Chapman is a city in
Dickinson County Dickinson County is the name of three counties in the United States:
* Dickinson County, Iowa
* Dickinson County, Kansas
* Dickinson County, Michigan
See also
* Dickenson County, Virginia
Dickenson County is a county located in the Commo ...
,
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 1,377.
History
The first settlement was made at Chapman in 1868, and the same year Jackman's mill was built on Chapman Creek, a little northeast of the present town. James Streeter and S. M. Strickler laid out the town in 1871. It was named after the Chapman Creek.
The first post office at Chapman was established in 1866, but the post office was given the name Chapman's Creek until 1872.
2008 tornado

On the evening of June 11, 2008, a ½-mile wide
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 ...
swept through Chapman. The tornado moved from the southwest side of town, through the central business district, and then on out of town. Many buildings and structures in the town were extensively damaged; most of the downtown area was obliterated and over 60 homes were destroyed. At least one person was confirmed dead in early reports. The
American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
estimated that 75 percent of homes had major damage or were destroyed. School buildings and churches took extensive damage and at least 200 people were displaced from the town.
Sharon Watson, public affairs director for the Kansas Army National Guard, said the damage was "very reminiscent of
Greensburg", a small city in southwestern Kansas that was similarly damaged during the
tornado outbreak of May 4–6, 2007
From May 4–6, 2007, a major and damaging tornado outbreak significantly affected portions of the Central United States, with several strong to violent long-track tornadoes occurring across much of the impacted regions. The Storm Prediction Cen ...
.
''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''
On January 23, 2009, Friday, in the episode "Tutwiler Family" (2009) of ''
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'', the show helped rebuild their lives and homes. In the episode, the show arrived to assist an
Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
veteran, his wife and their four young children, who were among those left homeless by the tornado. In addition to rebuilding the Tutwiler home, a coalition of builders, volunteers, and crew of ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' helped neighbors with furniture and some rebuilding, and they built the town's first community center that could also be used as a safe shelter for tornado protection. By the end of 2009, the Tutwiler family had placed their house on the market, saying they wanted to leave the town of Chapman, citing "scrutiny and ill feelings" from several Chapman residents who claimed the family did not deserve the makeover had made residing in their new home extremely difficult. The Tutweilers have since relocated to an army base in Texas. Later that year the house was sold.
2016 tornado

On May 25, 2016, a large tornado tore southwest of Chapman, which was placed under a
tornado emergency
A tornado emergency is an enhanced version of a tornado warning, which is used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States during imminent, significant tornado occurrences. Although it is not a new warning type from the NWS, issue ...
. The violent and long-lived wedge tornado was on the ground for and lasted for at least 90 minutes, producing at least mid-range EF4 damage at its most intense point. While officially rated mid-range EF4, NWS Topeka damage surveyors noted that based on the damage that occurred in rural areas, an
EF5 rating may have been necessary had the tornado hit any towns directly.
The tornado began to weaken as it passed south of Chapman, causing extensive tree damage and inflicting low-end EF3 damage to a large farm house. To the southeast of Chapman, a home was shifted off its foundation at EF1 intensity before the tornado dissipated shortly after 8:30 p.m. The tornado reached a maximum width of one half-mile wide along its path, and damaged or destroyed roughly 20 homes in Dickinson County. No fatalities were incurred, but eight people suffered minor injuries as a result of this tornado.
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, Chapman 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
For population 25 and over in Chapman, 87.2% have a high school diploma or higher, 17.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 5.7% have a Graduate degree or higher.
2020 census
The
2020 United States census counted 1,377 people, 526 households, and 369 families in Chapman.
The population density was 1,475.9 per square mile (569.8/km). There were 597 housing units at an average density of 639.9 per square mile (247.1/km).
The racial makeup was 90.99% (1,253)
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 ...
(87.8%
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 ...
), 0.65% (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 ...
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. ...
, 0.22% (3)
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 ...
, 0.51% (7)
Asian, 0.15% (2)
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 ...
, 1.02% (14) from
other races, and 6.46% (89) 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 6.25% (86) of the population.
Of the 526 households, 38.0% had children under the age of 18; 51.3% were married couples living together; 27.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 26.6% of households consisted of individuals and 14.1% 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 2.5. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 17.8% of the population.
29.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.1 males.
For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 109.1 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 $53,621 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,319) and the median family income was $59,766 (+/- $7,410). Males had a median income of $42,900 (+/- $7,801) versus $38,651 (+/- $3,722) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $39,917 (+/- $3,592). Approximately, 4.1% of families and 8.8% 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 7.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.0% 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 1,393 people, 529 households, and 374 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 572 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%
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 ...
