Iola () is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Allen County, Kansas Allen County is a county located in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Iola. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,526. The county was named for William Allen, a U.S. Senato ...

, United States. The city is situated along the

Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...

southeast Kansas Southeast Kansas is a region of the U.S. state of Kansas. It can be roughly defined by Woodson County in the northwest, Bourbon County in the northeast, Cherokee County in the southeast, and Montgomery County in the southwest. Geographically i ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn, the wife of Josiah Colborn, one of the town's founders.

History

The history of Iola began in 1859. After the location of the county seat at Humboldt, by the legislature of 1858, there was a great deal of dissatisfaction among the residents of the central and northern parts of the county, and a number of citizens selected the present site of Iola, with the intention of ultimately securing the county seat. On January 1, 1859, a large meeting was held at the Deer Creek schoolhouse. It was determined to organize a town company, which was immediately done, and a constitution was then adopted and officers elected. The officers of the company after due consideration of different points selected a site for the proposed town, about two miles (3 km) north of Cofachique, at the confluence of Elm Creek and the

. The site was owned in part by J.F. Colborn and W.H. Cochrane. The claims on two quarter-sections were bought, and were soon after surveyed into lots. The town company worked to get the town started. A meeting was held to choose a name. Several were proposed, and the choice was determined by ballot. Some one had proposed the name Iola, which was the Christian name of J.F. Colborn's wife. As a result of the vote, this name was chosen. Meetings of the company were held every week during the first year and efforts made to induce settlement. By the close of the year a number of lots had been disposed of, several buildings erected, and other improvements made, as all who bought lots were required to make some improvements at once. The residents of Cofachique, despairing of making their town a success, joined with Iola, and most of them moved to the new site, all working together in the endeavor to secure the location of the county seat at once. The first building on the town site was a small log cabin owned by D.B. Bayne. Late in 1859, he built a frame house addition to it. The first building erected after the town was surveyed was a dwelling completed early in June, 1859, by J.F. Colborn, who had lived on the claim of which the town site formed a part, since 1857. On the completion of the house, Colborn and his family moved into it, thus being the first settlers in the town of Iola. The first birth in Iola was that of Luella E. Colborn. About 1859 a stone building was built to become the town's headquarters in the event of troubles with Indians or Bushwhackers. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, the building and the block on which it stood were fortified, becoming Iola's fort. The fort served both the local militia and Army troops throughout the War. During 1859, two stores were established by Aaron Case and James Faulkner, who had moved their buildings and goods from the old town of Cofachique, and the first hotel was opened. The post office for the neighborhood had previously been at Cofachique, and Aaron Case was Postmaster, but in October 1859, the office was removed to Iola, Case still being Postmaster, though James Faulkner attended to it, as his deputy, until he was appointed to the office a short time after. In 1860, a number of buildings were erected, and the population increased to about 150. Two more stores were opened—a dry goods store, by D.B. Bayne, and a grocery, by J.M. Cowan. On March 26, 1860, an election was held on the re-location of the county seat, but the majority of votes were cast to keep the county seat in Humboldt. People were still dissatisfied, and for several years thereafter the county seat question entered largely into every political campaign. Much strife and bitterness of feeling was thus engendered between the two sections of the county, and harsh accusations and recriminations were the order of the day. After a number of years of strife, an election was again ordered, to take place on May 19, 1865. Having secured a majority of the votes, Iola was declared the county seat, and the records and county offices removed there at once, since which time it has remained. City improvements in 1860 were nearly all made in the spring and early summer. In the latter part of the year the effects of the drought were so badly felt, in addition to failing to secure the county seat, that business became very dull, and for a time all of the citizens were much discouraged. In 1861 the war broke out, and as nearly every able-bodied man in Iola, as well as the county, had entered the army there was no chance for improvement; and until the close of the war, in 1865, the town grew to be no larger than it was in 1860. In 1865, after the return of the citizens from the army at the close of the war, the town began to improve steadily, and so continued until the year 1870, at which time (in March) it was incorporated as a city of the third class (bounded by State Street on the west, Irwin Street on the south, Cottonwood Street on the east, and Brooks Street (now Carpenter Street) on the north), and having secured the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Railroad, rapid strides were made for the next two years in the improvement of the town. Several manufacturing establishments were in project, and some of them were built. Among other heavy institutions at that time, was the King Bridge Manufacturing Company, which located the Bridge shops at Iola, in 1871. For some time large numbers of men were employed, and good business was done. But with the monetary panic of 1873, the value of bonds so depreciated that the company failed, and removed its machinery. They received bonds in payment, generally, for their bridges and work, and for this reason the "crash" ruined them. The buildings and several acres of land on which they were located were sold at a Sheriff's sale for $1,100, being purchased by several citizens of Iola. The early journal of the city disappeared during the trouble with the King Iron Bridge Company, relative to the payment of the city bonds voted to that company, which caused some trouble regarding the legality of some of the ordinances and acts said to have been enacted by the first City Council. During the period 1873 to 1876, business in all branches was very poor, and little improvement in the town was made. The ''Allen County Courant'' was the first newspaper published int Iola, and was established January 5, 1867, by W.H. Johnson. On July 27, 1868, Messrs. Talcott & Acers purchased it, and the name of the paper was changed to the ''Neosho Valley Register''. In the following years the ownership of the paper changed five times and it was briefly renamed ''Kansas State Register'' between August 24 and December 10, 1870. On January 1, 1875, W.G. Allison & H.W. Perkins took charge and changed the paper's name to the ''Iola Register''. The paper remained Republican under each of these different names and proprietorships. When the county seat was located at Iola, the town company donated 100 lots to the county, to aid in the construction of public buildings. In July, 1866, bonds were voted to help raise the necessary funds, and not long after a building was purchased from George J. Eldridge, and used for county offices and all court house purposes. In 1877, a new court house, built of stone, was purchased for $1,800, and the old one was sold to the school district to use for a schoolhouse, for $500. The school was kept in two buildings, one the large two-story stone structure erected in 1868, and having an imposing appearance with its twin towers. The other building was a two-story frame, and situated just south of the stone schoolhouse. The Allen County Jail, a strong stone structure, was built at a cost of $10,000, in county bonds, which were voted in August, 1868. The next year, the building was erected by White & Hays, at a contract price of $8,400. In November, 1871, a tax of $5,000 was voted, to purchase and fit up a poor-farm. On February 12, 1872, a tract of land comprising was purchased of David Funkhouser, for $26 per acre, and J. W. Driscoll was appointed keeper of the poor-farm. An economic boom from natural gas (discovered December 25, 1893) began around 1895 and resulted in a surge in population and industry. In 1910, the population had reached 9,032.

