Humboldt, Kansas
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Humboldt is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in Allen 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. It is situated along the
Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,847.


History


19th century

Humboldt, named after Baron von Humboldt, was founded in 1857. Germans migrating from
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, began organizing a colony during the winter of 1856–57. They arrived in
Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
, in March 1857, and at the townsite on May 10, 1857. Orlin Thurston, a young attorney, moved to Humboldt during the summer of 1857 and put up a steam
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
; he began sawing wood and building houses on the prairie side of town. The first
frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...
building was erected by J.A. Coffey; and in May 1858, W.C. O'Brien opened the first
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
in the county. The United Brethren Denomination erected the first
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...
in 1859. In 1861 Humboldt was attacked by a collection of border ruffians and Osages led by John Mathews out of
Oswego, Kansas Oswego is a city in and the county seat of Labette County, Kansas, United States, and situated along the Neosho River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,668. History Oswego is located on the site of an Osage village calle ...
who took several recently freed African-Americans back into captivity. The Humboldt Home Guard joined with the Kansas 6th Cavalry under James G. Blunt to counter-attack. In a battle on September. 18, 1861 Mathews was killed at
Chetopa, Kansas Chetopa is a city in Labette County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 929. Chetopa was named for Chief Chetopah, an Osage Indian chief. Later, the community name was shortened. History The community ...
. The city was organized as a village in 1866 and incorporated as a city of the second class by the act of February 28, 1870. In October 1870 the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston railway was run through Humboldt; the railway was operated during the 20th century as part of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...
and is currently operated by the
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a short line railroad which operates of rail lines in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri that used to belong to Missouri Pacific, Frisco and Santa Fe lines. SKOL is a unit of Watco. The present railroad was create ...
. Humboldt was the Allen
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 ...
for seven years, from 1858 until 1865, when Iola became the seat. Humboldt won two contentious legislative elections to become the seat in 1858 and 1860, but another election in 1865 at the end of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
resulted in the re-location of the county seat to Iola. The legitimacy of this election was questioned by Humboldt residents due to low turnout arising from soldiers fighting the War. Some residents claim that the county seat was "stolen". Iola effectively secured the seat by donating 100 lots to the county to aid in the construction of public buildings and subsequently raising funds to build a courthouse. However, Humboldt was also guilty of shady practices. Lieut. Col. Charles W. Blair, the commander of Fort Scott, temporarily replaced the commander of the post at Humboldt, Maj. Henry C. Haas, to keep the soldiers there from illegally voting in the county seat election. Blair claimed none of the troops were legal voters in Humboldt. The Humboldt newspaper, however, denied the troops had been involved in any wrongdoing.
County seat war A county seat war is an American phenomenon that occurred mainly in the Old West as it was being settled and county lines determined. Incidents elsewhere, such as in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia, have also been recorded. As new towns s ...
s of this sort were common in Kansas and the American West.


Civil War fortifications

Humboldt was very much involved in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. The town was raided September 1, 1861, by Confederate raiders, who took much property and kidnapped eight free blacks, who may have been placed into slavery. Several persons may have been wounded by gunfire, but no one was killed. Many of the raiders were hunted down and one of the leaders, Col. John Mathews, was killed. Actions were taken to prevent Humboldt coming under further attack. Two home guard companies were organized in the Humboldt area. These militia units sought to protect the town and to scout as far south as the Kansas-
Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
border to prevent Confederates from coming too close to town. Some of the militia were involved with the pursuit of the September raiders. Two Humboldt area structures, O'Brien's Mill and W. W. Curdy dry goods store, were fortified. Amazingly, Humboldt fell victim to another raid on October 14, 1861, months after the first raid. The second raid caught the town totally off guard and the 100 home guards surrendered when they discovered they could not protect the town from the 330 raiders. O'Brien's Mill and most of the town was burned. The W. W. Curdy store apparently was spared, but it played no further role in Humboldt's defenses. It was said the second raid was at least in part revenge for the killing of Mathews and for the actions of U.S. Senator James H. Lane and his brigade's sacking and destruction of
Osceola, Missouri Osceola is a city in St. Clair County, Missouri, United States. The population was 909 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of St. Clair County. During the American Civil War, Osceola was the site of the Sacking of Osceola. History Located ...
. After the second raid the threats to Humboldt's safety were taken very seriously. At times the town had local militia units operating and most of the rest of the Civil War the town had Army troops stationed there. Sometimes the military post there was called Post Humboldt. A blockhouse was partially constructed at 514 S. 3rd Street. This was used by the local militia as its headquarters and as a recruiting office. Other points in town were used by the military. The German settlers in town built a church on Bridge Street, in the east part of town. This was used as the post's quartermaster store and was run by a sergeant. On the west side of town, a number of cabins were built on the east side of the
Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...
. This was sometimes called Log Town, but was more commonly known as Camp Hunter. When the ranks swelled beyond the capacity of the cabins, tents were pitched at the camp. Of the places used by the military, home guards and militia, today only the German church stands and it was converted into a private residence in the 1950s. The geographic coordinates of the various points are: * O'Brien's Mill (approx. location) – * Camp Hunter – * German church – * W. W. Curdy dry goods store (approx. location) – * Blockhouse – In October 1864, the area was threatened by a huge raid through
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
and eastern Kansas. The Confederate raiders were commanded by Maj. Gen.
Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...
and most of the troops and militia went to meet the threat further east. Also, in the same time period Maj. Haas, in command of the troops, and Maj. Watson Stewart, in command of the militia had differences of opinion as to the extent of the jurisdiction of Haas. Haas wanted control of the militia and Stewart contested this. The militia maintained its independence, but no until Haas managed to arrest one of the militia's officers. The post at Humboldt was manned by troops at least through June 1865. It probably lasted into July and very possibly into August. When troops abandoned the town, the use of the military buildings came to an end, as well.


