Wellsville is a city in Franklin 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 1,953.

History

Wellsville 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 bear ...

ted in 1870. The community was named after D.L. Wells, a railroad construction engineer. The first post office in Wellsville was established in October 1870. On January 9, 1894, baseball star Charlie Bennett went hunting with pitcher

John Clarkson John Gibson Clarkson (July 1, 1861 – February 4, 1909) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Clarkson played for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stocking ...

. Bennett got off the train in Wellsville to speak to an acquaintance; when he tried to reboard, he slipped and fell under the train's wheels. Bennett lost both legs in the accident. He was fitted with artificial limbs but his baseball career was over; he lived until 1927.

Geography

Wellsville is located at (38.719694, -95.081358). 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.

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 1,857 people, 722 households, and 500 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 780 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.6%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.6% 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 2.4% 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 3.2% of the population. There were 722 households, of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% 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, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 22.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% 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

of 2000, there were 1,606 people, 636 households, and 435 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 666 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.13%

, 0.19%

, 0.50% Native American, 0.06%

, 0.06% from

, and 1.06% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.75% of the population. There were 636 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% 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 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,456, and the median income for a family was $47,102. Males had a median income of $35,938 versus $25,250 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 $18,215. About 7.9% of families and 7.9% 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 7.6% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Wellsville USD 289 public school district, which operates three separate schools: * Wellsville High School * Wellsville Middle School * Wellsville Elementary School

Notable people

Bill Grigsby William W. Grigsby (February 13, 1922 – February 26, 2011) was an American sportscaster and member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Grigsby was best known for his work with the Kansas City Chiefs. Personal life Bill Grigsby was born in ...

, sportscaster. * Elizabeth "Grandma" Layton, artist.http://elizabethlayton.com * Mark Samsel, Attorney and Republican Kansas House member. *

Chely Wright Chely Wright (born Richell Rene Wright; October 25, 1970) is an American activist, author and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the number one hit ...

, singer,

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...

award-winning artist.

References

External links

City of Wellsville

Wellsville - Directory of Public Officials

USD 289
local school district
Wellsville city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Franklin County, Kansas Populated places established in 1870 1870 establishments in Kansas