Independence is a city in and the

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 ...

of Montgomery County,

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 8,548. It was named in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence.

History

Independence was settled on land that was purchased from the Osage Indians in September 1869 by George A. Brown for the price of $50; they were being moved to

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

in present-day Oklahoma. He originally called the townsite Colfax after Schuyler Colfax, vice president under President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

. On August 21, 1869 a group 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 ca ...

men led by R. W. Wright settled there with the intent to make Independence the county seat. E. E. Wilson and F D. Irwin opened the first store in October 1869, Wilson & Irwin Groceries. Independence was designated county seat in 1870. A permanent lighting system was first used for an exhibition baseball game on April 17, 1930 between the

Independence Producers The Independence Producers were a minor league baseball team based in Independence, Kansas, United States, that played from 1921 to 1925 and from 1928 to 1932. From 1921 to 1924, they played in the Southwestern League, and in 1925 they played in th ...

and House of David semi-professional baseball team of Benton Harbor, Michigan, with the Independence team winning with a score of 9 to 1 before a crowd of 1,700 spectators. Miss Able, a rhesus monkey, was born at Ralph Mitchell Zoo. Miss Able along with

Miss Baker Miss Baker (1957 – November 29, 1984) was a squirrel monkey who in 1959 became, along with female rhesus macaque Able, one of the first two animals launched into space by the United States who safely returned. Previous animal flights Previous ...

, a squirrel monkey, became the first monkeys to fly in space; they returned alive on May 28, 1959.

Geography

Independence is located along the Verdigris River just south of its confluence with the Elk River. 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Climate

Independence 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° ...

( Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by hot, humid and unpleasant summers, and chilly though extremely variable winters. Precipitation is heavy in summer due to frequent incursions of very moist air from the Gulf of Mexico: as much as fell on May 27, 1984 and a maximum daily fall of can be expected in an average calendar year. The wettest month has been June 2007 when was reported, whereas July 1935 saw a mere . The winters are drier and cold, although temperatures in winter are very erratic, ranging from an average of four afternoons in the three winter months above to an average of three mornings below . Winters are much drier than the summer, with November 1986 and October 1952 seeing not even a trace of precipitation.

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...

, Wichita, Kansas
NOW Data
/ref> Overall the wettest calendar year has been 1908 with – although the incomplete year of 2007 likely had more than this – and the driest 1952 with only . The hottest month has been July 1936 with an average of and a mean maximum of , while the coldest has been January 1979 with an average of , a mean maximum of only and a mean minimum of . The hottest monthly mean minimum was in July 2011 with a mean low as high as .

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 9,483 people, 3,950 households, and 2,430 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 4,528 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.2%

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 ...

, 6.5%

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 ...

, 1.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 2.3% from other races, and 4.5% 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 6.5% of the population. There were 3,950 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% 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 ...

living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the city was 36.9 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 9,846 people, 4,149 households, and 2,609 families living in the city. The

was 1,979.4 people per square mile (764.9/km²). There were 4,747 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile (368.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.00%

, 7.17%

, 1.16% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.01%

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 O ...

, 1.10% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population. There were 4,149 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were

living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,574, and the median income for a family was $37,134. Males had a median income of $26,552 versus $20,017 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 $15,496. About 11.4% of families and 13.1% 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 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Colleges

The

Independence Community College Independence Community College is a public community college in Independence, Kansas. It was formerly Independence Community Junior College. History Independence Community College was established in 1925 as grades 13 and 14 of the Independence p ...

main campus is located two miles south of the city. ICC West Campus is located in the city one mile west of the downtown. Each semester, over 1000 students are enrolled at ICC.

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by

Independence USD 446 Independence USD 446 is a public unified school district headquartered in Independence, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Independence, Elk City, Sycamore, and nearby rural areas. Schools The school district o ...

public school district. * Independence High School (9–12) * Independence Middle School (6–8) * Jefferson Elementary School (3–5) * Eisenhower Elementary School (PreK–2)

Private schools

* Zion Lutheran School (PreK–8) * St. Andrew School (PreK–8) * Independence Bible School (PreK–12)

Special education

* Tri-County Education Co-operative, special education (all grades)

Transportation

Highway transportation

Independence is located at the intersection of US-75 and US-160.

