McPherson ( ) is a city in and 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 ...
of
McPherson County, Kansas
McPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is McPherson. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 30,223. The county was named for James McPherson, a general in the Civil War ...
, United States.
As of the
2020 census, the population of the city was 14,082.
The city is named after
Union General
James Birdseye McPherson
James Birdseye McPherson (/məkˈfərsən/) (November 14, 1828 – July 22, 1864) was a career United States Army officer who served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. McPherson was on the gener ...
, a
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 ...
general. It is home to
McPherson College
McPherson College is a private college associated with the Church of the Brethren and located in McPherson, Kansas, United States. It was chartered in 1887 and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
History
During their 1887 annual m ...
and
Central Christian College.
History
19th century
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, then in 1861
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 ...
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.
McPherson was founded in 1870 by the twelve members of the McPherson Town Company. In 1887, city officials began a failed attempt to have the community named the state capital.
The first post office in McPherson was established in 1873. McPherson was incorporated as a city in 1874.
As early as 1875, city leaders of
Marion Marion or MARION may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Marion (band), a British alternative rock group
* ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries
* ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film
* ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short
People a ...
held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
. In 1878,
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996.
The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...
and parties from
Marion Marion or MARION may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Marion (band), a British alternative rock group
* ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries
* ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film
* ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short
People a ...
and
McPherson counties chartered the
Marion and McPherson Railway Company.
[''Marion County Kansas : Past and Present''; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; ]LCCN
The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is a serially based system of numbering cataloged records in the Library of Congress, in the United States. It is not related to the contents of any book, and should not be confused with Library of ...
72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson. In 1880 it was extended to
Lyons
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and in 1881 it was extended to
Ellinwood. The line was leased and operated by the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996.
The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...
. The line from
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
to Marion was abandoned in 1968.
In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to
Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Hillsboro,
Lehigh,
Canton,
Galva Galva may refer to:
Places
;United States
* Galva, Illinois
* Galva, Iowa
* Galva, Kansas
Galva is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 834.
History
Early history
Fo ...
, McPherson,
Conway
Conway may refer to:
Places
United States
* Conway, Arkansas
* Conway County, Arkansas
* Lake Conway, Arkansas
* Conway, Florida
* Conway, Iowa
* Conway, Kansas
* Conway, Louisiana
* Conway, Massachusetts
* Conway, Michigan
* Conway Townshi ...
,
Windom,
Little River
Little River may refer to several places:
Australia Streams New South Wales
*Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River
* Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...
,
Mitchell, Lyons,
Chase
Chase or CHASE may refer to:
Businesses
* Chase Bank, a national American financial institution
* Chase UK, a British retail bank
* Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturer
* Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in ...
and Ellinwood.
In 1887, the
Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway
The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (CK&N) was formed in 1885 and Marcus Low, a former attorney for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, was its president. The CRI&P advanced the CK&N about twenty-five million dollars to begin cons ...
built a main line from
Herington through McPherson to
Pratt
Pratt is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:
A–F
* Abner Pratt (1801–1863), American diplomat, jurist, politician, and lawyer
* Al Pratt (baseball) (1847–1937), American baseball player
* Andy Pratt (baseball) (bor ...
.
In 1888, this line was extended to
Liberal. Later, it was extended to
Tucumcari, New Mexico
Tucumcari (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,278 at the 2020 census. Tucumcari was founded in 1901, two years before Quay County was established.
History
In 1901, the Chicag ...
and
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...
. It foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as
Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad (OKT) was a railroad operating in its namesake states in the 1980s.
OKT I
The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad was originally created on May 29, 1980, after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa ...
, merged in 1988 with
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 ...
, merged in 1997 with
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 ...
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
By 1888, the community was at the junction of four railroad lines. Major industries have included a large flour mill, an insurance company headquarters, and an oil refinery.
20th century
The
National Old Trails Road
National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland (some old maps indicate N ...
, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed through
Windom,
Conway
Conway may refer to:
Places
United States
* Conway, Arkansas
* Conway County, Arkansas
* Lake Conway, Arkansas
* Conway, Florida
* Conway, Iowa
* Conway, Kansas
* Conway, Louisiana
* Conway, Massachusetts
* Conway, Michigan
* Conway Townshi ...
and McPherson.
In the 1930s, the local refinery sponsored the
McPherson Globe Refiners basketball team (
AAU). They were coached by
Gene Johnson, former head coach of Wichita University (now
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 ...
). The Refiners were best known for their tall centers,
Joe Fortenberry
Joe Cephis Fortenberry (April 1, 1911 – June 3, 1993) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was a captain of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal in the first Olympics to include basket ...
(6–8) and
Willard Schmidt (6–9) and their fast-break style of play. Billed as "The Tallest Team in the World", the Refiners often held their opponents to low scores because of the centers' ability to deflect shots on the way to the basket in what today would be called goaltending. Coach Johnson was one of the innovators of the fast break and full-court press. The Refiners won the AAU national championship in 1936 against the Hollywood Universal team. This earned them the right to compete for the first ever
USA Olympic basketball team in 1936. Hollywood Universal narrowly beat the Refiners at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
and the USA team was composed of both Universal and Refiners players and one college student. Coach Johnson was selected to be the assistant coach. After a long journey by boat to Europe, the team played in alternating squads at the Olympics. The Refiners' portion of the team took the court to defeat Canada 19–8 in the gold medal game on August 14, 1936, at the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...
. The Refiners' home court is now the McPherson Community Building at 121 East Marlin and can be toured by contacting the local Convention and Visitors Bureau. A mural in honor of the Refiners was completed in 2010 at the intersection of Kansas and Ash, south of their home court in preparation for the 75th anniversary celebration of their victory in 2011.
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 , of which is land and is water.
The community is located on
U.S. Route 56, just west of
Interstate 135
Interstate 135 (I-135) is an approximately auxiliary Interstate Highway in central and south-central Kansas, United States. I-135, which is signed as north–south, runs between I-35 and the Kansas Turnpike in Wichita north to I-70, ...
. McPherson is part of the
Little Arkansas River
The Little Arkansas River ( ) is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. A tributary of the Arkansas River, its entire length lies within the American state of Kansas.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resol ...
Watershed that ultimately empties into the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...
in
Wichita. Dry Turkey Creek is a wet weather stream that composes several enhanced lakes within the city limits. It feeds the Lakeside Park Lagoon before crossing under East Euclid Street and Kansas Avenue, where it then forms Wall Park Lake.
South and west of town are four units of the reclaimed
McPherson Valley Wetlands, acquired and managed by
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
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 ...
,
Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people.
History and profile
In 1927, an offshoot of the Boone and ...
, and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to 1880, this natural wetlands was an important waterfowl and wildlife habitat second only to
Cheyenne Bottoms in importance to migratory bird populations. These wetlands continue to see improvement and development.
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, McPherson 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
The
2020 United States census counted 14,082 people, 5,645 households, and 3,495 families in McPherson.
The population density was . There were 6,221 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup was 85.0% (11,970)
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 ...
(83.11%
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 ...
), 2.29% (322)
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. ...
, 0.82% (116)
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 ...
, 1.29% (182)
Asian, 0.06% (8)
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 ...
, 3.19% (449) from
other races, and 7.35% (1,035) 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 7.48% (1,053) of the population.
Of the 5,645 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18; 47.9% were married couples living together; 26.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 32.5% of households consisted of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.6. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 18.4% of the population.
22.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males.
For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 100.8 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 $57,931 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,181) and the median family income was $69,846 (+/- $6,510). Males had a median income of $38,465 (+/- $4,682) versus $26,149 (+/- $1,423) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,004 (+/- $2,858). Approximately, 4.8% of families and 10.8% 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 7.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those ages 65 or over.
