Marquette is a city in McPherson 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 599. It is located between K-4 and the Smoky Hill River.

History

For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

. 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, and 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 1867, McPherson County was founded. In 1873, what eventually would become Marquette began on the banks of the Smoky Hill River with a flour mill.Marquette Kansas History
/ref> The site was surveyed and on February 9, 1874, the town was chartered. It was settled by Swedish

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

s and

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 ...

veterans. It was named after

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is the county seat of Marquette County, Michigan, Marquette County and the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Marquette is a major port known primarily for shippin ...

. Marquette was located on the

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 ...

. On the night of May 8–9, 1905, an F4 tornado destroyed much of the town, killing 34 people. Many homes in town were blown away and entire families were killed. On April 14, 2012, a large EF4 tornado would pass to the west of Marquette, sweeping a home away leaving an empty foundation and a small staircase, and there were no fatalities or injuries. Damage at this location would be the most severe near or in the small community of Langley.

Geography

Marquette is located in the Smoky Hills region of Kansas. The area is highlighted by outcrops of

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

-era sandstone known as the

Dakota Formation The Dakota is a sedimentary rock, sedimentary geologic unit name of Formation (stratigraphy), formation and Group (stratigraphy), group rank in Midwestern North America. The Dakota units are generally composed of sandstones, mudstones, clays, and ...

. Erosion of those strata has left hills and

butte In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and table (landform), tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from the French l ...

s which rise sharply about the surrounding plains. 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, Marquette 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

In May 2003, facing a declining population, Marquette was the first of at least ten other Kansas cities, including Ellsworth, Kanopolis, Holyrood and Wilson, who offer free land to attract residents. Fifty acres (200,000 m²) of what used to be farmland were developed, furnished with gravel streets, water, electric, sewer and gas hookups. In less than one year, twenty-one of the ⅓ acre (1,300 m²) lots created for this purpose were claimed. The program requires the landowners to build a house on the lot within a year, and live in that house for a year.

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 599 people, 274 households, and 161 families in Marquette. The population density was 1,242.7 per square mile (479.8/km). There were 310 housing units at an average density of 643.2 per square mile (248.3/km). The racial makeup was 94.99% (569)

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 ...

(92.65%

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 ...

), 0.17% (1)

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. ...

, 0.17% (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 ...

, 0.0% (0) 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 ...

, 0.67% (4) from other races, and 4.01% (24) 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 3.84% (23) of the population. Of the 274 households, 24.8% had children under the age of 18; 42.7% were married couples living together; 33.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 39.1% of households consisted of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.9 and the average family size was 2.3. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 15.0% of the population. 19.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 123.7 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 $49,643 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,009) and the median family income was $50,833 (+/- $7,027). Males had a median income of $40,938 (+/- $15,882) versus $26,333 (+/- $5,321) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $29,153 (+/- $2,788). Approximately, 11.2% of families and 14.6% 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 47.5% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% 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 641 people, 272 households, and 162 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 311 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.1%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.5% of the population. There were 272 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 45.4 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.6% male and 54.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 542 people, 243 households, and 157 families residing in the city, a decline from the total

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

population of 593. The population density was . There were 271 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.34%

, 0.37% Native American, 0.18% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 0.18% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 243

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, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were

living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.77. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $35,938, and the median income for a family was $44,531. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $20,208 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 $17,965. 5.6% of the population and 3.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, none of those under the age of 18 and 8.7% of those 65 and older were living below the

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

line.

Economy

Marquette is a town that is offering parcels of residential land for free on the condition that the recipient build a home within a specified deadline. In the few years since the program's inception, it has attracted an influx of new residents from who have decided to take advantage of the program and enjoy small-town living.

Attractions

The downtown has a block of late 19th century stores that have been restored and repainted to their original colors. They are part of the ''Washington Street Historic District'', a state historic site. Nearby is the Hanson-Lindfors home, a sixteen-room Victorian style house built in 1888. It is named after Hans Hanson, one of the city founders, and has been restored to its original appearance and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Located in the backyard of the home is Hanson's original 1871 wood-frame cabin, where the city charter was signed. The downtown area includes the Range School Museum, a one-room 1906 schoolhouse moved there about eighty years later. Each spring and fall, local school children use it for a half day of class. The Kansas Motorcycle Museum is located downtown on North Washington Street. It was founded in 2004 by National Racing Champion, "Stan the Man" Engdahl, a native of Marquette. Ten miles away is Kanopolis State Park, the first state park of Kansas. The park, completed in 1948, includes more than of rolling hills, bluffs and woods and a lake, offering hunting, fishing, over of trails, and other recreational activities. Game includes

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...

, prairie chickens,

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey (''M. g. dom ...

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s and

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...

; fishing for

white bass The white bass, silver bass, or sand bass (''Morone chrysops'') is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. commonly around 12–15 inches long. The species' main color is silver-white to pale green. Its back is dark, with whit ...

and

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxi ...

is popular.

Education

The community is served by Smoky Valley USD 400 public school district. The Smoky Valley High School mascot is Smoky Valley Vikings. Marquette High School was closed through school unification in 1985. The Marquette High School mascot was Marquette Wolverines."Marquette Undefeated In 19 Straight Games", The Salina Journal, 23 November 1961, p.11. On June 7, 2014, the school in Marquette closed its doors for the last time, being closed due to poor funding from the school district.

Gallery

Image:Marquette Kansas downtown block.jpg, Marquette downtown block. Image:Marquette Kansas Library block.jpg, Marquette Library block and bank. Image:Marquette Kansas School.jpg, Marquette school Image:Marquette Kansas Museum and Range School museum.jpg, Marquette Museum and Range School museum Image:Marquette Kansas Railroad depot museum.jpg, Marquette Railroad depot museum File:Kansas Motorcycle Museum in Marquette KS 1 USA.jpg, Kansas Motorcycle Museum Image:Marquette Kansas grain elevator.jpg, Marquette

grain elevator A grain elevator or grain terminal is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lowe ...

Image:Marquette Kansas new development.jpg, Marquette modern homesteading development Image:Marquette Kansas Lutheran Church.jpg, Elim Lutheran Church Image:Valley Community Church in Marquette Kansas.jpg, Valley Community Church Image:Marquette United Methodist Church in Marquette, KS.jpg, Marquette United Methodist Church

References

External links

*
Marquette - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities
Historic Images of Marquette
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 {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in McPherson County, Kansas Populated places established in 1874 Swedish-American culture in Kansas 1874 establishments in Kansas