Bronson is a city in Bourbon County,

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. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 304.

History

Bronson was founded in the 1880s. The first store and post office opened in September 1881. The city was formerly named Wilsonville, but it was later renamed after Ira Bronson, a Fort Scott attorney. Bronson was moved to its current location when the

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

bypassed the original town site. Midway between Fort Scott and Iola on the highway and railroad, it became a prime shipping and supply point for the agricultural region. Growth was slow but steady. From a handful of residents in 1885, by the 1910 Census Bronson had 595 residents. In 1912 it had two banks, an international money-order post office with four rural routes, express and telegraph offices, telephone connections, the semi-weekly ''Bronson Pilot'' newspaper, a downtown retail district and public schools. In 1910 Bronson held the world's first horseshoe pitch tournament.

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.

U.S. Route 54 U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is an east–west United States Highway that runs northeast–southwest for from El Paso, Texas, to Griggsville, Illinois. The Union Pacific Railroad's Tucumcari Line (former Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific an ...

intersects K-3 on Bronson's east side.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 304 people, 107 households, and 79 families in Bronson. The population density was 680.1 per square mile (262.6/km). There were 131 housing units at an average density of 293.1 per square mile (113.2/km). The racial makeup was 85.86% (261)

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 ...

(85.53%

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 ...

), 2.96% (9)

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. ...

, 0.66% (2) 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 ...

, 0.33% (1) 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 ...

, 0.33% (1) from other races, and 9.87% (30) 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 2.3% (7) of the population. Of the 107 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18; 54.2% were married couples living together; 22.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 24.3% of households consisted of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.4 and the average family size was 4.0. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 3.9% of the population. 33.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.2 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 $38,750 (with a margin of error of +/- $20,430) and the median family income was $37,222 (+/- $18,081). Males had a median income of $33,750 (+/- $7,685) versus $20,769 (+/- $7,182) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $25,833 (+/- $9,278). Approximately, 13.3% of families and 20.6% 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 ...

, including 33.6% of those under the age of 18 and 19.6% 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 323 people, 131 households, and 83 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 153 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.1%

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 ...

, 3.4%

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, 3.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.2% of the population. There were 131 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% 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, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.17. The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 346 people, 147 households, and 93 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 164 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.51%

, 2.31%

, 2.02% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.29%

, and 0.58% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population. There were 147 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,806, and the median income for a family was $32,656. Males had a median income of $25,588 versus $21,563 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 $12,332. About 11.4% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the

, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Uniontown USD 235 public school district. The Uniontown High School mascot is Eagles. Nearby Marmaton Valley USD 256 school district starts at the west edge of Bronson. Bronson schools were closed through school unification. The Bronson high school mascot was Bulldogs."Bronson Victor 21-7 At Welda", The Iola Register, 1 November 1961, p.6.

Notable people

* Jonathan M. Davis, Kansas state representative, senator, and 22nd Kansas governor; born, raised and buried in Bronson.

References

External links

Bronson - Directory of Public Officials

Bronson city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Bourbon County, Kansas 1881 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1881