Railroad transportation

Independence is served by two railroad companies: * The Union Pacific Railroad is one of the largest class one railroads in the United States and operates on the former

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

tracks. The headquarters for Union Pacific is located at

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

.Union Pacific Railroad https://www.up.com/index.htm * The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, which is a short line railroad owned by WATCO Companies based at Pittsburg, Kansas and operates on the former

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 and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

tracks.South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad https://www.watcocompanies.com/services/rail/skol/

Airports

The Independence Municipal Airport (IDP) is located southwest of the center of the city.

Area events

* The Neewollah Festival takes place in late October. Neewollah is halloween spelled backwards. Independence Kansas Oct 27 2022

Area attractions

is home to the William Inge Center for the Arts, which maintains the archives of playwright and alumnus,

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

. The center utilizes the writer's boyhood home for a playwrights-in-residence program, and sponsors the annual William Inge Festival. Each year during the festival a lifetime achievement award is bestowed on a nationally recognized American playwright. * The State of Kansas designated the childhood home of

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the '' Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

and the Ingalls family near Independence as a historic site; it is open to visitors. It is the location where the Charles Ingalls family resided between 1869-1871 and is described in his daughter

's book '' Little House on the Prairie''. It includes a cabin modeled after the original and the

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

that was originally located at nearby Wayside, Kansas. The Sunnyside School, a one-room schoolhouse that was moved to the site, is also featured. Much of the surrounding countryside retains its open and undeveloped nature. Then located on the Osage reservation, the property is now within the boundaries of the William Kurtis Ranch about 13 miles southwest of downtown Independence. * At the 1964 New York World's Fair,

Sinclair Oil Sinclair Oil Corporation was an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916, the Sinclair Oil and Refining Corporation combined, amalgamated, the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York cor ...

sponsored a dinosaur exhibit, featuring life-size replicas of nine different dinosaurs. On flatbed trucks, they toured the United States. Headquartered in Independence, Sinclair Pipeline Company, a division of Sinclair Oil, was acquired by

Atlantic Richfield ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States and ...

(ARCO). After the acquisition by ARCO, one of the nine dinosaurs, the

Corythosaurus ''Corythosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of hadrosaurid "duck-billed" dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Period, about 77–75.7 million years ago. It lived in what is now North America. Its name means "helmet lizard", derived from Greek κόρυ ...

, was donated to Riverside Park. *

Elk City Lake The Elk City Reservoir is a reservoir located east of Elk City, Kansas. The dam that forms the lake was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It has approximately 4,500 acres (18 km2) of water, and 12,000 acres (49 km2) of ...

and

Elk City State Park Elk City State Park is a state park in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located west of Independence. The park is adjacent to the Elk City Reservoir and the Elk City Wildlife Area. The reservoir offers fishing opportunities for ch ...

are located approximately five miles west of Independence. There are six hiking trails located at Elk City Lake, two of which are notable for receiving a National Trails designation. It is also in this area that the ruins of the Le Hunt cement plant are located, although the site on private property. * Montgomery County State Lake is located approximately 4 miles (6.44 km) south of the city on county road 3600. The lake offers boating and fishing opportunities to the area. * Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo is located on East Oak Street between Pennsylvania and Park Streets on the northeast side of the city. The park offers playground, 4-H, and meeting facilities, picnic areas, tennis courts, miniature golf, miniature train, and a merry go round. It is also the location of Emmot Field, the home field for sporting events for the Independence Middle School, Independence High School, and the Independence Community College. The Ralph Mitchell Zoo is the home for many species of mammals and reptiles, and was the homeplace of the rhesus macaque Miss Able, who was chosen by NASA alongside

to test out space travel and become the first animals launched into space; she is commemorated with a sign. The park is also home to Shulthis Stadium and Emmot Field, which is the site of the first night baseball game, and the home field where

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

began his professional baseball career.

