Bonner Springs is a city in Wyandotte, Leavenworth, and

Johnson Johnson may refer to: People and fictional characters *Johnson (surname), a common surname in English * Johnson (given name), a list of people * List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters *Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...

counties,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is part of the Kansas City, Missouri Metro Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,837. Bonner Springs was incorporated as a city on November 10, 1898. Bonner Springs is home to the Azura Amphitheater (previously named the Sandstone Amphitheater), the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Wyandotte County Historical Museum, and the annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival.

History

Coronado

Spanish explorer

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (; 1510 – 22 September 1554) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542 ...

spent the winter of 1541-1542 at what is now the area of Bonner Springs. The diary of Father Juan Padilla records that the expedition reached the 40th degree (Kansas northern border) and came to a great river (the

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

). An inscription found on a stone near Atchison has been translated as, "Thus far came Francisco de Coronado, General of an Expedition." The explorers traveled downstream to the mouth of another great river, the Kansas, and preceded upstream 16 leagues to camp in what is now Bonner Springs before returning to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. Due to the

mineral spring Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage un ...

s, this legend gave the area its first recorded name, "Coronado Springs".

Early settlers

The Kanza people had settled the area because of the mineral springs and abundant fish and game when, in 1812, two French

fur traders The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...

, the Chouteau brothers, made their way from

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

and temporally settled in the area that would eventually become Bonner Springs, starting a trading post named "Four Houses". The location allowed easy access to trade items, and a ferry to cross the Kansas River was added. With a date of 1812, it is reputed to be the first commercial center and permanent settlement in Kansas. In 1830, Henry Tiblow, a Delaware Indian, took charge of the ferry. Tiblow was a Delaware Indian who worked as an interpreter for the government. He lived in a small cabin on the west side of the city. The location became known as "Tiblow Settlement", and the ferry continued working for years. John McDanield, or "Red John" due to hair color, is known as the founder of Bonner Springs - as we know it today. As the owner of a vast majority of land that is now Bonner Springs, McDaniel named the town "Tiblow", after his friend Henry.

Mineral springs

Several of the springs in the area were analysed for their mineral content, and the results indicated benefits that would attract visitors. The Bonner Springs Improvement Club, in 1907, created a promotional brochure touting the city as the "Kansas Karlsbad" and listing the contents of five springs near Lake of the Woods: Big Chief, Little Chief, Papoose, Old Squaw and Minnehaha. They listed "grains per gallon" of things like potassium sulphate, carbonate of iron, and chloride of sodium for each. Big Chief was noted to be "splendid water for anemics, supplying the necessary properties for good red blood and driving out the dead and impure corpuscles." Old Squaw was reportedly so named because "the old women of Indian tribes once living in Kansas found relief from their intense

dyspepsia Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier ...

caused by their heavy meat diet and little or no exercise." To promote the springs, a special train brought investors to the area and cited its proximity to Kansas City, the springs themselves, the fine parks and native trees, the site of a racetrack, and the beautiful residential sites as advantages that would assure the success of the mineral spring venture. In 1885, Philo Clark purchased from McDanield, with plans to capitalize on the mineral springs, then changed the name of the town to "Bonner Springs". The latter portion of the name comes from a

in the area said to have medicinal qualities. The town was named after Robert E. Bonner, a publisher of the '' New York Ledger'', who was a trotting-horse breeder of note, and Clark believed would help fund the proposed racetrack. However, there is no record this occurred.

Fire of 1908

Bonner Springs continued to be prosperous, with a growing population and new businesses. In 1908, a fire caused over $70,000 worth of damage ($ in dollars) and destroyed between 19 and 21 local businesses. There were no water mains at the time, even though the city council had debated the issue for some time. Many locals came to the rescue, forming a water bucket chain to help put out the fire, while they waited for a fire truck from Kansas City to arrive. An investigation indicated that materials behind Kelly & Pettit's Drug Store had caught on fire, and the winds carried the flames, making the fire difficult to control. Residents of Bonner Springs undertook thousands of dollars worth of repairs.

Geography

Bonner Springs is located primarily on the north side of the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a meandering river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is potentially the southwestern most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is sometimes in turn the northwesternmost portion of ...

. It is mainly in southwestern Wyandotte County, with small portions extending west into Leavenworth County and south across the Kansas River into Johnson County. It is bordered to the north by

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

, to the east by Edwardsville, and to the south across the Kansas River by

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...

, the Kansas Turnpike, passes through the northern part of the city, with access from Exits 224 and 224A ( U.S. Route 73 and Kansas Highway 7). I-70 leads east to

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, and west to Lawrence, while US-73 leads north to Leavenworth, and K-7 leads south the same distance to Olathe. K-32 runs through the center of Bonner Springs close to the Kansas River, leading east into Edwardsville and west to Linwood. 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 , of which are land and , or 2.26%, are water.

Climate

Bonner Springs has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, typically experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 7,837 people, 3,037 households, and 2,065 families in Bonner Springs. The population density was 501.4 per square mile (193.6/km). There were 3,202 housing units at an average density of 204.9 per square mile (79.1/km). The racial makeup was 76.2% (5,972)

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 ...

(72.78%

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 ...

), 6.7% (525)

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. ...

, 1.07% (84) 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 ...

, 0.74% (58) Asian, 0.18% (14)

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 ...

, 3.79% (297) from other races, and 11.32% (887) 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 13.18% (1,033) of the population. Of the 3,037 households, 33.6% had children under the age of 18; 48.0% were married couples living together; 27.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 25.6% of households consisted of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.1. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 14.7% of the population. 24.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 109.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 110.7 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 $68,250 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,872) and the median family income was $76,739 (+/- $8,487). Males had a median income of $50,227 (+/- $6,281) versus $36,654 (+/- $11,420) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $43,194 (+/- $7,382). Approximately, 8.0% of families and 11.2% 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 18.1% of those under the age of 18 and 4.9% 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 7,314 people, 2,810 households, and 1,917 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 3,025 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.8%

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 ...

