Lehigh is a city in Marion 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 161. It is located between Hillsboro and Canton on the north side of U.S. Route 56.

History

Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Marion County

Early history

For many

millennia A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by

nomadic A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...

Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, France secretly ceded

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861

became the 34th

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

. In 1855, Marion County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Lehigh.The History of Marion County and Courthouse
/ref> The source of the Lehigh name was not well documented. One of the rumors is the city being slightly higher altitude which was "lay high" above the prairie, the other rumor that it was named by representatives of

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Lehigh County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Lechaa Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 374,557.

who came to Kansas and considered settling the area in the 1870s or 1880s. Four and one half miles north of Lehigh is the junction of the old Santa Fe Trail and

Chisolm Trail The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-American Civil War, Civil War era to Cattle drive, drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas wikt:railhead, railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and ran ...

, which is near the site of the municipal water well for the city. The Santa Fe Trail was active across Marion County from 1821 to 1866, and the Chisholm Trail was active from 1867 to 1871. As early as 1875, city leaders of

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

. In 1878,

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 parties from Marion County and McPherson County chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company.''Marion County Kansas : Past and Present''; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House;

LCCN The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is a serially based system of numbering cataloged records in the Library of Congress, in the United States. It is not related to the contents of any book, and should not be confused with Library of ...

72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. In 1879, a branch line was built from

to McPherson, in 1880 it was extended to Lyons, in 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood. The line was leased and operated by the

. The line from

, was abandoned in 1968.Railway Abandonment 1968
/ref> In 1992, the line from

to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion through Lehigh to McPherson was abandoned and removed. The original branch line connected

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton,

Galva Galva may refer to: Places ;United States * Galva, Illinois * Galva, Iowa * Galva, Kansas Galva is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 834. History Early history For ...

, McPherson, Conway, Windom,

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

, Mitchell, Lyons,

Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase Co ...

, Ellinwood. The 1879 depot from Lehigh was moved to Walton, Kansas. A post office was established at Lehigh on April 23, 1880. Lehigh 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 bea ...

ted in 1881.

20th century

Lehigh was incorporated in 1901 and at the time of the 1910 census had a population of 385. At one time it boasted a bank, several mercantile businesses, and a German weekly Mennonite newspaper, ''Das Echo'', started in 1897. The

National Old Trails Road National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland (some old maps indicate N ...

, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed through Lehigh, Hillsboro,

, Lost Springs.

Geography

Lehigh is located at coordinates 38.3727872, -97.3030858 in the scenic

Flint Hills The Flint Hills, historically known as Bluestem Pastures or Blue Stem Hills, are a region in eastern Kansas and north-central Oklahoma named for the abundant residual flint eroded from the bedrock that lies near or at the surface. It consists of ...

and Great Plains of the state of

. 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 of it land. The county line is 3.5 miles west of Lehigh. The North and South Cottonwood River start a few miles northwest of Lehigh.

Area Events

* Lehigh Antique Tractor & Engine Show, every Memorial Day.

Area attractions

* Santa Fe Trail *
Santa Fe Trail / Chisholm Trail Marker
approximately 3.5 miles west and next to U.S. Route 56 highway. *
Santa Fe Trail Markers
numerous markers in the area. *
Santa Fe Trail Self-Guided Auto Tour
* Marion Reservoir, approximately 10 miles east of Lehigh.

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 175 people, 70 households, and 49 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 84 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.6%

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 o ...

, 2.9% 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 0.6% 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 4.0% of the population. There were 70 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 32.8 years. 29.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 215 people, 77 households, and 62 families residing in the city. The

was 714.3 people per square mile (276.7/km). There were 83 housing units at an average density of 275.7 per square mile (106.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 93.95%

, 4.65% Native American, and 1.40% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.40% of the population. There were 77 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.3% were married couples living together, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $38,958, and the median income for a family was $41,875. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $20,714 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 $14,554. About 6.8% of families and 8.6% 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 19.0% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

Government

Lehigh has a government consisting of a Mayor and Five City Council. The council meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:30PM.Lehigh - Directory of Public Officials
/ref> * City Hall, 110 E Main St. * U.S. Post Office, 112 W Main St.

Education

The community is served by Hillsboro USD 410 public school district. The high school is a member of T.E.E.N., a shared video teaching network between five area high schools. All students attend schools in Hillsboro. Lehigh Rural High School was closed after the spring graduation in 1966. The Lehigh High School mascot was Lehigh Eagles.

Media

Print

* '' Hillsboro Star-Journal'', local newspaper from Hillsboro. * '' Hillsboro Free Press'', free newspaper for greater Marion County area.

Radio

Lehigh is served by numerous

radio stations Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio sta ...

of the Wichita- Hutchinson listening market area, and satellite radio. See '' Media in Wichita, Kansas''.

Television

Lehigh is served by over-the-air ATSC

digital TV Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative adva ...

of the Wichita- Hutchinson viewing market area,Wichita-Hutchinson TV market.
/ref> cable TV, and

satellite TV Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna commo ...

. See '' Media in Wichita, Kansas''.

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. Route 56 highway is south of the city.

Utilities

* Internet ** Satellite is provided by

HughesNet Hughes Network Systems, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar. It is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland and provides satellite internet service. HughesNet has over 1.3 million subscribers in the Americas. History Hughes Communication ...

StarBand StarBand was a two-way Satellite Internet access, satellite broadband Internet service available in the United States, U.S. from 2000–2015. StarBand ceased operations effective September 30, 2015 citing increased competition from other internet p ...

WildBlue Viasat Inc. is an American communications company based in Carlsbad, California, with additional operations across the United States and worldwide. Viasat is a provider of high-speed satellite broadband services and secure networking systems co ...

. * TV ** Satellite is provided by

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...

, Dish Network. ** Terrestrial is provided by regional

stations. * Electricity ** Rural is provided b
Flint Hills RECA
* Water ** City is provided by City of Lehigh. ** Rural is provided by Marion County RWD #4
map
.

Gallery

Historic Images of Lehigh
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library. Image:Cooperative Grain and Supply in Lehigh, Kansas.jpg, Cooperative Grain and Supply (2010) Image:Old Grain Elevator in Lehigh, Kansas.jpg, Old grain elevator (2010) Image:Greeting Sign in Lehigh, Kansas.jpg, Greeting Sign at corner of Main St and State Highway 168 (2010) Image:Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery near Lehigh, Kansas.jpg, Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery, 1/2 mile south of Lehigh (2010)