Alton is a city in Osborne County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 100.

History

Alton was founded in 1870 as Bull City and was named in honor of Hiram C. Bull. It was renamed Alton in 1885, after the city of

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend (Illinois), Riv ...

because female residents didn't like the former name.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Climate

Alton has a humid continental (''Dfa'') climate typical for the central Great Plains. Summers are hot and often very humid, with heavy rain from thunderstorms not uncommon, whilst

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

es are a frequent hazard and are often followed by heavy rainfall. Winter weather varies greatly from warm or even hot weather due to

chinook wind Chinook winds, or simply Chinooks, are two types of prevailing warm, generally westerly winds in western North America: Coastal Chinooks and interior Chinooks. The coastal Chinooks are persistent seasonal, wet, southwesterly winds blowing in from ...

s to extreme cold when a North American High with very cold air moves southwards from Canada. The coldest temperature recorded in Alton was on December 23, 1989. One of the highest recorded temperatures in American history (and the highest in Kansas' recorded history) was recorded near Alton on July 24, 1936. On that day, the temperature maxed out at . Only four states — California,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

— have seen higher record temperatures. Alton's record April temperature of on April 23 1989 has been exceeded only by California, Arizona and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. Temperatures over are expected on 15.9 each year and on an average of 64.5 days per year. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Kansas was measured in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, which sits in the adjacent Smith County, only about 35 miles away.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 100 people, 35 households, and 21 families in Alton. The population density was 323.6 per square mile (125.0/km). There were 63 housing units at an average density of 203.9 per square mile (78.7/km). The racial makeup was 97.0% (97)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(96.0%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.0% (0)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.0% (0) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.0% (0) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 1.0% (1) from other races, and 2.0% (2) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 1.0% (1) of the population. Of the 35 households, 17.1% had children under the age of 18; 42.9% were married couples living together; 20.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 37.1% of households consisted of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.0 and the average family size was 3.0. The percentage of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 7.0% of the population. 28.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 89.5 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $47,969 (with a margin of error of +/- $13,979) and the median family income was $48,594 (+/- $8,951). The median income for those above 16 years old was $36,875 (+/- $26,308). Approximately, 17.4% of families and 21.9% 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 ...

, including 25.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 103 people, 47 households, and 22 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 68 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 2.9% from two or more races. There were 47 households, of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.2% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 48.3 years. 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 28.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 117 people, 58 households, and 33 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 79 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.29%

, and 1.71% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.71% of the population. There were 58 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 37.9% 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 2.02 and the average family size was 2.65. In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $33,125. Males had a median income of $20,000 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,584. There were 7.4% of families and 17.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 9.1% of under eighteens and 8.0% of those over 64.

Education

Alton is served by

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

392 Osborne County Schools. Alton High School was closed through school unification in 1970. The Alton High School mascot was Wildcats."Reliving The Glory Years", The Salina Journal, 21 August 1998, p.19.

Notable people

* Hiram C. Bull politician and businessman * Len Dugan American football player * Bruce Goff architect and a designer of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church * Russell Stover confectioner and first mass-producer of the Eskimo Pie

References

External links

Alton - Directory of Public Officials

Historic Images of Alton
– Wichita State University Libraries
USD 392
local school district
Alton city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Osborne County, Kansas