WaKeeney 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 ...

Trego County, Kansas Trego County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is WaKeeney. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,808. The county was named for Edgar Trego. History Early history For many mil ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,799.

History

James Keeney, a land speculator in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, purchased land at the site of modern-day WaKeeney from the

Kansas Pacific Railway The Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century. It was a federally chartered railroad, backed with government land grants. At a time when the first transcontin ...

in 1877. He and business partner Albert Warren formed Warren, Keeney, & Co., surveyed and plotted the site in 1878, and established a colony there in 1879. They named the colony WaKeeney, a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of their surnames, and billed it as "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers. The colony grew rapidly, but crop failures drove settlers to leave in 1880 as quickly as they had come. By 1882, all that was left were "five poorly patronized retail stores". Years later,

Volga Germans The Volga Germans (, ; ) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Saratov and close to Ukraine nearer to the south. Recruited as immigrants to Russia in the ...

began settling the area. WaKeeney became the county seat in June 1879 and was incorporated as a city in 1880.

Geography

WaKeeney is located at (39.024467, -99.881972) at an elevation of 2,447 feet (746 m). Located in northwestern Kansas at the intersection of

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...

and

U.S. Route 283 U.S. Route 283 is a spur of U.S. Route 83. It currently runs for 731 miles (1,175 km) from Brady, Texas at U.S. Route 87 to Lexington, Nebraska at U.S. Route 30. It passes through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. R ...

, it is northwest of Wichita, east-southeast of

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, and west of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

. WaKeeney lies in the High Plains region of 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 ...

approximately north of Big Creek, a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Smoky Hill River The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through Colorado and Kansas. Names The Smoky Hill is named from the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas through which it flows. American Indians li ...

. A small tributary of Big Creek flows south from near the center of the city. 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.

Climate

WaKeeney has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dfa''), experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. On average, January is the coolest month, and July is both the warmest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in was on July 24, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 12, 1912 and December 22, 1989.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 1,799 people, 837 households, and 482 families in WaKeeney. The population density was 1,009.0 per square mile (389.6/km). There were 1,004 housing units at an average density of 563.1 per square mile (217.4/km). The racial makeup was 93.55% (1,683)

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 ...

(93.05%

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 ...

), 0.17% (3)

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 ...

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. ...

, 0.11% (2) 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 ...

, 0.56% (10) Asian, 0.0% (0)

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.39% (7) from other races, and 5.23% (94) from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

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 2.5% (45) of the population. Of the 837 households, 22.2% had children under the age of 18; 44.8% were married couples living together; 29.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 38.2% of households consisted of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.0 and the average family size was 2.4. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 15.9% of the population. 21.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 112.3 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 $54,805 (with a margin of error of +/- $7,551) and the median family income was $78,125 (+/- $17,778). Males had a median income of $44,231 (+/- $9,782) versus $27,482 (+/- $4,438) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,172 (+/- $5,427). Approximately, 7.5% of families and 6.3% 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 10.8% of those under the age of 18 and 0.5% 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 1,862 people, 864 households, and 500 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 988 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1%

, 0.9% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 864 households, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% 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, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.73. The median age in the city was 48.8 years. 20% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.3% were from 45 to 64; and 25.3% 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

of 2000, there were 1,924 people, 882 households, and 539 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,023 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.14%

, 0.05%

, 0.47% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.10%

, and 1.46% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population. There were 882 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were

living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.80. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,945, and the median income for a family was $40,547. Males had a median income of $26,292 versus $16,435 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 $17,596. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the

, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by WaKeeney USD 208 public school district, which

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

and

secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

with two schools in WaKeeney: Trego Grade School (

Grades Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...

Pre-K-8) and Trego Community High School (9-12). The Trego Golden Eagles won the Kansas State High School boys class 2A Track & Field championship in 1977 and the boys class 3A Track & Field championship in 1997.

Infrastructure

Transportation

and

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America (a nickname shared with U.S. Route 66), is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid- ...

run concurrently southeast-northwest immediately south of WaKeeney, intersecting

which runs north–south through the city. U.S. 283 runs east–west for one mile in downtown WaKeeney, concurrent with U.S. Route 40 Business and the old alignment of U.S. 40. Trego WaKeeney Airport is located on the west side of U.S. 283, immediately south of I-70. Publicly owned, it has one concrete runway and is used for

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

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 ...

operates one freight rail line, the Kansas Pacific (KP) line, through WaKeeney. It runs east–west through the city.

Media

The local newspaper published in WaKeeney is the weekly ''Western Kansas World''. K231BG, a translator of

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 ...

KJIL in

Copeland, Kansas Copeland is a city in Gray County, Kansas, Gray County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 251. History Copeland was founded in 1912. It was named for E. L. Copeland, an off ...

, broadcasts from WaKeeney on 94.1 FM playing a

Contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

format. WaKeeney is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.

Culture

Trego County Courthouse - west face 20171012 142952

Events

Since 1950, WaKeeney has hosted an ornate civic Christmas lighting display, which now includes over 6,000 lights and a 35-foot man-made

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was deve ...

in the center of town. The tree is ceremonially lit the Saturday night after

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

through New Years Day.

Points of interest

The train depot, built in 1879 with Saline River and Big Creek limestone, was the first major building in the town. It was inaugurated on July 4 of that year, with officials from Warren, Keeney and the Kansas governor in attendance.

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, ...

later acquired the depot and used it until the 1930s. The Opera House was the next major building, completed in 1884 with ceiling murals, a Rochester electric brass chandelier, and seating for 400. It was destroyed by fire the following year. The Trego County Courthouse, constructed of Trego County hard stone and Manhattan stone, was designed by Topeka architect George R. Ropes in the Queen Anne style, with a 100-ft cupola and European tin roof which lasted until 1952. The courthouse is still in use, although the basement jail, with unusual flat bars, was closed in 1976. The building appeared in several scenes in the 1974 film '' Paper Moon''.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in WaKeeney include: *

Charles Harris Garrigues image:BrickAtTable.jpg, upGarrigues circa 1941 Charles Harris Garrigues (July 7, 1902 – March 8, 1974) was an American writer and journalist. He was a general-assignment reporter in History of Los Angeles#Civic corruption and police brutality, ...

(1903-1974), journalist * Steve Gotsche (1961- ), PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour golfer * Andrew J. Harlan (1815-1907), U.S. Representative from Indiana *

Frank Mechau Frank Albert Mechau Jr. (January 1904–1946) was an American artist and muralist. His work has been featured in many national and international exhibitions. Many of his paintings are currently in private collections and museums around the ...

(1904-1946), painter *

Mike Schreiner Michael John Schreiner ( ; born 9 June 1969) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the Green Party of Ontario since 2009. Schreiner sits as a Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario), member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), ...

(1969- ), Leader of

Ontario Green Party The Green Party of Ontario (GPO; ) is a political party in Ontario, Canada. The party is led by Mike Schreiner. Schreiner was elected as MPP for the riding of Guelph in 2018, making him the party's first member of the Ontario Legislative Asse ...

; Member of the

Ontario Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

* Orrin Upshaw (1874-1937), U.S. Olympic tug of war athlete

References

External links

City of WaKeeney

WaKeeney - Directory of Public Officials

USD 208
local school district
History of WaKeeney

WaKeeney city map
KDOT {{DEFAULTSORT:WaKeeney, Kansas Cities in Trego County, Kansas Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Populated places established in 1879 1879 establishments in Kansas