Area events
* Scottish Festival & Highland Games were held on the fourth weekend of September of each year. They are discontinued as of 2017.
Education
McPherson College
McPherson College is a private college associated with the Church of the Brethren and located in McPherson, Kansas, United States. It was chartered in 1887 and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
History
During their 1887 annual m ...
and
Central Christian College are located in McPherson.
The community is served by
McPherson USD 418 public school district. USD 418 has an Early Childhood center, four elementary schools (Eisenhower, Lincoln, Rosevelt, Washington), McPherson Middle School and McPherson High School. McPherson's mascot is the Bullpups. Additionally, private school options are available at St. Joseph Catholic Church & School, serving students through sixth grade.
Transportation
McPherson was located on the
National Old Trails Road
National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland (some old maps indicate N ...
, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, that was established in 1912.
Bus service is provided daily towards
Wichita and
Salina by BeeLine Express (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 ...
).
Media
McPherson has a daily
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
, ''
The McPherson Sentinel''. and a weekly newspaper, ''The McPherson Weekly News'',
The following
radio station
Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
s are
licensed to McPherson:
* 1540
KNGL:
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...
* 96.7
KMPK:
Adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
Notable people
*
V. John Krehbiel, Ambassador to Finland
*
Anna Larkin, folk sculptor, lived in McPherson for many years until her death.
*
George Magerkurth, Major League Baseball umpire, born in McPherson.
*
Sue Raney, jazz singer
*
Brad Underwood
Bradley Cole Underwood (born December 14, 1963) is the current head coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. Previously, he served as head coach at Oklahoma State Cowgirls basketball, Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin Lumber ...
, basketball coach at
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
, McPherson native.
See also
*
List of people from McPherson County, Kansas
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in McPherson County, Kansas
*
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the ...
*
National Old Trails Road
National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland (some old maps indicate N ...
*
Threshing Stone
A threshing stone is a roller (agricultural tool), roller-like tool used for the threshing of wheat. Similar to the use of threshing-board, threshing boards, the stone was pulled by horses over a circular pile of harvested wheat on a hardened dirt ...
*
List of oil pipelines
This is a list of oil pipelines.
Africa
* Chad–Cameroon pipeline – Chad–Cameroon
* Sudeth pipeline – South Sudan–Ethiopia (under construction)
* Transnet Pipelines – South Africa
* Sumed pipeline – Egypt
* Tazama Pipeline – Tan ...
*
List of oil refineries
This is a list of oil refinery, oil refineries. The ''Oil & Gas Journal'' publishes a worldwide list of refineries annually in a country-by-country tabulation that includes for each refinery: location, crude oil daily processing capacity, and the s ...
References
Further reading
* ''McPherson, Kansas: Past and Present, Progress and Prosperity''; Freeman Publishing Co.
* ''McPherson at Fifty - A Kansas Community in 1920s''; Raymond L. Flory; McPherson College; 1970.
* ''Diamond Jubilee McPherson, 1872-1947: Pioneer Days in McPherson''; Jessie Hill Rowland; 1947.
''A History of the Church of the Brethren in Kansas''(includes McPherson College history); Elmer LeRoy Craik; McPherson Daily; Republican Press; 397 pages; 1922.
* ''Major General James B. McPherson Monument Unveiling''; Alex S. Hendry; 1917.
* ''Our Railroad''; McPherson Independent; September 25, 1879.
External links
*
McPherson - Directory of Public Officials League of Kansas Municipalities
Historic Images of McPherson 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
* , from ''Hatteberg's People'' on
KAKE
KAKE (channel 10) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on West Street in northwestern Wichita, and its transmitter is located i ...
TV news
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcpherson, Kansas
Cities in Kansas
County seats in Kansas
Cities in McPherson County, Kansas
Micropolitan areas of Kansas
Populated places established in 1872
1872 establishments in Kansas