Smith Center, Kansas
{{Short description|City in Smith County, Kansas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Smith Center, Kansas
|settlement_type = City and county seat
|image_skyline = Smith Center, KS.jpg
|image_caption = Downtown Smith Center (2021)
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|image_map = Smith_County_Kansas_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Smith_Center_Highlighted.svg
|map_caption = Location within Smith County and Kansas
|image_map1 = Map of Smith Co, Ks, USA.png
|map_caption1 = KDOT map of Smith County (legend)
|coordinates = {{coord|39|46|26|N|98|47|00|W|region:US-KS_type:city_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Kansas
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Smith
|subdivision_type3 = Township
|subdivision_name3 =
|established_title = Founded
|established_date = 1871
|established_title1 = Platted
|established_date1 =
|established_title2 = Incorporated
|established_date2 = 1886
|named_for = Maj. J. Nelson Smith
|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name =
|area_total_sq_mi = 1.28
|area_land_sq_mi = 1.28
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
|area_total_km2 = 3.33
|area_land_km2 = 3.33
|area_water_km2 = 0.00
|unit_pref = Imperial
|elevation_ft = 1808
|population_as_of = 2020
|population_total = 1571
|pop_est_footnotes =
|pop_est_as_of =
|population_est =
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone = CST
|utc_offset = -6
|timezone_DST = CDT
|utc_offset_DST = -5
|postal_code_type = ZIP code
|postal_code = 66967 {{cite web|url=http://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action|title=USPS – Look Up a ZIP Code|accessdate=2012-02-15|author=United States Postal Service|year=2012}}
|area_code_type = Area code
|area_code = 785
|blank_name = FIPS code
|blank_info = 20-65925
|blank1_name = GNIS ID
|blank1_info = 2395900{{GNIS|2395900}}
|website = {{URL|https://www.smithcenterks.com/|smithcenterks.com}}
}}
Smith Center is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,571.{{cite web |title=Profile of Smith Center, Kansas in 2020 |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2065925 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323235847/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2065925 |archive-date=March 23, 2022 |url-status=live}}
History
Smith Center was founded in 1871.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5zdAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA300 | title=Biennial Report of the Board of Directors of the Kansas State Historical Society | publisher=Kansas State Printing Plant | author=Kansas State Historical Society | year=1916 | pages=300}} The first post office in Smith Center was established in January 1873.{{cite web|url=http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county:SM |title=Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 |publisher=Kansas Historical Society |accessdate=23 June 2014 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009133615/http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county:SM |archivedate=October 9, 2013 }} Like Smith County, Smith Center was named for Maj. J. Nelson Smith of the 2nd Colorado Cavalry, a pre-war native of Elwood, Kansas, who died leading his regiment on October 21, 1864 at the Battle of the Little Blue River.{{cite web | url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=5034 | title=Profile for Smith Center, Kansas | publisher=ePodunk | accessdate=23 June 2014}}{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/rebelinvasionofm01hint | title=Rebel Invasion of Missouri and Kansas | accessdate=6 February 2018}}
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|1.24|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.{{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|accessdate=2012-07-06|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archivedate=2012-01-25}}
Smith Center is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 281 and 36, approximately 100 miles south of Grand Island, Nebraska and 77 miles north of Russell and Interstate 70.
=Climate=
{{Weather box
|location = Smith Center, Kansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1910–present)
|width = auto
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Yes
| Jan record high F = 79
| Feb record high F = 85
| Mar record high F = 91
| Apr record high F = 102
| May record high F = 105
| Jun record high F = 113
| Jul record high F = 112
| Aug record high F = 111
| Sep record high F = 105
| Oct record high F = 98
| Nov record high F = 87
| Dec record high F = 77
| year record high F = 113
|Jan avg record high F = 62.4
|Feb avg record high F = 68.8
|Mar avg record high F = 79.7
|Apr avg record high F = 87.7
|May avg record high F = 94.2
|Jun avg record high F = 100.4
|Jul avg record high F = 104.0
|Aug avg record high F = 101.4
|Sep avg record high F = 97.1
|Oct avg record high F = 89.0
|Nov avg record high F = 74.8
|Dec avg record high F = 62.5
|year avg record high F = 104.8
| Jan high F = 38.9
| Feb high F = 43.7
| Mar high F = 55.4
| Apr high F = 65.7
| May high F = 75.7
| Jun high F = 87.1
| Jul high F = 92.1
| Aug high F = 89.1
| Sep high F = 81.7
| Oct high F = 68.1
| Nov high F = 53.4
| Dec high F = 40.9
| year high F = 66.0
| Jan mean F = 27.3
| Feb mean F = 31.2
| Mar mean F = 41.6
| Apr mean F = 51.8
| May mean F = 63.0
| Jun mean F = 74.1
| Jul mean F = 79.1
| Aug mean F = 76.3
| Sep mean F = 68.0
| Oct mean F = 54.4
| Nov mean F = 40.5
| Dec mean F = 29.8
| year mean F = 53.1
