Elwood is a city in Doniphan 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, located west across the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

from

Saint Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. A small portion of the city extends north into Andrew County, Missouri, Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the princ ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,125.

History

For

millennia A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting p ...

the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

were inhabited by

nomadic Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

Native Americans. In 1854, the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

was organized under the provisions of the

Kansas–Nebraska Act The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law b ...

, then in 1861

became the 34th

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

. In 1855, Doniphan County was established. A trading post was established at Elwood in 1852. In 1856, the site was sold and the town was then laid out. The town was named for John B. Elwood, a pioneer settler. Elwood was incorporated as a city in 1860. The first post office in Elwood was established in June, 1857.

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

Demographics

Elwood is part of the

St. Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orth ...

, MO–KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 1,125 people, 441 households, and 282 families in Elwood. The population density was 386.6 per square mile (149.3/km). There were 494 housing units at an average density of 169.8 per square mile (65.5/km). The racial makeup was 82.67% (930)

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 ...

(81.33%

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 ...

), 7.47% (84)

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% (12) 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 ...

, 0.27% (3) Asian, 0.18% (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 ...

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 ...

, 1.07% (12) from other races, and 7.29% (82) from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

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 3.73% (42) of the population. Of the 441 households, 32.0% had children under the age of 18; 44.2% were married couples living together; 26.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 29.0% of households consisted of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.8. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 1.2% of the population. 25.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 104.7 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 $38,015 (with a margin of error of +/- $7,551) and the median family income was $46,667 (+/- $16,039). Males had a median income of $36,250 (+/- $11,550) versus $22,778 (+/- $2,716) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,616 (+/- $4,457). Approximately, 25.4% of families and 19.8% 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 30.5% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% 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 1,224 people, 498 households, and 331 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 533 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.1%

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 ...

, 6.7%

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, 0.2% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.4% of the population. There were 498 households, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% 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, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,145 people, 446 households, and 313 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 494 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.08%

, 6.64%

, 0.26% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 3.23% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population. There were 446 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were

living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.8% 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 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,950, and the median income for a family was $31,136. Males had a median income of $26,103 versus $17,692 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 $12,601. About 16.3% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the

, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Riverside USD 114 public school district. School unification consolidated Elwood schools and Wathena schools forming USD 114. The Riverside High School mascot is Cyclones. Elwood High School closed through school unification. The Elwood High School mascot was Elwood Panthers.

References

External links

Elwood - Directory of Public Officials

Elwood city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Doniphan County, Kansas St. Joseph, Missouri metropolitan area Pony Express stations Kansas populated places on the Missouri River 1852 establishments in Indian Territory