Parsons is a city in Labette 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 9,600. It is the most populous city of Labette County, and the second-most populous city in the southeastern region of Kansas. It is home to Labette Community College and the Parsons State Hospital & Training Center.

History

Parsons was named after Levi Parsons, president of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad. The town was founded in 1870 and incorporated the following year by the railroad. The location for the town was chosen because it was on a flat ridge between the Labette Creek and Little Labette Creek and provided an ideal site for where the two branches of the railroad being built from Junction City, Kansas and Sedalia, Missouri would meet. The creeks were soon dammed to provide a water source. The railroad commenced building a massive rail yard, foundry, and locomotive shop at Parsons; for many years this was the third largest railroad facility west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, with only Kansas City and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

being larger. Settlers from nearby towns uprooted and moved to Parsons, and new settlers arrived on every incoming train. Parsons soon became a major hub for several railroads, including the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, the Parsons and Pacific Railroad, the Kansas City and Pacific Railroad, and the Memphis, Kansas & Colorado Railroad. In the early part of the twentieth century, Parsons operated its own street car system, and also had an interurban electric railroad connecting it to the nearby cities of Cherryvale,

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

, Coffeyville, and Nowata. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

it was home to the Kansas Ordnance Plant, which later operated for some years as the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. In Spring of 2005, the munitions plant was placed on the BRAC list for closure. The community has rallied behind the current plant operator, Day & Zimmerman, to keep the company on the grounds after closure and to keep those jobs and more in the Parsons area. (See link to "Great Plains Industrial Park" in "External Links", below)

Hospitals

Parsons is also home to the Parsons State Hospital & Training Center, which has been in operation since 1903 when it was opened as the Kansas State Hospital for Epileptics. In 1957 the hospital was renamed Parsons State Hospital and Training Center. At that time it began providing programs for individuals with

developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

. The Hospital occupies 43 buildings on . The hospital also includes residential services, the University Center on Developmental Disabilities and the Parsons Research Center for the University of Kansas, the Special Purpose School of the Southeast Regional Education Service Center. The Southeast Kansas Agricultural Research Center of Kansas State University is also located on the grounds, as is the Alzheimer's Association, Heart of America Chapter, Southeast Kansas Regional Office. Parsons is also home to Labette County Medical Center.

Library

The first library began as a subscription library in 1904 and was located in city hall. Parsons Public Library, a Carnegie library, opened on May 18, 1909. A new library opened on April 18, 1977, and the former library has since been renovated to become a visual and performing arts center.

Industry

The sale of Katy Industries to

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a 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 States after BNSF, ...

, in 1988, eventually saw the loss of scores of railroad jobs and, in effect, severed a major part of Parsons' city history which stretched back to its 1871 incorporation. While, in return, the city received a million dollars to help it recover (and so that it would not file lengthy paperwork opposing the sale and thus delaying it), that money is kept in a fund by the city government, which uses the accrued interest on economic development projects. The only reminder of the

Katy Railroad Katy or KATY may refer to: People and Characters * Katy, a short form of the name Katherine * Katy (given name) * Katy (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a fictional character * Katy Perry * Katie Perry, Australian fashion designer * Katy Perry (prison ...

is now found in the local historical society's museum, the annual Katy Days Festival and of course the tracks, over which trains now speed through Parsons. The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant also was down scaled in the 1980s.

2000-2020

On April 19, 2000, an F3 tornado cut a devastating path of destruction through the center of Parsons. About 700 homes were damaged and about 100 destroyed, about 60 businesses were damaged and 11 destroyed. On June 5, 2006 the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Parsons a 2006 Great American Main Street Award winner for its successful efforts in revitalizing its downtown area through historic preservation. The award was presented during the 2006 National Main Streets Conference in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. Parsons was one of only five cities receiving the 2006 award. Parsons is the home of Dwayne's Photo, which became the last processor of K-14

Kodachrome Kodachrome is the brand name for a color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was one of the first successful color materials and was used for both cinematography and still photography. For many years, Kodachrome was widely used ...

film in the world and was the location of the final frame taken on the final roll of Kodachrome film produced. Parsons is featured prominently in the plot of the 2017

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

movie ''

'' about a man who takes a road trip to develop a roll of Kodachrome film.

Film

The motion picture '' ZombieGeddon'' (2003) was filmed in Parsons in July 2002.

Newspaper

The ''Parsons Sun'' is a twice-weekly newspaper published in Parsons since 1871. At different times it was owned by Henry J. Allen and Clyde M. Reed, who would both go on to serve as governor of Kansas.

