Greeley is a city in Walker Township, Anderson 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 273.

History

Early history

Nomad 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 ...

ic Native Americans, perhaps the Wichita as early as the 1400s and the Osage by the 1700s, would have been present in the area for many centuries. The Trail of Death relocated the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

e to the area in 1838, and they had established subsistence farming at what would become Greeley prior to the arrival of European-Americans. The first European-American settlement at Greeley was made in May 1854 by Valentine Gerth and Francis Myer. Though the town of Greeley had not yet been established, Myer's cabin served as Anderson County's temporary county seat from August 1855 through the county's first Territorial District Court session in April 1856. At that time the county seat moved to its first "permanent" location at what would become the town of Shannon.''The History Of Anderson County, Kansas, From Its First Settlement To The Fourth Of July, 1876''; 1877.
/ref> Greeley was laid out in December 1856 by several Free Staters and named for

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...

. Likely unique among

American frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the Geography of the United States, geography, History of the United States, history, Folklore of the United States, folklore, and Cultur ...

towns, the three officers of the original Greeley Town Company were all

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

: August Bondi, Jacob Benjamin, and Theodore Wiener (sometimes misspelled Weiner, or even Weimar in later texts). The post office was established in May 1857, though not without some controversy. Postal officials in the Buchanan Administration apparently objected to naming the office after an abolitionist newspaperman, so instead used the name of Buchannan-appointed Territorial Governor Robert J. Walker. The office was called Walker until it relocated to the competing town of Mount Gilead, Kansas in May 1861. The postal name Greeley was not used until April 1866 when the Mount Gilead townsite failed and the post office returned to its original location. The St. Louis, Kansas and Arizona Railway (a division of the

Missouri Pacific 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 ...

) reached Greeley in 1879, and today operates as part of the

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 ...

. Greeley was incorporated as a city in 1881.

20th century

In 1901

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

cattle baron Colin Cameron established his midwestern operations just east of Greeley. Cameron's Fields of Lochiel ranch served as the finishing operation for his San Rafael Ranch Herefords prior to sale in

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 ...

Geography

Greeley is located in the Pottawatomie Valley near the confluence of the North Fork and South Fork of Pottawatomie Creek. 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 is land and is water.

Street names

Several of Greeley's east–west streets are named for Free Staters who were Jayhawkers or were involved in Territorial government during the

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

era. * Cochran Street - Named for Benjamin L. Cochran, a town founder who had been involved in the

Wakarusa War The Wakarusa War was an armed standoff that took place in the Kansas Territory during November and December 1855. It is often cited by historians as the first instance of violence during the "Bleeding Kansas" conflict between anti-slavery and pro- ...

, the Battle of Black Jack, and was a member of the Pottawatomie Rifles. * Kaiser Avenue - Named for Charles Kaiser, a

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

n immigrant who was seriously wounded in the Battle of Osawatomie, taken prisoner, and assassinated by his

Border Ruffian Border ruffians were Proslavery thought, proslavery raiders who crossed into the Kansas Territory from Missouri during the mid-19th century to help ensure the territory entered the United States as a Slave states and free states, slave state. ...

captors near

Olathe, Kansas Olathe ( ) is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the List of cities in Kansas#Highest population listing, fourth-most populous city in both the Kansas City metropolitan area and the state of Kansas, with a 2020 Uni ...

. * Brown Avenue - Greeley's primary commercial street, named for John Brown. * Bondi Avenue - Named for August Bondi, a town founder who fought in the Battle of Black Jack and was a member of the Pottawatomie Rifles. * Mitchell Avenue - Named for Robert B. Mitchell, who represented Linn County in the Territorial Legislature and was a delegate to the Leavenworth constitutional convention.

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, Greeley 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 273 people, 124 households, and 57 families in Greeley. The population density was 793.6 per square mile (306.4/km). There were 142 housing units at an average density of 412.8 per square mile (159.4/km). The racial makeup was 95.24% (260)

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 ...

(94.14%

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 ...

), 0.0% (0)

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. ...

, 0.37% (1) 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 ...

, 0.73% (2) 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 ...

, 0.0% (0) from other races, and 3.66% (10) 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 1.47% (4) of the population. Of the 124 households, 25.8% had children under the age of 18; 32.3% were married couples living together; 29.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 48.4% of households consisted of individuals and 25.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.5. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 11.0% of the population. 24.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 103.0 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 $51,136 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,926) and the median family income was $51,818 (+/- $15,783). Males had a median income of $32,250 (+/- $15,495) versus $26,591 (+/- $9,503) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $30,104 (+/- $10,085). Approximately, 8.0% of families and 12.4% 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 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 1.4% 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 302 people, 132 households, and 84 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 152 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.4%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population. There were 132 households, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the city was 38.3 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 327 people, 134 households, and 88 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 144 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.69%

, and 0.31% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.61% of the population. There were 134 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 26.1% 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 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,063, and the median income for a family was $43,393. Males had a median income of $35,556 versus $18,750 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 $24,591. About 7.1% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the

, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Garnett USD 365 public school district, and operates Greeley Elementary School in Greeley and Anderson County Junior-Senior High School in Garnett.School Campuses
" Unified School District No. 365. Retrieved on November 8, 2013.

Notable people

* James G. Blunt, Anderson County delegate to the Wyandotte constitutional convention and highest ranking Kansan in the Union Army, farmed west of Greeley "in the forks of Pottawatomie" and attempted to establish the competing community of Mount Gilead prior to the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. * Dale Gear,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player for parts of three seasons.

References

External links

Official website

Greeley - Directory of Public Officials

Greeley city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Anderson County, Kansas