, 5.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

, 5.0% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 10.8% of the population. There were 2,810 households, of which 35.2% 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 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, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the city was 35.7 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,768 people, 2,592 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,754 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.2%

, 4.1%

, 0.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.2% of the population. 22.1% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 13.3% American, 12.8% Irish and 10.9% English ancestry. There were 2,592 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were

living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $43,234, and the median income for a family was $50,476. Males had a median income of $36,390 versus $26,957 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,730. About 6.8% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the

, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Azura Amphitheater

Bonner Springs is home to the Azura Amphitheater, first opened in 1984 as the Sandstone Amphitheater. This open-air venue can seat approximately 18,000 guests, including 3,100 private box and reserved seats, with a large grass lawn area at the rear of the amphitheater. The venue has undergone several renovations, including an improved layout for seating, and state-of-the-art, updated sound and video systems.

National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame

Bonner Springs is home to the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, a privately funded charitable institution chartered by the U.S. Congress to "educate society on the historical and present value of American agriculture and to honor leadership in Agri-Business and Academia by providing education, information, experience and recognition."

Kansas City Renaissance Festival

The city is host of the annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival. The fair begins on Labor Day weekend and continues for seven weekends, open on Saturdays and Sundays as well as Labor Day and Columbus Day. The fair began in 1977 as a benefit for the

Kansas City Art Institute The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. The institute ...

, and became a stand-alone event in the late 1990s. The fair has 165 booths and 13 stages, entertaining 180,000 patrons annually on 16 operating days.

Wyandotte County Park

Wyandotte County Park has numerous picnic areas with A-frame structures. The park also includes soccer fields, tennis courts, a skate park, disc golf course, a model airplane flying area, and baseball diamonds. The Park is home to numerous attractions, including the Wyandotte County Museum and Historical Society, Trowbridge Archival Library, and the George Meyn Community Center.

Sunflower Hills Golf Course

Sunflower Hills Golf Course, opened in 1977, is an 18-hole course located at Wyandotte County Park. The championship Golf course was designed by renowned architect Roger Packard. Sunflower Hills is home to the Wyandotte County Open, the longest running tournament of its kind in the Greater Kansas City area. The Junior golf course features six holes with three sets of tees, driving range, putting green and practice bunker.

Tiblow Days

Each year, during the last weekend of August, the city hosts Tiblow Days, a heritage festival in honor of early settler Henry Tiblow, and former namesake of the community.

Government

The Bonner Springs City Council consists of nine members who are elected in non-partisan elections across four wards. The mayor is elected at large, and together with the council, select and appoint a professional

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...

to operate the city. Operating as the legislative branch of the city, the council provides policy direction to the city manager. The vast majority of Bonner Springs lies in Wyandotte County as the other parts of Bonner Springs lie in neighboring Leavenworth and Johnson County. Bonner Springs acts as an incorporated city - retaining its own government and autonomy - while also being part of the

consolidated city-county In local government in the United States, United States local government, a consolidated city-county (#Terminology, see below for alternative terms) is formed when one or more city, cities and their surrounding County (United States), county (Lis ...

government known as the "Unified Government". The UG consolidates the governmental functions of Wyandotte County and

, under one entity, while also performing typical

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

government functions for the incorporated cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville.

Education

The city is served by Bonner Springs–Edwardsville USD 204 public school district, which includes Bonner Springs High School, Robert E. Clark Middle School, and three elementary schools, Bonner Springs Elementary School, Delaware Ridge Elementary School, and Edwardsville Elementary school. Bonner Springs residents also contribute to funding Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Public Library

The City of Bonner Springs operates one library, the Bonner Springs City Library.

Infrastructure

Utilities

Bonner Springs is served by the following utilities: * Natural Gas Service - Atmos. * Electrical Service -

Evergy Evergy, Inc. is an American Investor-owned utility, investor-owned utility (IOU) with publicly traded stock with headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, and in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was formed from a merger of Westar Energy of Topeka and G ...

. * Water & Sewer Service - City of Bonner Springs supplies water and sewer service to the city. * Cable Television - Spectrum Internet and

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

* Telephone Service - Spectrum Internet and

Transportation

''See related article: voy:Kansas City (Missouri) at

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River transportation was important to early Bonner Springs, as its location directly on the Kansas River afforded easy access to trade. A portion of Interstate 70 was the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (though not the first constructed or to begin construction). Bonner Springs is located directly on or near several transportation corridors including roadways, rail, and river access.

Road transportation

Bonner Springs is served directly by two interstate highways, three national highways and three state highways: * * * * * * * * * State Avenue

Direct routes

Bonner Springs is served with direct routes to one interstate highway, two state highways and one national highway: * * *

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Bonner Springs include: *

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

(1944-1991), singer and founding member of

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

* David Jaynes (1952- ), football quarterback * Ed Nealy (1960- ), basketball power forward * Myra Taylor (1917-2011), jazz singer-songwriter * Bobby Watson (1953- ), saxophonist *

Freddie Williams II Freddie E. Williams II (born May 30, 1977) is an American comic book artist. Williams entered the comic scene in 2005, when he began work with DC Comics on ''Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle''. He has since gone on to work on several crossover se ...

(1977-), comic book writer and artist

References

External links

City of Bonner Springs official website

Bonner Springs – Directory of Public Officials

Bonner Springs city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Kansas City metropolitan area Cities in Johnson County, Kansas Cities in Leavenworth County, Kansas Cities in Wyandotte County, Kansas 1855 establishments in Kansas Territory