chrysler Walter Percy Chrysler (April 2, 1875 – August 18, 1940) was an American industrial pioneer in the automotive industry, American automotive industry executive and the founder and namesake of American Chrysler Corporation. Early life Chrysler ...

, automobile manufacturer, founder of Chrysler Corporation, born in Wamego but soon after his birth, his parents moved to

Ellis, Kansas Ellis is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,958. History The Kansas Pacific Railway built a water station at the site of present-day Ellis in 1867 and then purchased the ...

* Maggie May, model, Playboy playmate *

Travis Metcalf Travis Anthony Metcalf (born August 17, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers. Amateur career He helped lead the Wamego Red Raider b ...

, professional baseball player * William Pickard, LSD chemist, was arrested one mile northwest of Wamego, serving two life sentences in federal prison *

Wiley Taylor Philip Wiley Taylor (March 18, 1888 – July 8, 1954) was an American baseball pitcher and law enforcement officer. He played professional baseball from 1911 to 1917 and in 1923, including four seasons in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tige ...

, professional baseball player

References

External links

* , official website
Wamego - Directory of Public Officials

Visit Wamego

Wamego Historical Society

Wamego city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Pottawatomie County, Kansas Cities in Kansas Manhattan, Kansas metropolitan area 1866 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1866