Strong City is a city in Chase 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. Originally known as Cottonwood Station, in 1881 it was renamed Strong City after

William Barstow Strong William Barstow Strong (May 16, 1837 – August 3, 1914) served as president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from 1881 to 1889. He is often referred to as either William B. Strong or W. B. Strong. Life and career He was born in ...

, then vice-president and general manager, and later president 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 386. It is located along

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

highway.

History

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 The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

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

. 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 Spai ...

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 The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

. In 1854, the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

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 sover ...

. In 1859, Chase County was established within the

, which included the land for modern day Strong City. In 1871, the

extended a main line from Emporia to

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

.Santa Fe Rail History
/ref> The city originated in March 1871 when the

was completed to the point then known as Cottonwood Station. Strong City was originally called Cottonwood, and under the latter name laid out in 1872. In 1881, the name was changed to Strong, in honor of

, General Superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and afterward the president of the company. The original depot was a wooden building built in 1872 then burned in 1902 and was replaced in 1903 by another wooden building. From 1887 to 1938, a six stall engine roundhouse employed many workers. In 1887,

built a branch line from

Neva The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it ...

(3 miles west of Strong City) to

Superior, Nebraska Superior is a city in Nuckolls County, Nebraska, Nuckolls County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city population was 1,957. Superior bills itself as the "Victorian Capital of Nebraska", and holds a ...

. This branch line connected Strong City,

, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs,

Jacobs Jacobs may refer to: Businesses and organisations *Jacob's, a brand name for several lines of biscuits and crackers in Ireland and the UK *Jacobs (coffee), a brand of coffee * Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company, former American aircraft engine compan ...

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...

, Abilene, Talmage,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

, Oak Hill, Miltonvale,

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from

to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line".

20th century

In 1912, construction of a new depot was begun about west of the old one, and was finished in 1913. The new brick depot was trimmed in native cut limestone was built for a cost of $20,000. A brick platform some 800-feet long was built along the front of the building, and a 250-foot freight platform was built along the rear of the building. Passenger service was discontinued in the late 1940s. In 1945, the name was changed again, this time to Strong City. In 1996, the

merged with

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. Its historical lineage begins in the e ...

and renamed to the current

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

21st century

In 2006 and 2015, the "Symphony in the Flint Hills" concert was held two miles north of Strong City with thousands in attendance.

Stone industry

Local stonemasons and builders ''Barney Lantry & Son'' contracted with railroad companies for projects throughout the United States. In the beginning it built stone-work for certain phases of railroad construction, but later they did build complete railroads, grading, laying the track, building bridges, stations, roundhouses, and other division buildings.Strong City History.
/ref> The first stone-crushers Kansas ever saw were brought to the state by the Lantrys and were operated on a very large scale at Strong City. Most of the stone for masonry and road-ballast for their jobs all over the west, was taken from their quarries at Strong City. Big stones for the

Kansas State Capitol The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in the city of Topeka, which has served as the capital of Kansas sin ...

came from Strong City, each stone weighing 13,000 pounds. Stone was also used for public and private buildings in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Colorado. When Barney Lantry died in 1895, officials of the Santa Fe Railroad from Los Angeles to Chicago attended his funeral services in Strong City.

Geography

Strong City is located at (38.3972360, -96.5369507), 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 ...

of the

. 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. The Cottonwood River is approximately 0.5 miles west of the city, and an old channel of the river is next to the south-west corner of the city.

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, Strong City 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

The

center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...

of Kansas is located north of Strong City at .

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 485 people, 212 households, and 123 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 256 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5%

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 on ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 0.8% 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 ...

, 0.2% 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 1.6% 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 ...

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 1.0% of the population. There were 212 households, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the city was 44.1 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 31% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 584 people, 247 households, and 163 families residing in the city. The

was 1,084.3 people per square mile (417.6/km). There were 287 housing units at an average density of 532.9 per square mile (205.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.77%

, 1.03%

, 0.17%

, and 1.03% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.37% of the population. There were 247 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $30,192, and the median income for a family was $35,833. Males had a median income of $23,523 versus $20,938 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 $13,807. About 5.8% of families and 14.9% 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 21.4% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Events and attractions

* Flint Hills Rodeo, held annually since 1938 *

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, north of Strong City. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. O ...

, north on

K-177 K-177 is a south–north state highway in central Kansas. It runs from U.S. Route 54 (US-54) near El Dorado northward to US-24 in Manhattan, passing through the Flint Hills. It is part of the Flint Hills Scenic Byway and the Prairie Parkway ...

highway. * W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park. * Kansas Historical Markers: ** ''Chase County And The Bluestem Pasture Region Of Kansas'', approximately east on

highway. ** ''W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park.Kansas Historical Marker - W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park
/ref> * Strong City has four listings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(NRHP): ** Fox Creek Stone Arch Bridge (

NRHP The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

). ** Lower Fox Creek School (

). ** Strong City Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe DepotNational Register of Historic Places - Strong City Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Depot
from kshs.org (

). ** Strong City Opera House (

Government

The Strong City government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7PM. * City Hall, 4th St and Chase St. * Chase County Sheriff Department, located in Cottonwood Falls. * Chase County Fire Department, located in Cottonwood Falls. * U.S. Post Office, 309 Cottonwood St.

Education

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by Chase County USD 284 public school district. It has two schools. *

Chase County Junior/Senior High School Chase County Junior/Senior High School is a public high school in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, United States. It is one of two schools operated by Chase County USD 284 school district. History In 2010, the middle school building was closed in St ...

, 600 Main St in Cottonwood Falls.
Chase County Elementary School
401 Maple St in Cottonwood Falls. Strong City schools were closed through school unification. The Strong City Indians won the Kansas State High School Boys class BB Basketball championship in 1965.

Library

* Burnley Memorial Library, located in Cottonwood Falls.

Infrastructure

Transportation

and the La Junta Subdivision of

pass east-west through the city.

highway passes north-south through the city. The original U.S. Route 50 road still comes into the southwest side of the city parallel to the railroad tracks. Strong City applied for an Amtrak station on Amtrak's proposed extension of the

Heartland Flyer The ''Heartland Flyer'' is a daily passenger train that follows a route between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. It is operated by Amtrak and jointly funded by the states of Oklahoma and Texas. The train's daily round-trip begins ...

from Oklahoma City to Kansas City, Missouri. If the town's application were successful, that would make it one of the smallest towns in the Amtrak system to have a station.

Utilities

* Internet ** Satellite Internet 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 broadband Internet service available in the U.S. from 2000–2015. StarBand ceased operations effective September 30, 2015 citing increased competition from other internet providers. The StarBand satellite Interne ...

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 TV 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. It ...

Dish Network DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV. A ...

. ** Free over-the-air

ATSC Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards are an American set of standards for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable and satellite networks. It is largely a replacement for the analog NTSC standard and, like that ...

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 advanc ...

Notable people

Dudley Doolittle Dudley Doolittle (June 21, 1881 – November 14, 1957) was a U.S. Representative from Kansas. Born in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Doolittle attended the public schools and the University of Kansas at Lawrence, being graduated from its law departm ...

(1881-1957),

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

, lawyer, banker.

References

External links

City of Strong City

Strong City - Directory of Public Officials

Chase County Chamber of Commerce

Historic Images of Strong City
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library.
Strong City map
KDOT
Topo Map of Strong City area
USGS {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Chase County, Kansas Emporia, Kansas micropolitan area Populated places established in 1871 1871 establishments in Kansas