Atchison, Kansas

File:Atchison1860.jpg

File:Atchison, Kansas (circa 1880-1900).jpg

Atchison was founded in 1854 and named in honor of Missouri senator David Rice Atchison, who, when Kansas was opened for settlement, interested some of his friends in the scheme of forming a city in the new territory.{{Cite encyclopedia| editor=Frank W. Blackmar| editor-link=Frank W. Blackmar| title=Atchison| url=http://www.skyways.org/genweb/archives/1912/a/atchison.html| encyclopedia=Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc ...| volume=I| publisher=Standard Pub Co| location=Chicago| year=1912| pages=108–111}} The primary source for this history. Senator Atchison was interested in ensuring that the population of the new Kansas Territory would be majority pro-slavery, as he had been a prominent promoter of both slavery and the idea of popular sovereignty over the issue in the new lands. However, not everyone agreed upon the location he had selected, and on July 20, 1854, Dr. John H. Stringfellow, Ira Norris, Leonidas Oldham, James B. Martin, and Neal Owens left Platte City, Missouri, to decide definitely upon a site. They found a site that was the natural outlet of a remarkably rich agricultural region just open to settlement. George M. Million and Samuel Dickson had staked claims near the river; Dr. Stringfellow staked a tract north of Million's. Million sold his claim for $1,000—an exorbitant price. Eighteen persons were present when the town company was formally organized by electing Peter T. Abell, president; James Burns, treasurer; and Dr. Stringfellow, secretary. The site was divided into 100 shares by the company, of which each member retained five shares, the remainder being reserved for common benefit of all. By September 20, 1854, Henry Kuhn had surveyed the {{nowrap|480 acres (1.9 km²)}} and made a plat, and the next day was fixed for the sale of lots, an event of great importance as it had become understood that Senator Atchison would make a speech upon the political question of the day, hence the sale would be of political as well as business significance. At his meeting on the 21st, two public institutions of vital interest to a new community were planned for—a hotel and a newspaper. Each share of stock in the town company was assessed $25, the proceeds to be used to build the National Hotel, which was completed in the spring of 1855, and $400 was donated to Dr. Stringfellow and Robert S. Kelley to erect a printing office.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

The Squatter Sovereign, a paper with strong pro-slavery sentiments, was first issued on February 3, 1855. It had formerly been published at Liberty, Missouri, under the name of the Democratic Platform. In the spring of 1857 it was purchased by Samuel C. Pomeroy, Robert McBratney and F.G. Adams, who changed its policy and published it as a free-state paper until the fall of the same year, when Pomeroy became the sole owner.{{Cite encyclopedia| editor=Frank W. Blackmar| title=Newspapers| url=http://www.skyways.org/genweb/archives/1912/n/newspapers.html| encyclopedia=Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc ...| volume=II| publisher=Standard Pub Co| location=Chicago| year=1912| pages=358–367}}

The first post office in Atchison was established April 10, 1855, with Kelley as postmaster. It was opened in a small building in the block later occupied by the Otis house. In July 1883, the free-delivery system was inaugurated.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

For years there had been considerable trade up and down the Missouri River, which had naturally centered at Leavenworth, but in June 1855, several overland freighters, such as Livingston, Kinkead & Co., and Hooper & Williams were induced to select Atchison as their outfitting point and formed the basis that established Atchison as a commercial center. Early merchants to establish businesses in the new town were George Challis, Burns Bros., Stephen Johnston and Samuel Dickson.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o8X5krq3fP8C&q=George+Challis%2C+Burns+Bros.%2C+Stephen+Johnston+and+Samuel+Dickson&pg=PA109 |title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions ... - Google Books |isbn=9780722249055 |access-date=2019-12-27|last1=Blackmar |first1=Frank Wilson |year=1912 }}

On August 30, 1855, Atchison was incorporated.{{cite book|title=History of the State of Kansas: Containing a Full Account of Its Growth from an Uninhabited Territory to a Wealthy and Important State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5t09AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA375|year=1883|publisher=A. T. Andreas|page=375}} Dr. Stringfellow had North Atchison surveyed and platted in the fall of 1857. This started a fever of additions. In February 1858, West Atchison was laid out by John Roberts, and in May Samuel Dickson had his property surveyed as South Atchison. Still another addition was made by John Challis.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