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 , of which is land and is water. Humboldt is situated along the east bank of the
Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...
, midway between Iola (to the north) and Chanute (to the south, in Neosho County) along Old 169 Highway.


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, notabl ...
system, Humboldt has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,953 people, 829 households, and 511 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 923 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.0%
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 ...
, 1.4%
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, 0.1%
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 ...
, 2.0% 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 2.0% 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 5.1% of the population. There were 829 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% 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 2.97. The median age in the city was 40.7 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.


2000 census

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 1,999 people, 825 households, and 554 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,403.3 people per square mile (543.5/km). There were 925 housing units at an average density of 649.4 per square mile (251.5/km). 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 93.00%
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 ...
, 1.75% Black 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 ...
, 0.45% Native American, 0.10%
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 ...
, 2.65% from other races, and 2.05% 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 5.15% of the population. There were 825
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 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,408, and the median income for a family was $39,750. Males had a median income of $28,512 versus $18,712 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 $17,651. About 9.8% of families and 12.7% 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 15.1% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.


Events

Humboldt is the location of the Biblesta parade. Local churches, businesses, and organizations create floats for the parade based on Bible stories. Other festivities during Biblesta generally include a music concert and bean feed.


Education

The Humboldt school district (USD 258), with three schools, serves 498 students. * Humboldt High School, grades 9–12 * Humboldt Middle School, grades 6–8 * Humboldt Elementary School, grades K–5


Infrastructure

The old highway passes through the center of town, while the current
U.S. Route 169 U.S. Route 169 (US 169) is a north-south U.S highway that currently runs for 966 miles (1,555 km) from the city of Virginia, Minnesota to Tulsa, Oklahoma at Memorial Drive. Route description Oklahoma US 169 is a major north–south ...
passes by approximately one mile to the east. Rail service to
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
and other points is available in Humboldt; the
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a short line railroad which operates of rail lines in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri that used to belong to Missouri Pacific, Frisco and Santa Fe lines. SKOL is a unit of Watco. The present railroad was create ...
line ends at Hawaii Road on the city's east side.
Allen County Airport Allen County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Iola, in Allen County, Kansas, United States. Facilities and aircraft Allen County Airport cov ...
is located only a few miles to the northeast.


Notable people

*
Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
,
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
pitcher who won 417 games for the Washington Senators *
George Sweatt George Alexander "Sharky" Sweatt (December 7, 1893 – July 19, 1983) was an American second baseman in Negro league baseball. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs and Chicago American Giants from 1922 to 1927. Life During his youth, Sweatt w ...
, player with the
Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...


See also

*
Great Flood of 1951 In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River, Missouri River, and other surrounding areas of the Central United States. Flooding occurred in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. ...


References


Further reading


External links


City of Humboldt

Humboldt - Directory of Public Officials

USD 258
local school district
Humboldt city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas German-American culture in Kansas Cities in Allen County, Kansas Populated places established in 1857 1857 establishments in Kansas Territory