La Crosse 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 st ...

of Rush 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 th ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,266. La Crosse proclaims itself the "Barbed Wire capital of the world.

History

La Crosse was founded in 1876, was named after the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin. La Crosse subsequently became the intended county seat, and county records were transferred there from the temporary county seat, nearby Rush Center. A

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 ...

ensued between the two communities, lasting until La Crosse was declared the permanent county seat and the construction of the county courthouse in 1888. In the 1960s, La Crosse became a regional center of barbed wire collecting, leading to the establishment of the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum and the nicknaming of the city as "The Barbed Wire Capital of the World".

Tornado of 2012

On May 25, 2012, an EF-1 tornado caused about four blocks of significant damage, and two businesses were destroyed. A third of the businesses sustained major damage. No injuries were reported.

Geography

La Crosse is located at (38.532014, -99.308614) at an elevation of 2,057 feet (627 m). It lies in the

Smoky Hills The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the Midwestern United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a disse ...

region of the Great Plains, approximately south of the

Smoky Hill River The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through Colorado and Kansas.Smoky Hill River. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.br ...

and north of Walnut Creek, a tributary of the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

. Sand Creek, a tributary of Walnut Creek, flows southeast around the southwestern and southern portions of the city. Mule Creek, a small tributary of Sand Creek, flows southeast through the city. Located in west-central Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 183 and K-4, La Crosse is northwest of Wichita, west-southwest of Kansas City, and east-southeast of

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

On average in La Crosse, July is the hottest month, January is the coldest month, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in La Crosse was 115 °F (46 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -24 °F (-31 °C) in 1989.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 1,342 people, 606 households, and 350 families residing 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 722 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.5%

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 o ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.4% 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 ...

, and 0.7% 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 forme ...

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 2.8% of the population. There were 606 households, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age in the city was 47.7 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.3% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 26.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,376 people, 585 households, and 367 families residing in the city. The

was 1,351.8 people per square mile (520.9/km). There were 720 housing units at an average density of 707.4 per square mile (272.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.33%

, 0.22%

, 0.44% Native American, 0.15%

, 0.22% 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 0.65% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.38% of the population. There were 585 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,435, and the median income for a family was $39,118. Males had a median income of $26,118 versus $20,600 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 $17,264. About 7.1% of families and 9.7% 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 14.1% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

La Crosse is a city of the third class, according to state statute, with a commission-manager form of government. The

city commission City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis. These commissione ...

consists of the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

and two commissioners, and it meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

Education

The community is served by La Crosse USD 395 public school district, and operates three schools in the city: * La Crosse High School (9-12) * La Crosse Middle School (7-8) * La Crosse Elementary School (K-6)

Transportation

U.S. Route 183 runs north-south through La Crosse, intersecting Kansas Highway 4 (K-4) which runs east-west along the northern edge of the city. Rush County Airport is located northeast of the city on the north side of K-4. Publicly owned, it has one asphalt runway and is used for

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

. A line of the

Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad The Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in the Midwestern United States. It is primarily located in Kansas and extends into Colorado, but despite its name, not into Oklahoma. Overview The KO is a subsidiary of Watco, ...

runs southeast-northwest through La Crosse.

Media

Print

One newspaper, ''The Rush County News'', is published weekly in La Crosse.

Radio

The following radio stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from La Crosse: FM

Television

La Crosse is in the Wichita-

Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson is the largest city and county seat in Reno County, Kansas, United States, and located on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch". As of the 2020 ...

television

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

Culture

Events

* Rush County Fair

Points of interest

* Kansas Barbed Wire Museum * Post Rock Museum * Historical Museum * Nekoma Bank Museum * Pleasant Point One-Room School Museum

References

External links

City of La Crosse

La Crosse - Directory of Public Officials

La Crosse Info
Legends of Kansas
La Crosse city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Rush County, Kansas 1876 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1876