Until 1858, the city was a pro-slavery bastion, but by that year, the anti-slavery forces took control of the city. On February 12, 1858, the legislature issued a charter to the city of Atchison, which was approved by the people on March 2 at a special election. The first city officers were elected at a second special election on March 13, 1858, and Republican Samuel C. Pomeroy was elected mayor. The German element, largely Catholic, opposed the Sunday closing laws of the new city government, but a satisfactory compromise was reached that allowed the sale of beer on Sundays after church services.Turk, 1979, p 154

The first schools in the town were private, including parochial schools operated by the Germans. One of the first English schools was opened in 1857 by Lizzie Bay. The first school district was established in October 1858, and a month later the Atchison free high school was opened at the corner of Atchison and Commercial streets.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

File:Atchison Kansas mall.jpg

At the outbreak of the American Civil War there were three militia companies organized in Atchison, whose members enlisted in the Kansas regiments. They were known as Companies A, C and “At All Hazards”. Early in September 1861, a home guard was organized in the town to protect it in case of invasion from Missouri, and on the 15th of the month another company was raised, which was subsequently mustered into a state regiment. In 1863 the city of Atchison raised $4,000 to assist the soldiers from the county and after the Lawrence Massacre a like sum was subscribed to assist the stricken people of that city. Citizens of the town also joined the vigilance committees that so materially aided the civil authorities in suppressing raiding and the lawless bands of thieves that infested the border counties.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

During the war, Atchison was also the headquarters of numerous bands of jayhawkers including the notorious Charles Metz, who was known as Cleveland. Metz, a former prisoner at the Missouri State Penitentiary, selected Atchison as his headquarters for raids into Missouri and was accepted with open arms by the people of the town.{{cite book|last=Ingalls|first=Sheffield|title=History of Atchison County, Kansas|year=1916|publisher=Standard Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dBA1AQAAMAAJ&q=atchison+jayhawkers&pg=PA132}} During his period of operations, he stole hundreds of horses from Missouri farmers and sold them in Kansas. He robbed any suspected southern sympathizer and threatened several leading citizens with murder and robbery if they remained in town. He even had the audacity to run off the first president of Atchison, P.T. Abell, who was forced into exile until after the Civil War concluded. He defied all authorities who attempted to rein in his excesses, but was finally shot and killed at some point in 1862. He is buried in St. Joseph, Missouri.{{citation needed|date = April 2018}}

File:Atchison-bridges-2011-flood.jpg and the Atchison rail bridge on June 26, 2011, during the 2011 Missouri River floods]]

In the late 1850s, plans were underway to connect California to the rest of the country by rail. The logical location for a western terminus was in or around San Francisco, California, but an eastern terminus had yet to be chosen. Atchison was in fierce competition to be selected as the terminus, and in order to bolster its position, a rail line was constructed from St. Joseph, Missouri to Atchison between 1857 and 1859, funded in large part by $150,000 raised by the citizens of Atchison and connected to the Hannibal & St. Joseph R.R. at its eastern end.{{cite web|last=Cutler|first=William|title=History of the State of Kansas|url=http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/eraop/era-of-peace-p2.html#ATCHISON_TOPEKA_SANTA_FE_RAILROAD|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030514165934/http://kancoll.org/books/cutler/eraop/era-of-peace-p2.html#ATCHISON_TOPEKA_SANTA_FE_RAILROAD|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 May 2003|access-date=13 December 2012}} The Atchison and Topeka Railroad was founded in 1859 with Atchison as its eastern terminus and the intention of connecting Kansas to the southwest by rail. Although construction was delayed by the Civil War, a land grant similar to the one given the Union Pacific to construct the first transcontinental railroad was made by the federal government to Kansas in 1863, which was transferred to the newly reformed Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF). Finally, in 1868, construction was begun on the line in Topeka, but was aimed west and south towards the Colorado border. The connection between Atchison and Topeka, a distance of less than 50 miles, would not be completed until May, 1872.