Notable people

* Taylor Armstrong, born as Shana Hughes, former reality show celebrity on '' The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' *

Tacy Atkinson Tacy Atkinson (July 3, 1870 – December 1, 1937) was an American Christian missionary who served in the Ottoman Empire during World War I and the Armenian genocide. As a witness to the Armenian genocide, her accounts of the Armenian genocid ...

, Christian missionary *

Sheila Bair Sheila Colleen Bair (born April 3, 1954) is an American civil servant who was the 19th Chair of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), during which time she assumed a prominent role in the government's response to the 2008 financ ...

, former chairwoman,

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is one of two agencies that supply deposit insurance to depositors in American depository institutions, the other being the National Credit Union Administration, which regulates and insures cr ...

Gerry Bamman Gerald G. Bamman (born September 18, 1941) is an American actor and playwright. He is best known for playing Uncle Frank in the films ''Home Alone'' (1990) and '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), and has also guest starred in several tel ...

, actor *

Benny Bartlett Floyd B. Bartlett, known professionally as Benny Bartlett or Bennie Bartlett (August 16, 1924 – December 26, 1999), was an American child actor, musician, and later a member of the long-running feature-film series ''The Bowery Boys''. Biog ...

, actor * Elizabeth Broun, art historian * Donald Graham Burt,

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winning

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

Independence Daily Reporter, February 23, 2009, p. 1 *

Jim Halsey Jim Halsey is an American artist manager, agent and impresario. He and his staff have guided, promoted or managed the careers of numerous prominent U.S. entertainers - particularly country music stars - including 29 inductees of the Country Mus ...

, artist manager, agent, and impresario *

Sherman Halsey Sherman Brooks Halsey (February 22, 1957 – October 29, 2013) was an American music video and television director, producer, and artist manager. Sherman Halsey produced and directed hundreds of television shows and music videos for artists ...

, music video producer and director, talent agent * Scott Hastings, NBA basketball player * William Wadsworth Hodkinson, founded

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

and ventured into commercial aviation * Lyman U. Humphrey, newspaper editor, banker, 7th

Governor of Kansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

-winning playwright,

-winning screenwriter * Bill Kurtis, television journalist * Alf Landon, 1936 Republican presidential candidate, 26th

Mary Howard de Liagre Mary Howard de Liagre (May 18, 1913 – June 6, 2009) was an American actress usually credited as Mary Howard. Howard came from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and took dancing lessons when she was in kindergarten. Among her dancing instructors was Alber ...

, actress *

, Major league baseball hall-of-famer, started his professional baseball career in Independence. *

Dave McGinnis David McGinnis (born August 7, 1951) is a former National Football League (NFL) coach and college player who is the color commentator for the Tennessee Titans Radio Network. He was assistant head coach of the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams from 2012 ...

, NFL coach * John Morris, composer * Gareth Porter, historian, author and international journalist * Derek Schmidt, former congressional aide, Kansas Senate Majority Leader and since 2011, Attorney General of Kansas *

Jean Schodorf Jean Kurtis Schodorf (born June 11, 1950), a former three-term Republican Kansas state senator, was the Democratic Party nominee for Kansas Secretary of State in 2014. She was defeated on November 4, 2014 by incumbent Kris Kobach by a margin o ...

, former Kansas Senate Majority Leader and congressional candidate. *

Harry F. Sinclair Harry Ford Sinclair (July 6, 1876 – November 10, 1956) was an American industrialist, and the founder of Sinclair Oil. He was implicated in the 1920s Teapot Dome scandal, and served six months in prison for jury tampering. Afterwards he retur ...

, founder of

* Charlie Tidwell, sprinter/hurdler active between 1958–60 * Vivian Vance, actress * Ron Warner, NFL football player

References

External links

*
Independence - Directory of Public Officials

Independence Chamber of Commerce

Independence city map
KDOT {{Authority control 1869 establishments in Kansas Cities in Kansas Cities in Montgomery County, Kansas County seats in Kansas Populated places established in 1869