Geography

Parsons is located at (37.339070, -95.269747). The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 59 and U.S. Route 400. Along US-59, the city of Erie (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 Neosho County) is to the north and Oswego (the county seat of Labette County) is south and east. Big Hill Lake is several miles to the west of the city, and Lake Parsons is situated northwest of the city. The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP) is located southeast of the city. The facility was completed in 1942 to support

operations and consists of 21 separate facilities over . The installation is actively used as a munitions loading, assembly, and packing facility. 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

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 9,600 people, 4,015 households, and 2,251 families in Parsons. The population density was 903.0 per square mile (348.7/km). There were 4,776 housing units at an average density of 449.3 per square mile (173.5/km). The racial makeup was 75.28% (7,227)

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 ...

(72.51%

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 ...

), 8.0% (768)

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, 1.67% (160) 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 ...

, 0.74% (71) Asian, 0.02% (2)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

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, 2.15% (206) from other races, and 12.15% (1,166) 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 7.05% (677) of the population. Of the 4,015 households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18; 33.1% were married couples living together; 33.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 36.6% of households consisted of individuals and 15.1% 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 3.0. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 15.6% of the population. 24.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.7 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 $41,091 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,793) and the median family income was $54,735 (+/- $6,393). Males had a median income of $30,510 (+/- $3,819) versus $24,658 (+/- $2,536) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $27,206 (+/- $1,968). Approximately, 13.5% of families and 20.1% 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 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 16.8% 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 10,500 people, 4,351 households, and 2,586 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 5,034 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.3%

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 ...

, 18.6%

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 ...

, 1.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 16.7% of the population. There were 4,351 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% 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, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 34.4% 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 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 11,514 people, 4,738 households, and 2,909 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,359 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.54%

, 8.17%

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 ...

, 1.12% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.01%

, 1.90% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.64% of the population. There were 4,738

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 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,345, and the median income for a family was $36,557. Males had a median income of $28,667 versus $21,558 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 $15,763. About 9.9% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the

, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Events

Katy Days is an annual festival held Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, also known as "the Katy" railroad. The founders of the festival are Mary and Pete Hughes. Activities are held in Forest Park, the largest community park in Parsons, and typically include live music, food trucks, and a parade.

Education

College

* Labette Community College

Public

Parsons USD 503 public school district serves most of the city of Parsons: * Parsons Senior High School (9-12) * Parsons Middle School (6-8) * Guthridge Elementary (4-5) * Garfield Elementary (2-3) * Lincoln Elementary (PreK-1) Labette County USD 506 public school district serves southern and western parts of the city of Parsons: * Meadow View Elementary (K-8) Erie-Galesburg USD 101 public school district serves north of Parsons.

Private

* St. Patrick Catholic School (PreK-8)

Library

The first public library building in Parsons was the Carnegie Library, established in 1909. The Parsons Public Library moved to a modern facility in 1977.

Points of interest

* Parsons Arboretum * Tri-City Airport * Big Hill Lake * Lake Parsons * Neosho State Fishing Lake * Oakwood Cemetery * Parsons Historical Society Museum * Forest Park

Notable people

* Gilbert Baker, civil rights activist and creator of the pride flag * Fred Bradley, Major League Baseball pitcher * Gil Britton, Major League Baseball player * Jamie Anne (Brown) Allman, actress * Buck Clayton aka Wilbur Dorsey Clayton, jazz musician * William Coffin Coleman, founder of the Coleman Company, and mayor of

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

* William W. Cranston, civil war soldier and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient * Walter Davidson, Sr., co-founder of Harley-Davidson Motor Company * Pintip Dunn, author of young adult fiction * Alfred B. Fairfax, Kansas politician and pastor * Fletcher Flora, author * Myron V. George, U.S. congressman * Derrel Gofourth, NFL offensive lineman * Bill Guthridge, college basketball coach * George Harvey, professional football player * Clancy Hayes, jazz musician * Shaun Hill, NFL quarterback * Ward Kimball,

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winning

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

* Jeff Kready, Broadway and television actor * Roland Lakes, Wichita State and NFL lineman * David J. Leland, politician and jurist * Deb Miller, Kansas Secretary of Transportation (2003–2012) * Ajit Pai, former FCC Chairman * George Pepperdine, founder of Western Auto and

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...

* ZaSu Pitts, film and television actress and comedian * Payne Harry Ratner, Kansas Governor * Clyde M. Reed, Kansas Governor and U.S. Senator * Nell Donnelly Reed, businesswoman * T. Claude Ryan, aviator, aerospace engineer * Dan Smith, major league baseball player * Joe Tinker, major league baseball player and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee * Clark Tippet, ballet dancer and choreographer * Levi Watkins, heart surgeon and civil rights activist * Ella B. Ensor Wilson, social reformer

References

External links

Parsons - Official

Parsons - Directory of Public Officials

Parsons Chamber of Commerce

''The Parsons Sun''
local newspaper
Parsons city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Labette County, Kansas Populated places established in 1870 1870 establishments in Kansas

History

Hospitals

Library

Industry

2000-2020

Film

Newspaper

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Arts and culture

Events

Education

College

Public

Private

Library

Points of interest

Notable people

References

Further reading

External links