Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, United States. The community promotes itself as the "Czech Capital of Kansas" due to the role of

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

immigrant settlers in its early history. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 859.

History

The

Butterfield Overland Despatch {{distinguish, text = the Butterfield Overland Mail, an unaffiliated company with a similar name The Butterfield Overland Despatch was a mail and freight service operating across the Great Plains of America in the 1860s. Due to increased travel t ...

built a stagecoach station one-half mile south of present-day Wilson in 1865. Three years later, the Kansas Pacific Railway built Wilson Station, named after the surrounding

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

, at the modern town site. In 1871, The National Land Company surveyed and planned the first town there, naming it Bosland in the hopes of attracting the cattle trade. Settlers from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, including some

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

, arrived over the following year. The settlement never became a center of the cattle trade, however, and continued to be known as Wilson, a name the

U.S. Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

officially codified in 1873. Beginning in 1874,

immigrants from

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

came to Wilson to work on the railroad, establishing the town as an area center of

Czech culture Czech culture has been shaped by its geographical position in the middle of Europe. Influences from its neighbours, political and social changes, wars and times of peace have all left their marks on Czech culture. Prague's significance as a Europea ...

. Wilson was incorporated as a city in 1883.

Geography

Wilson is located at (38.825619, -98.474748) at an elevation of 1,686 feet (513 m). Located in north-central Kansas south of the intersection of

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

and Kansas Highway 232 (K-232), Wilson is northwest of Wichita, 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 ...

, and northwest of Ellsworth, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. Wilson lies in the

Smoky Hills The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the Midwestern United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a disse ...

region of the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

approximately north 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.Smoky Hill River. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.br ...

and south of Wilson Lake. Wilson Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill, flows south along the east side of the city. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 781 people, 331 households, and 203 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 405 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% American Indian, 0.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.4% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 3.5% of the population. There were 331 households, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 47.6 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 24.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female. The median income for a household in the city was $44,250, and the median income for a family was $55,542. Males had a median income of $37,273 versus $20,417 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $21,109. 5.2% of families and 7.8% 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 t ...

, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 799 people, 333 households, and 205 families residing in the city. The

was 1,436.7 people per square mile (550.9/km). There were 406 housing units at an average density of 730.0 per square mile (279.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.87%

, 0.13% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.00% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 333 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $34,821, and the median income for a family was $47,768. Males had a median income of $28,173 versus $23,000 for females. The

for the city was $16,622. About 2.0% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the

, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

As of 2012, 67.2% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.0% was in the armed forces, and 67.2% was in the civilian labor force with 65.4% being employed and 1.9% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 26.7% in service occupations; 26.3% in management, business, science, and arts; 21.9% in production, transportation, and material moving; 12.5% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; and 12.5% in sales and office occupations. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (19.5%); manufacturing (15.5%); and public administration (11.3%). The cost of living in Wilson is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 79.2. As of 2012, the median home value in the city was $49,000, the median selected monthly owner cost was $761 for housing units with a mortgage and $324 for those without, and the median gross rent was $510.

Government

Wilson is a city of the third class, according to state statute, with a mayor-council form of government. The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

consists of the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

and five council members, and it meets on the first and third Monday of each month. Wilson lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the

Kansas Legislature The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, with 125 state representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 state senators. ...

, the city is located in the 35th district of the

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...

and the 108th district of the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...

Education

The community is served by

Central Plains USD 112 Central Plains USD 112 is a public unified school district (USD) headquartered in Holyrood, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Holyrood, Bushton, Claflin, Dorrance, Frederick, Lorraine, Wilson, Beaver, Dubuque, ...

public school district. Wilson High School is one of two high schools in the district along with Central Plains High School. The Wilson High School mascot is Wilson Dragons.

Infrastructure

Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Ellsworth County

Transportation

and U.S. Route 40 run concurrently east-west north of the city, intersecting

K-232 K232 or K-232 may refer to: *K-232 (Kansas highway) K-232 is a north–south state highway in central Kansas connecting the cities of Wilson and Lucas. The highway was first established in 1961 and expanded over the following two years. K-2 ...

which runs north-south along the eastern edge of the city. K-232 terminates at its intersection with the old alignment of U.S. 40 which runs northwest-southeast through Wilson. The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

runs northwest-southeast through Wilson, parallel to the old alignment of U.S. 40.

Utilities

Rolling Hills Electric Co-Op, Inc. provides electric power. Wilson Communications offers landline telephone, internet and cable tv service. The city government is responsible for water provision. Local residents primarily use natural gas for heating fuel; service is provided by Midwest Energy.

Media

Wilson is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.

Culture

Events

Due to the number of Czech immigrants who settled the area in the 1870s, Wilson was nicknamed the "Czech Capital of Kansas" in 1974. As of 2012, 14.4% of the city population claimed Czech ancestry. To celebrate this heritage, the city holds an annual After Harvest Czech Festival on the last Saturday in July. The festival includes displays of

Czech American Czech Americans ( cz, Čechoameričané), known in the 19th and early 20th century as Bohemian Americans, are citizens of the United States whose ancestry is wholly or partly originate from the Czech lands, a term which refers to the majority o ...

culture, such as dancers and music, as well as a carnival, a parade, sports tournaments, talent contests, and other activities. The city also holds a

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

festival in October and a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

festival in December.

In popular culture and the arts

The Midland Hotel, located in Wilson, served as a filming location for the 1973 film '' Paper Moon''. Wilson is also home of the historic Wilson Opera House, which is currently under renovation. Originally built in 1901, the building was destroyed in a massive fire in November 2009.

Notable people

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

Neva Egan Desdia Neva Egan (October 3, 1914 – January 19, 2011) was an American educator who served as the first First Lady of Alaska from the state's creation in 1959 to 1966, and again from 1970 to 1974. Egan was the wife of the state of Alaska's fir ...

(1914-2011), 1st First Lady of Alaska. * Dennis D. Farney, journalist for

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

, nominated for 1993 Pulitzer Prize. * John Kuck (1905-1986),

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

shot putter, gold medal at

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

Gallery

Historic Images of Wilson
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library File:Midland Railroad Hotel from SW 1.JPG, Midland Railroad Hotel (2014) File:Wilson, Kansas 2505 Avenue E 1.JPG, (2014) File:Wilson, Kansas Tobias water tower 2.jpg, Tobias water tower (2014) File:Wilson, Kansas 2407 Avenue E 1.JPG, City hall (2014)

References

External links

City of Wilson

Wilson - Directory of Public Officials

Ellsworth County Independent/Reporter

Wilson city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Ellsworth County, Kansas Czech-American culture in Kansas Populated places established in 1871 1871 establishments in Kansas