Caldwell is a city in
Sumner 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 1,025.
History
Near Caldwell is a precontact
Plains Village period
The Plains Village period or the Plains Village tradition is an archaeological period on the Great Plains from North Dakota down to Texas, spanning approximately 900/950 to 1780/1850 CE.
On the west and east, Plains villagers were bounded by the ...
settlement called the
Buresh site, which has yielded clues about
Native American lifeways prior to the arrival of people of European and African descent.
Caldwell was founded in 1871. It is named for Senator
Alexander Caldwell
Alexander Caldwell (March 1, 1830May 19, 1917) was a U.S. Senator from Kansas.
Early years
Born in Drakes Ferry, Pennsylvania, he attended public schools, and in 1847 enlisted as a private to serve in the Mexican–American War. He moved to ...
. Caldwell was incorporated as a city in 1879. The first post office in Caldwell was established in May 1871. The
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail ( ) was a stock trail and wagon route used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, across the Red River into Indian Territory, and northward to rail stops in Kansas. The trail cons ...
ran along the east side of the community from 1867 to 1871.
In 1887, the
Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway
The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (CK&N) was formed in 1885 and Marcus Low, a former attorney for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, was its president. The CRI&P advanced the CK&N about twenty-five million dollars to begin cons ...
built a branch line north–south from
Herington to Caldwell.
This branch line connected Herington,
Lost Springs,
Lincolnville,
Antelope
The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...
,
Marion,
Aulne
The Aulne (; ) is a long river of Brittany in north-western France, flowing down the hills and emptying into the roadstead of Brest, one of the many fjord-like bays just south of Brest. The river is part of the Canal de Nantes à Brest, the na ...
,
Peabody,
Elbing,
Whitewater
Whitewater forms in the context of rapids, in particular, when a river's Stream gradient, gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that foam, froths, making t ...
,
Furley,
Kechi,
Wichita,
Peck
A peck is an imperial and United States customary unit of dry volume, equivalent to 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints. An imperial peck is equivalent to 9.09218 liters and a US customary peck is equivalent to 8.80976754172 liters. Four pecks ma ...
,
Corbin,
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
and Caldwell. This branch line was extended to
Pond Creek, Oklahoma
Pond Creek is a city in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 856, a 4.5 percent decline from the figure of 896 in 2000.
History
Before people of European desc ...
in 1888,
and connected Caldwell,
Renfrow,
Medford and
Jefferson (the original Pond Creek). By 1893, it was incrementally built to
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
. This railroad foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as
Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad (OKT) was a railroad operating in its namesake states in the 1980s.
OKT I
The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad was originally created on May 29, 1980, after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa ...
, merged in 1988 with
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 ...
, merged in 1997 with
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island."
In 1985, the Caldwell sixth grade class under the direction of their teacher Larry Miller started a successful campaign to have the ornate box turtle named the state reptile of Kansas. They gained support from around the country and on April 14, 1986, the governor of Kansas came to their school and signed the official bill, adding a new official symbol to the state of Kansas.
During the annual Homecoming celebration in the fall of 1986, the Mayor of Caldwell signed a proclamation declaring that Caldwell would forever be known as the "Ornate Box Turtle Capital of the World" and a couple of years later a professional wildlife artist was hired to paint a portrait of an ornate box turtle on the side of a downtown building on Main Street.
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
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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Caldwell has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
The
2020 United States census counted 1,025 people, 469 households, and 255 families in Caldwell.
The population density was . There were 574 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup was 90.54% (928)
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 ...
or
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 ...
(88.98%
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 ...
), 0.2% (2)
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 ...
or
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. ...
, 1.27% (13)
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 ...
, 0.49% (5)
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 ...
or
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 ...
, 1.76% (18) from
other races, and 5.76% (59) 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 4.49% (46) of the population.
Of the 469 households, 21.1% had children under the age of 18; 40.7% were married couples living together; 30.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 40.1% of households consisted of individuals and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 1.8 and the average family size was 2.5. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 11.6% of the population.
22.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males.
For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 110.6 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 $36,103 (with a margin of error of +/- $10,480) and the median family income was $56,500 (+/- $20,841). Males had a median income of $31,250 (+/- $14,454) versus $20,972 (+/- $8,269) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,458 (+/- $5,333). Approximately, 16.1% of families and 23.9% 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 31.9% of those under the age of 18 and 15.9% 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 1,068 people, 495 households, and 277 families living 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 642 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.2%
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 ...
, 0.8%
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 ...
, 1.7%
Native American, 0.1%
Asian, 1.1% from
other races, and 1.0% 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 were 3.1% of the population.
There were 495 households, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% 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, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.85.
The median age in the city was 47.1 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.7% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 1,284 people, 574 households, and 328 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 668 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.50%
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 ...
, 0.08%
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 ...
, 1.32%
Native American, 0.47%
Asian, 0.08% from
other races, and 1.56% 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 were 1.17% of the population.
There were 574 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 40.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,991, and the median income for a family was $39,931. Males had a median income of $31,346 versus $19,453 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 $17,340. About 9.3% of families and 15.5% 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 17.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education

The community is served by
Caldwell USD 360 public school district.
Transportation
The
Caldwell Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
located east of Caldwell's
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
.
Area attractions
* Chisholm Trail Markers
* Ghost Rider Silhouettes
Ghost Rider Silhouettes
/ref>
* Caldwell Carnegie Library
Area events
Community Calendar
* Lighted Christmas Parade
* Oktoberfest
Chisholm Trail Festival
Notable people
* Gladys Anderson Emerson, scientist, educator, and historian
* Byron Berline, famous fiddle player
* The Dinning Sisters, singers and recording artists
* Max Showalter, film, television actor, musician
See also
* Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail ( ) was a stock trail and wagon route used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, across the Red River into Indian Territory, and northward to rail stops in Kansas. The trail cons ...
an
Route of the Trail in Kansas
* Abilene Trail
References
Further reading
External links
City of Caldwell
Caldwell - Directory of Public Officials
Caldwell Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Cities in Kansas
Cities in Sumner County, Kansas
Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area
1871 establishments in Kansas
Populated places established in 1871