Stockton 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 Rooks 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 1,480.

History

19th century

Stockton was founded in 1872. A large share of the first settlers were cattle dealers, or stockmen, and they named their new home Stocktown, or as it soon became known, Stockton. Stockton was incorporated as a city in 1879. Stockton is located on the natural trail up the valley of the South Solomon River and where the military supply trail from Fort Kearney, Nebraska, to Fort Hays, Kansas, crossed the South Solomon River. Stockton survived and grew during the thirteen years from founding until the arrival of the railroad in 1885. Stockton was once a

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...

, where African Americans living in

Nicodemus Nicodemus (; ; ; ; ) is a New Testament figure venerated as a saint in a number of Christian traditions. He is depicted as a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin who is drawn to hear Jesus's teachings. Like Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus, Nicode ...

were not welcome after dark.

20th century

Stockton was featured in British author

Tony Parker William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket, LDLC ASVEL of the LNB Élite and the EuroLeague. The son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career ...

's 1989 book ''Bird, Kansas'' for which he transcribed tape recorded interviews with local residents.

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 , all land.

Demographics

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 1,329 people, 606 households, and 369 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 743 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% 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 were 2.3% of the population. There were 606 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.74. The median age in the city was 46.1 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.7% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,558 people, 636 households, and 403 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 745 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.97%

, 2.82%

, 0.58% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 1.16% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population. There were 636 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were

living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,125, and the median income for a family was $38,603. Males had a median income of $26,458 versus $19,688 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 $17,205. About 6.3% of families and 9.1% 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 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Area attractions

* Rooks County Historical Society Frank Walker Museum

Education

The community is served by Stockton USD 271 public school district.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Stockton include: * Dale Dodrill (1926-2019), football defensive tackle * Roy Fisher (1918-1999), editor, reporter * Lorenzo Fuller (1919-2011), singer, musician and actor."Lorenzo Fuller, a Kansas legend", ''African American Registry''
Retrieved 8 January 2019 * Mal Stevens (1900-1979), football halfback, coach, surgeon

References

External links

City of Stockton

Stockton - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities
Historic Images
Wichita State University Library
Stockton city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Rooks County, Kansas Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Sundown towns in Kansas 1872 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1872