The city tried to become a major railroad center, but was surpassed by Kansas City and Omaha, due to the former's greater industrial capability and connections to Texas and the latter's connection to Chicago, rather than St. Louis. Furthermore, Atchison boosters were unable to unite on a single project, instead scattering their efforts to the southwest, west and northwest, none of which proved successful. A proposed "Atchison and Pike's Peak" line was eventually taken over by the Union Pacific, while a speculative Atchison-Nebraska connector was eventually finished and taken over by other investors. Bickering delayed the building of bridges, stockyards, elevators, warehouses and railroad yards, revealing the disharmony that plagued Atchison's entrepreneurs.George L. Anderson, "Atchison, 1865–1886, Divided and Uncertain," Kansas Historical Quarterly, 1969, Vol. 35 Issue 1, pp 30–45

However, with the completion of the connector to St. Joseph, which later became part of the Missouri Pacific, and the final connection to the growing AT&SF system, industrialization reached Atchison. Grain elevators, flour mills, and a flax mill were all erected in Atchison in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Several prominent businessmen in town lured Captain John Seaton, who operated a foundry in Alton, Illinois, to town to improve the Atchison Foundry and Machine Works in 1872. It soon began turning out decorative wrought iron fences, spiral staircases, and hitching posts for horses.{{cite web|last=Cutler|first=William|title=History of the State of Kansas|url=http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/atchison/atchison-co-p10.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030508201847/http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/atchison/atchison-co-p10.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 May 2003|access-date=13 December 2012}} The foundry expanded quickly, as Seaton transported his entire Alton operation to Atchison to establish the Seaton Foundry. It employed over 200 men and had a payroll of more than $14,000 per month in 1872. Expanding rapidly in the coming years, it was known as Seaton Lea for most of the 1870s, becoming the Atchison Foundry and Machine Works in 1880. A branch location was constructed in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1881, but closed in 1887. In 1905, the Locomotive Finished Materials Company was established by Harry E. Muchnic, formerly of the AT&SF railroad, which produced finished materials for the construction of railroad locomotives in close conjunction with Seaton's foundry. The companies eventually merged in 1914 after the 1912 death of John Seaton.

After his arrival in 1872, John Seaton became one of the leading citizens of Atchison. Besides establishing the foundry which became the center of the town's industry, he also owned the local theater, served on the school board, was elected to the Kansas Legislature in 1889, served on the Kansas Penitentiary Board, and was nominated for Governor of Kansas. He died on January 12, 1912. {{Citation needed|date=July 2012}}

In 1914, Harry Muchnic invented a revolutionary diesel locomotive piston ring. In 1924 the John Seaton Foundry built an electric arc melting furnace for efficient smelting. In 1924 Atchison began the transition from iron to steel which paved the transition from steam locomotives to diesel locomotives. The first steel locomotive truck assembly was designed, cast, and assembled in 1934. In 1938 LFM was making 18 locomotive assemblies every day for General Motors-Electric Motive Division (EMD) and continued to be a key supplier of components to EMD.

In 1958 Rockwell purchased the LFM Steel Foundry to make locomotive trucks for EMD and GM (Progress Rail). Rockwell's Transit Truck Design Group was established in 1960. Rockwell Manufacturing and Rockwell International were the owners from 1956 to 1993 and they renamed the LFM to Atchison Casting Corporation (ACC) in 1991. Atchison Casting became a publicly held corporation in 1994. ACC bought the Old Canadian Steel Foundry in Montreal, Canada from Hawker Siddeley in 1995. The foundry has primarily become a producer of rail transport components, including commuter rail truck frames for commuter rail systems in San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. It has also undergone various mergers, reorganizations, and renamings, most recently after it was purchased by Bradken, a global manufacturing company headquartered in Australia.{{Citation needed|date=July 2012}}

