Zurich 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 Privat ...

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 89.

History

Zurich was established on the plains of northwest

in the late 1870s. In 1880, John and Armenda Webb who were born in Zurich (Switzerland) filed a

US postal service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

application using the name of their birthplace, Zurich. The application was granted and Armenda Webb became the first postmistress of Zurich, operating the post office from her home.

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 ...

extended a line through western Kansas in 1888. The line was routed just south of Zurich where a

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 established. In 1918, fire destroyed most of the Zurich business district when the west side of Main Street caught fire. Three years later, fire claimed the post office, creamery and a store at the North end of Main Street. "Zurich It’s Never Idle" was a popular emblem sold in Zurich in the 1920s. The emblem was proudly displayed on car radiators at the time. The slogan was adopted for the 1980 Zurich centennial celebration. The post office in Zurich was discontinued in 1996.

Geography

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.

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 99 people, 46 households, and 24 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 67 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.0%

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 ...

and 1.0% from two or more races. There were 46 households, of which 19.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% 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, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.8% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 42.8 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 to 44; 33.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% 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 126 people, 51 households, and 37 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 60 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.21%

and 0.79%

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 ...

. There were 51 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were

living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,000, and the median income for a family was $33,125. Males had a median income of $25,313 versus $14,107 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 $12,235. There were 5.7% of families and 4.7% of the population living 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 no under eighteens and 11.1% of those over 64.

Education

The community is served by Palco USD 269 public school district. It has two schools: Damar Elementary School is located in Damar, Palco Jr-Sr High School is located in

Palco Palco is a city in Rooks County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 208. History Palco was established in 1888 by Union Pacific Railroad as a train depot on a newly formed line. The town was given th ...

. Zurich High School was consolidated to Palco High School in 1955. Zurich grade school closed in 1977. The Zurich grade school mascot was Wildcats."Zurich Grade News", Plainville Times, 5 February 1970, p.11

References

External links

Zurich - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities
Zurich city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Rooks County, Kansas Cities in Kansas 1946 establishments in Kansas