, 1.4%
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 ...
, 0.4%
Native American, 0.4%
Asian, 0.4% from
other races, and 2.2% 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 were 3.0% of the population.
There were 529 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 26.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% 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 1,241 people, 488 households, and 348 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 534 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.76%
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 ...
, 0.48%
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 ...
, 0.97%
Native American, 0.40%
Asian, 0.73% from
other races, and 2.66% 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 2.98% of the population.
There were 488 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $44,063. Males had a median income of $30,536 versus $22,891 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 $16,842. About 4.3% of families and 7.0% 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 9.2% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The community is served by
Chapman USD 473
Chapman USD 473 is a public unified school district headquartered in Chapman, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Chapman, Acme, Carlton, Detroit, Enterprise, Industry (south of 1st Rd), Lyona, Manchester, Nava ...
public school district.
Government
The city is ruled by a mayor, 5 councilmen, and a city administrator. Howard Battishill is Mayor. Bill Flanery is the City Administrator.
Notable people
Frankie Burke was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
before traveling to
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
to become an actor. He starred in an estimated sixteen films, including ''
Angels with Dirty Faces
''Angels with Dirty Faces'' is a 1938 American crime drama film directed by Michael Curtiz for Warner Brothers. It stars James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, The Dead End Kids, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and George Bancroft. The screenplay was wr ...
'' (1938) and other films (many uncredited) before disappearing altogether after his last role in ''
Shadow of the Thin Man'' (1941). In the early 1960s, he opted to become a
hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps, and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; a bum neither travels nor works.
Et ...
and travel across the United States in freight trains. He ended up settling in Chapman, where he died in 1983 at the age of 67.
Joseph Henry Engle was a retired
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
Major General and a former
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
. Engle helped to flight test the joint NASA-Air Force
X-15
The North American X-15 is a Hypersonic speed, hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft which was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the List of X-planes, X-plane series of ...
rocket airplane and was one of the first astronauts in the
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...
program, having flight tested the
Space Shuttle Enterprise
Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-101) was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system. Rolled out on September 17, 1976, it was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform atmospheric test flig ...
in 1977. He was commander of the second orbital test flight of the
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' (OV-102) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the Columbia Rediviva, first American ship to circumnavigate the globe, and the Columbia (personification) ...
in 1981.
Harvey T. "Pop" Hollinger was one of the first
comic book
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
collectors
Collector(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Collector (2011 film), ''Collector'' (2011 film), an Indian Malayalam film
* Collector (2016 film), ''Collector'' (2016 film), a Russian film
* Collectors (film), ''Collectors'' (film), a 2020 So ...
.
He set up his retail and mail order shop for new and used comics in
Concordia, Kansas
Concordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. It is located along the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains in North Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of th ...
, in the late 1930s.
Hollinger was born in Chapman and lived there through his high school years.
Henry Varnum Poor
Henry Varnum Poor (December 8, 1812 – January 4, 1905) was an American financial analyst and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which later evolved into the financial research and analysis bellwether, Standard & Poor's.
Biography
Born in East ...
was an American architect, painter, sculptor, muralist, and potter.
"Henry Varnum Poor, Artist, Dies at 82,"
''New York Times.'' December 9, 1970. Poor designed the "Crow House" on South Mountain Road in New City, New York
New City is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, United States, part of the New York Metropolitan Area. A suburb of New York City, the hamlet is located north of the city at its closest p ...
for himself, and designed houses or home renovations for Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...
and Lotte Lenya
Lotte Lenya (born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer; 18 October 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse, and actress, long based in the United States. In the German-speaking and classical music world, she is be ...
, John Houseman
John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanians, Romanian-born British Americans, British-American theatre and film producer, actor, director, and teacher. He became known for his highly publ ...
, Burgess Meredith
Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television.
Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" ...
and Maxwell Anderson
James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist.
Anderson faced many challenges in his career, frequently losing jobs for expressing his opinions or supporting ...
. He was born in Chapman.
See also
* Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (season 6)
References
Further reading
External links
;City
* , official website
Chapman - Directory of Public Officials
;Historical
Historic Images of Chapman
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...
Library
Picasa album of tornado damage, 6-2008
Chapman 2008 tornado on NWS, with radar and photo
{{Authority control
Cities in Kansas
Cities in Dickinson County, Kansas
Populated places established in 1868
1868 establishments in Kansas