The city lies along the western bank of the Missouri River, which also marks the Kansas-Missouri state line. Located at the junction of U.S. Route 59 and U.S. Route 73, it is {{nowrap|21 miles (34 km)}} southwest of St. Joseph, Missouri, along US-59 and {{nowrap|25 miles (40 km)}} northwest of Leavenworth Kansas, along US-73. The section of US-73 between Atchison and Leavenworth is part of the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway, which follows K-7 northward from Atchison.{{cite web |url=http://ksbyways.org/glacial/index.html |title=Glacial Hills Scenic Byway |access-date=2006-07-15 |publisher=Kansas Scenic Byways |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060616145916/http://ksbyways.org/glacial/index.html |archive-date=2006-06-16 |url-status=dead }}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|8.29|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|7.83|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.46|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2012-07-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}

Under the Köppen climate classification, Atchison falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) if the {{convert|0|°C}} isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the {{convert|-3|°C}} isotherm is used. Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of nearly {{convert|18.4|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in January to an average high of nearly {{convert|87.6|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in July. The maximum temperature reaches {{convert|90|°F|°C|abbr=on}} an average of 38 days per year and reaches {{convert|100|°F|°C|abbr=on}} an average of three days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point ({{convert|32|°F|°C|abbr=on}}) an average of 107 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between the second week of October and the first week of November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the end of March and the third week of April.

The area receives nearly {{convert|36.38|in|mm|abbr=on}} of precipitation during an average year, with the largest share being received in May, June, and July—with a combined 29 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 25 to {{convert|52|in|mm|abbr=on}}. There are on average 89 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages almost {{convert|17|in|cm|abbr=on}}, but the median is less than {{convert|16|in|mm}}. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 10 days per year, with at least an inch of snow being received on six of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 23 days per year.

{{Weather box

|location = Atchison, Kansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–2009)

