Strong City is a city in Chase 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. Originally known as Cottonwood Station, in 1881 it was renamed Strong City after William Barstow Strong, then vice-president and general manager, and later president of 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 386. It is located along

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...

highway.

History

Early history

For many

millennia A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting p ...

, the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

claimed ownership of large parts of

. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, France secretly ceded

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile

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 ...

for 2.83 cents per

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

. 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

became the 34th U.S. state. In 1859, Chase County was established within the

, which included the land for modern day Strong City. In 1871, the

extended a main line from Emporia to Newton.Santa Fe Rail History
/ref> The city originated in March 1871 when the

was completed to the point then known as Cottonwood Station. Strong City was originally called Cottonwood, and under the latter name laid out in 1872. In 1881, the name was changed to Strong, in honor of William Barstow Strong, General Superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and afterward the president of the company. The original depot was a wooden building, built in 1872, which burned in 1902 and was replaced in 1903 by another wooden building. From 1887 to 1938, a six-stall engine roundhouse employed many workers. In 1887,

built a branch line from Neva (three miles west of Strong City) to Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connected Strong City, Neva, Rockland, Diamond Springs, Burdick, Lost Springs, Jacobs,

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

, Enterprise, Abilene, Talmage,

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, Longford, Oak Hill, Miltonvale,

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

, Huscher, Concordia, Kackley, Courtland, Webber, Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line", but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line".

20th century

In 1912, construction of a new depot was begun about west of the old one, and was finished in 1913. The new brick depot was trimmed in native cut limestone was built for a cost of $20,000. A brick platform some 800-feet long was built along the front of the building, and a 250-foot freight platform was built along the rear of the building. Passenger service was discontinued in the late 1940s. In 1945, the name was changed again, this time to Strong City. In 1996, the

merged with

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States–based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1995. Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroad ...

and renamed to the current

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...

21st century

In 2006 and 2015, the "Symphony in the Flint Hills" concert was held two miles north of Strong City with thousands in attendance.

Stone industry

Local stonemasons and builders ''Barney Lantry & Son'' contracted with railroad companies for projects throughout the United States. In the beginning it built stone-work for certain phases of railroad construction, but later they did build complete railroads, grading, laying the track, building bridges, stations, roundhouses, and other division buildings.Strong City History.
/ref> The first stone-crushers Kansas ever saw were brought to the state by the Lantrys and were operated on a very large scale at Strong City. Most of the stone for masonry and road-ballast for their jobs all over the west, was taken from their quarries at Strong City. Big stones for the Kansas State Capitol came from Strong City, each stone weighing 13,000 pounds. Stone was also used for public and private buildings in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Colorado. When Barney Lantry died in 1895, officials of the Santa Fe Railroad from Los Angeles to Chicago attended his funeral services in Strong City.

Geography

Strong City is located at (38.3972360, -96.5369507), in the scenic Flint Hills of the

. 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. The Cottonwood River is approximately 0.5 mile west of the city, and an old channel of the river is adjacent to the southwestern corner of the city.

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, Strong City 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

center of population In Demography, demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to dif ...

of Kansas is located north of Strong City at .

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 485 people, 212 households, and 123 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 256 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5%

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 ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% 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 1.0% of the population. There were 212 households, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the city was 44.1 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 31% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 584 people, 247 households, and 163 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 287 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.77%

, 1.03%

, 0.17% Asian, and 1.03% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population. There were 247 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $30,192, and the median income for a family was $35,833. Males had a median income of $23,523 versus $20,938 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 $13,807. About 5.8% of families and 14.9% 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 21.4% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Events and attractions

* Flint Hills Rodeo, held annually since 1938 *

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, north of Strong City, Kansas, Strong City. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass ...

, north on K-177 highway. * W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park. * Kansas Historical Markers: ** ''Chase County And The Bluestem Pasture Region Of Kansas'', approximately east on

highway. ** ''W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park.Kansas Historical Marker - W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park
/ref> * Strong City has four listings 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 ...

(NRHP): ** Fox Creek Stone Arch Bridge ( NRHP). ** Lower Fox Creek School ( NRHP). ** Strong City Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe DepotNational Register of Historic Places - Strong City Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Depot
from kshs.org ( NRHP). ** Strong City Opera House ( NRHP).

Government

The Strong City government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7PM. * City Hall, 4th St and Chase St. * Chase County Sheriff Department, located in Cottonwood Falls. * Chase County Fire Department, located in Cottonwood Falls. * U.S. Post Office, 309 Cottonwood St.

Education

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by Chase County USD 284 public school district. It has two schools. * Chase County Junior/Senior High School, 600 Main St in Cottonwood Falls.
Chase County Elementary School
401 Maple St in Cottonwood Falls. Strong City schools were closed through school unification. The Strong City Indians won the Kansas State High School Boys class BB Basketball championship in 1965.

Library

* Burnley Memorial Library, located in Cottonwood Falls.

Infrastructure

Transportation

and the La Junta Subdivision of

pass east-west through the city. K-177 highway passes north-south through the city. The original U.S. Route 50 road still comes into the southwestern side of the city, parallel to the railroad tracks. Strong City applied for an Amtrak station on Amtrak's proposed extension of the Heartland Flyer from

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. If the town's application were successful, that would make it one of the smallest towns in the Amtrak system to have a station.

Utilities

* Internet ** Satellite Internet is provided by HughesNet, StarBand, WildBlue. * TV ** Satellite TV is provided by

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

, Dish Network. ** Free over-the-air ATSC

digital TV Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative adv ...

Notable people

* Dudley Doolittle (1881-1957), U.S. Representative from

, lawyer, banker.

References

External links

City of Strong City

Strong City - Directory of Public Officials

Chase County Chamber of Commerce

Historic Images of Strong City
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library.
Topo Map of Strong City area
USGS {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Chase County, Kansas Emporia, Kansas micropolitan area Populated places established in 1871 1871 establishments in Kansas