Geography

Iola is situated along the eastern bank of the

between Deer Creek, to the north, and Rock Creek, to the south, with Coon Creek flowing through the city. Important natural gas fields are in the vicinity.

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 ...

passes through Iola along Madison Street and interchanges with

U.S. Route 169 U.S. Route 169 (US 169) is a north-south U.S highway that currently runs for 966 miles (1,555 km) from the city of Virginia, Minnesota, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Memorial Drive. Route description Oklahoma US 169 is a major north–sou ...

, which passes by the east side of the city. The smaller cities of

Gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...

and La Harpe are a few miles to the east along US-54. The tiny city of Bassett lies adjacent to Iola's southern border, and the city of Humboldt is approximately to the south along US-169. 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.

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, Iola 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.

Culture

Iola hosts its annual Farm City Days in mid-October, a celebration which involves a parade and carnival. The origins of this event go back to 1971 when Stanley Dreher, Gary Parker, and Leon Catron began an effort to bring townspeople out to the farm. The purpose of the event is to show appreciation to its farm-town qualities.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 5,396 people, 2,291 households, and 1,254 families in Iola. The population density was 1,208.5 per square mile (466.6/km). There were 2,679 housing units at an average density of 600.0 per square mile (231.7/km). The racial makeup was 86.75% (4,681)

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 ...