|width = auto

|single line = Y

| Jan record high F = 72

| Feb record high F = 84

| Mar record high F = 93

| Apr record high F = 95

| May record high F = 103

| Jun record high F = 106

| Jul record high F = 109

| Aug record high F = 111

| Sep record high F = 108

| Oct record high F = 98

| Nov record high F = 84

| Dec record high F = 74

| year record high F = 111

| Jan high F = 36.2

| Feb high F = 41.6

| Mar high F = 54.0

| Apr high F = 65.0

| May high F = 74.4

| Jun high F = 83.7

| Jul high F = 87.6

| Aug high F = 86.4

| Sep high F = 78.9

| Oct high F = 66.6

| Nov high F = 51.9

| Dec high F = 40.1

| year high F = 63.9

| Jan mean F = 27.3

| Feb mean F = 32.2

| Mar mean F = 43.2

| Apr mean F = 54.0

| May mean F = 64.9

| Jun mean F = 74.4

| Jul mean F = 78.4

| Aug mean F = 76.5

| Sep mean F = 68.5

| Oct mean F = 56.4

| Nov mean F = 42.6

| Dec mean F = 31.8

| year mean F = 54.2

| Jan low F = 18.4

| Feb low F = 22.8

| Mar low F = 32.4

| Apr low F = 42.9

| May low F = 55.4

| Jun low F = 65.2

| Jul low F = 69.3

| Aug low F = 66.5

| Sep low F = 58.1

| Oct low F = 46.2

| Nov low F = 33.3

| Dec low F = 23.4

| year low F = 44.5

| Jan record low F = −28

| Feb record low F = −25

| Mar record low F = −10

| Apr record low F = 8

| May record low F = 23

| Jun record low F = 40

| Jul record low F = 46

| Aug record low F = 43

| Sep record low F = 30

| Oct record low F = 11

| Nov record low F = −2

| Dec record low F = −21

| year record low F = −28

| precipitation colour= green

| Jan precipitation inch = 0.93

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.20

| Mar precipitation inch = 1.92

| Apr precipitation inch = 3.42

| May precipitation inch = 5.32

| Jun precipitation inch = 4.87

| Jul precipitation inch = 5.17

| Aug precipitation inch = 3.75

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.48

| Oct precipitation inch = 3.10

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.81

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.41

| year precipitation inch = 36.38

| Jan snow inch = 5.0

| Feb snow inch = 4.8

| Mar snow inch = 1.8

| Apr snow inch = 0.4

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.3

| Nov snow inch = 0.9

| Dec snow inch = 3.8

| year snow inch = 17.0

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 5.0

| Feb precipitation days = 5.0

| Mar precipitation days = 7.3

| Apr precipitation days = 9.6

| May precipitation days = 11.1

| Jun precipitation days = 9.6

| Jul precipitation days = 8.7

| Aug precipitation days = 8.0

| Sep precipitation days = 7.6

| Oct precipitation days = 6.9

| Nov precipitation days = 5.2

| Dec precipitation days = 5.0

| year precipitation days = 89.0

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 2.9

| Feb snow days = 2.4

| Mar snow days = 0.9

| Apr snow days = 0.3

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.1

| Nov snow days = 0.6

| Dec snow days = 2.5

| year snow days = 9.7

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=eax

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = August 2, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00140405&format=pdf

| title = Station: Atchison, KS

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = August 2, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

| 1860 = 2616

| 1870 = 7054

| 1880 = 15105

| 1890 = 13963

| 1900 = 15722

| 1910 = 16429

| 1920 = 12630

| 1930 = 13024

| 1940 = 12648

| 1950 = 12792

| 1960 = 12529

| 1970 = 12565

| 1980 = 11407

| 1990 = 10656

| 2000 = 10232

| 2010 = 11021

| 2020 = 10885

| estyear = 2023

| estimate = 10670

| estref = {{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 29, 2014}}
2010-2020

}}

The 2020 United States census counted 10,885 people, 3,871 households, and 2,255 families in Atchison.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}} The population density was 1,358.4 per square mile (524.5/km{{sup|2}}). There were 4,361 housing units at an average density of 544.2 per square mile (210.1/km{{sup|2}}).{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20dp1 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2020/geo/gazetter-file.html |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=Census.gov}} The racial makeup was 82.33% (8,962) white or European American (80.89% non-Hispanic white), 6.84% (745) black or African-American, 0.55% (60) Native American or Alaska Native, 0.71% (77) Asian, 0.06% (6) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.26% (246) from other races, and 7.25% (789) from two or more races.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P1: RACE |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20p1&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}} Hispanic or Latino of any race was 4.69% (511) of the population.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20p2&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}}

Of the 3,871 households, 28.7% had children under the age of 18; 39.2% were married couples living together; 32.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 36.4% of households consisted of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1101: HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1101?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20s1101%20&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}} The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 15.8% of the population.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1501?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20s1501%20&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}}

22.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 20.4% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 112.4 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $47,742 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,419) and the median family income was $60,939 (+/- $2,957).{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1903: MEDIAN INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1903?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20s1903%20&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}} Males had a median income of $30,093 (+/- $6,798) versus $12,464 (+/- $4,601) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $17,399 (+/- $8,087).{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S2001?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20s2001%20&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}} Approximately, 13.0% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under the age of 18 and 11.4% of those ages 65 or over.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1701?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20s1701%20&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}}{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1702: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF FAMILIES |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1702?q=Atchison%20city,%20Kansas%20s1702&y=2020 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=data.census.gov}}

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-07-06}} of 2010, there were 11,021 people, 3,933 households, and 2,447 families residing in the city.{{cite web|title=2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 6, 2011 }}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The population density was {{convert|1407.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 4,442 housing units at an average density of {{convert|567.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.9% White, 7.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.

There were 3,933 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.08.

The median age in the city was 31.6 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 18.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000,{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }} there were 10,232 people, 3,863 households, and 2,437 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,498.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 4,220 housing units at an average density of {{convert|617.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 88.56% White, 7.80% Black or African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.58% of the population.

