Rock is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Cowley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94.

History

19th century

The post office was established on August 12, 1870. In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch 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 El Dorado; in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to Arkansas City. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942. The original branch line connected Florence, Burns, De Graff, El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Rock, Akron, Winfield and Arkansas City.

20th century

In 1905, the nearby Bucher Bridge, 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 ...

, was built. On August 24, 1978, the community was evacuated when a major oxidizer spill at a Titan II ICBM site (533-7) 2.5 miles south of Rock. The spill resulted in the deaths of two airmen who were based out of the 381st Strategic Missile Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, approximately 20 miles away.

21st century

In 2010, the Keystone XL Pipeline was constructed about 2.5 miles west of Rock, north to south through Butler County, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).Keystone Pipeline - ''TransCanada inspecting pipeline''; December 10, 2010.
/ref> A pumping station named ''Rock'' was built along the pipeline.

Demographics

Education

The community is served by Udall USD 463 public school district.

References

External links

* Cowley County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT
History of Rock, Kansas

Keystone Oil Pipeline
Detailed system map (near Rock) {{Authority control Census-designated places in Cowley County, Kansas