(84.71%

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 ...

), 2.56% (138)

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. ...

, 1.39% (75) 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 ...

, 0.67% (36) 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 ...

, 1.67% (90) from other races, and 6.97% (376) 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 5.0% (270) of the population. Of the 2,291 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18; 35.7% were married couples living together; 33.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 38.1% of households consisted of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 13.6% of the population. 21.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.8 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 $39,107 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,420) and the median family income was $51,190 (+/- $4,565). Males had a median income of $29,063 (+/- $5,824) versus $21,881 (+/- $1,940) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $24,072 (+/- $4,959). Approximately, 16.7% of families and 20.8% 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 36.0% of those under the age of 18 and 3.1% 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 5,704 people, 2,357 households, and 1,418 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 2,636 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.4%

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 ...

, 3.3%

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 ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population. There were 2,357 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% 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, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.8% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 36 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,302 people, 2,590 households, and 1,590 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,885 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.72%

, 2.82%

, 0.70% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.73% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population. There were 2,590

household A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

s, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,219, and the median income for a family was $37,795. Males had a median income of $26,407 versus $19,407 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 $14,741. About 14.0% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the

, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Unified school districts

The community is served by Iola USD 257 public school district, home of the 2006 Kansas 4A Girls State Basketball Champions.

Colleges and universities

* Allen Community College

Transportation

Bus service is provided northward towards

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 ...

and southward towards

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

(subcontractor of

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

). Allen County Airport is three miles south of the city. Domestic

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

and

rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Railway track or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' (1967 fil ...

service have been discontinued over the years.

Media

;Newspapers * ''Iola Register'' is published weekdays and Saturday. Its journalistic style is unusual among small-town newspapers for focusing on

accountability In ethics and governance, accountability is equated with answerability, culpability, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public secto ...

. ;Radio Stations * KIKS 101.5 FM and KIOL 1370 AM are 24 hour radio stations.

Notable people

Johnny Adams Laten John Adams Jr. (January 5, 1932 – September 14, 1998), was an American blues, jazz and gospel singer, known as "The Tan Canary" for the multi-octave range of his singing voice, his swooping vocal mannerisms and falsetto. His biggest ...

, jockey and racehorse trainer, born in

Carlisle, Arkansas Carlisle is a city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. It is the easternmost municipality within the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area. Carlisle was incorporated in 1878. As of the 2010 censu ...

but raised in Iola * D. D. Crabb, rancher and Arizona State Senator *

Dean Hargrove Dean Hargrove (born July 27, 1938) is an American television producer, writer, and director. His background includes graduating from the St. John's Military School, Wichita State University, and attending the UCLA Film School as a graduate studen ...

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon acce ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

, and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, specializes in creating mystery series * Vicki Lasseter, February 1981

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

Playmate of the Month *

Lila Leeds Lila Leeds (born Lila Lee Wilkinson, January 28, 1928 – September 15, 1999) was an American film actress. Early life and career Born in Dodge City, Kansas, Leeds's mother relocated to Clovis, New Mexico where Lila lived during her teens. ...

, actress, born in Iola * Lillian Hoxie Picken, educator and textbook editor * William Newbury, mayor of Iola in the first half of 1870, and later mayor of

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

Randy Stuart Randy Stuart (born Elizabeth Shaubell; October 12, 1924 – July 20, 1996), was an American actress in film and television. A familiar face in several popular films of the 1940s and 1950s, and later in Western-themed television series, she is p ...

, actress * David Toland, secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce and

Lieutenant Governor of Kansas The lieutenant governor of Kansas is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of Kansas state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the o ...

* J. Roger Beatty, research fellow for the B. F. Goodrich company.

References

External links

City of Iola

Iola - Directory of Public Officials

Iola - Chamber of Commerce

USD 257
local school district
Iola city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Allen County, Kansas Populated places established in 1859 1859 establishments in Kansas Territory