There were 3,863 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,109, and the median income for a family was $37,100. Males had a median income of $31,027 versus $20,262 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,441. About 9.5% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

• Benedictine College
• Northeast Kansas Technical College
• Highland Community College Technical Center

The community is served by Atchison USD 409 public school district, which operates four schools, and serves more than 1,600 students.{{cite web| url=http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ks/district_profile/26/| title=Atchison Public Schools schools| access-date=2006-07-15| publisher=GreatSchools.net}} In 1997 the Atchison Public Schools closed six of its neighborhood school buildings to open one large elementary school. Although schools had been desegregated for more than 50 years, this move ensured more diversity and equality of education by uniting different segments of the city's children into one school. A few of the old neighborhood schools still stand - one, known as Lincoln school at 810 Division Street was historically a segregated school for black children. Many entities have attempted to restore Lincoln School, which is on the Kansas State Register of Historic Places.{{cite web| url=http://khri.kansasgis.org/| title=Kansas Historic Resources Inventory 005-0260-00903 Lincoln School, 810 Division St. Atchison.| access-date=2006-07-15| publisher=kansasgis.org/}}

• Atchison High School, grades 9–12{{cite web|url=http://usd409.net/vnews/display.v/SEC/AHS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207042702/http://usd409.net/vnews/display.v/SEC/AHS |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-02-07 |title=Atchison Public Schools - AHS |date=2006-02-06 |access-date=2019-12-27}}
• Atchison Middle School, grades 6–8
• Atchison Elementary School, grades K–5
• Atchison Alternative School, grades 6-12

Private schools in the city include:

• Maur Hill Mount Academy
• Trinity Lutheran School
• St. Benedict Catholic School (was renamed from Atchison Catholic Elementary School in 2013)

File:Santa Fe Route Map 1891.jpg

{{See also|Benedictine_College#Notable_alumni|l1=List of Benedictine College people}}

• Willis J. Bailey, U.S. Representative and 16th governor of the state.
• Frank L. Boyd (1881–1962), labor organizer with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
• Laura M. Cobb, United States Navy nurse during World War II.
• Amelia Earhart, aviator.
• Rory Lee Feek, songwriter and half of country duo Joey and Rory.
• James Carroll Fox, United States judge.
• George W. Glick, ninth governor of the state.
• Sheffield Ingalls, former lieutenant governor of Kansas.
• John James Ingalls, former state and U.S. senator who coined the state motto, Ad Astra per Aspera.
• James Edmund Jeffries, U.S. Congressman.
• Ernie Jennings, football player.
• Oscar Johnson, baseball player with Kansas City Monarchs.
• Victor Linley, Wisconsin State Senator.
• Paul Christoph Mangelsdorf, botanist known for his work on the origins of maize
• John Alexander Martin, 10th governor of the state.
• Chester L. Mize, U.S. Congressman.
• James M. Stanton, sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.
• Jesse Stone, American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter. Developed the basic rock 'n' roll sound.

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Atchison County, Kansas
• Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum
• Santa Fe Depot Rail Museum{{cite web| url=http://www.freewebs.com/nekr/museum.htm| title=Atchison Santa Fe Depot Rail Museum| publisher=freewebs.com| access-date=2016-10-22}}
• International Forest of Friendship, arboretum
• Sallie House, reportedly haunted house

{{Portal|Kansas}}

• Atchison Storage Facility
• Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad
• Lewis and Clark Trail
• SS Atchison Victory

{{Reflist}}

{{Kansas books}}

{{See also|Atchison County, Kansas#Further reading|l1=List of books about Atchison County, Kansas}}

• Turk, Eleanor L. "The Germans of Atchison, 1854-1859: Development of an Ethnic Community." Kansas History 2 (Autumn 1979): 146–156. [http://kshs.org/publicat/history/1979autumn_turk.pdf online]

{{Commons category|Atchison, Kansas}}

• [https://cityofatchison.com/ City of Atchison]
• [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=41260533 Atchison - Directory of Public Officials]
• [https://www.atchisonkansas.net/ Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce]
• [https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/atchison.pdf Atchison city map], KDOT

{{Atchison County, Kansas}}

{{Kansas}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Atchison County, Kansas

Category:Cities in Kansas

Category:County seats in Kansas

Category:Micropolitan areas of Kansas

Category:Kansas populated places on the Missouri River

Category:1854 establishments in Kansas Territory

Category:Populated places established in 1854