| Jan low F = 15.7
| Feb low F = 18.8
| Mar low F = 27.9
| Apr low F = 37.9
| May low F = 50.2
| Jun low F = 61.0
| Jul low F = 66.1
| Aug low F = 63.4
| Sep low F = 54.4
| Oct low F = 40.7
| Nov low F = 27.7
| Dec low F = 18.6
| year low F = 40.2
|Jan avg record low F = -1.7
|Feb avg record low F = 1.7
|Mar avg record low F = 11.2
|Apr avg record low F = 23.9
|May avg record low F = 36.0
|Jun avg record low F = 49.4
|Jul avg record low F = 57.2
|Aug avg record low F = 54.4
|Sep avg record low F = 40.0
|Oct avg record low F = 24.5
|Nov avg record low F = 11.6
|Dec avg record low F = 2.2
|year avg record low F = -6.2
| Jan record low F = −26
| Feb record low F = −20
| Mar record low F = −18
| Apr record low F = 11
| May record low F = 27
| Jun record low F = 38
| Jul record low F = 43
| Aug record low F = 40
| Sep record low F = 23
| Oct record low F = 3
| Nov record low F = −6
| Dec record low F = −26
| year record low F = −26
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.59
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.70
| Mar precipitation inch = 1.45
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.12
| May precipitation inch = 4.00
| Jun precipitation inch = 3.64
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.39
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.42
| Sep precipitation inch = 1.98
| Oct precipitation inch = 1.86
| Nov precipitation inch = 1.16
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.79
| year precipitation inch = 26.10
| Jan snow inch = 4.4
| Feb snow inch = 5.9
| Mar snow inch = 2.3
| Apr snow inch = 0.7
| 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 = 0.5
| Nov snow inch = 1.5
| Dec snow inch = 3.0
| year snow inch = 18.3
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 3.9
| Feb precipitation days = 4.2
| Mar precipitation days = 6.7
| Apr precipitation days = 8.2
| May precipitation days = 11.0
| Jun precipitation days = 10.1
| Jul precipitation days = 10.0
| Aug precipitation days = 8.8
| Sep precipitation days = 6.2
| Oct precipitation days = 6.1
| Nov precipitation days = 4.6
| Dec precipitation days = 4.0
| year precipitation days = 83.8
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 2.9
| Feb snow days = 3.1
| Mar snow days = 1.6
| Apr snow days = 0.5
| 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 = 0.2
| Nov snow days = 1.0
| Dec snow days = 2.6
| year snow days = 11.9
|source 1 = NOAA
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=gid
| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| accessdate = January 15, 2022}}
{{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=USC00147542&format=pdf
| title = Station: Smith CTR, KS
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = January 15, 2022}}
}}
Demographics
{{US Census population
|align= left
|1880= 254
|1890= 767
|1900= 1142
|1910= 1292
|1920= 1567
|1930= 1736
|1940= 1686
|1950= 2026
|1960= 2379
|1970= 2389
|1980= 2240
|1990= 2016
|2000= 1931
|2010= 1665
|2020= 1571
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
}}
=2010 census=
As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2012-07-06}} of 2010, there were 1,665 people, 779 households, and 470 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1342.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 928 housing units at an average density of {{convert|748.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 779 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.71.
The median age in the city was 48.7 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
=2000 census=
As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 1,931 people, 852 households, and 534 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,659.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 987 housing units at an average density of {{convert|848.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 99.17% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 852 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 32.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,857, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $20,667 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,500. About 8.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
File:First National Bank - Smith Center, KS (1).jpg
The Smith Center government consists of a mayor and five council members.[http://www.lkm.org/directory/cities.php?ID=228 Smith Center - Directory of Public Officials] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505110507/http://www.lkm.org/directory/cities.php?ID=228 |date=2011-05-05 }}
- City Hall, 119 West Court Street.
Education
=Primary and secondary education=
The community is served by Smith Center USD 237 public school district.[http://www.usd237.com USD 237] The district has two schools in Smith Center:
Notable people
- Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, silent film star{{Cite web |title=Roscoe Arbuckle - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society |url=https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/roscoe-arbuckle/17757 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=www.kshs.org}}
- Nolan Cromwell, former NFL defensive back{{Cite web |title=Nolan Cromwell - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society |url=https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/nolan-cromwell/17792 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=www.kshs.org}}
- Mitch Holthus, radio announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs{{Cite web |title=Mitch Holthus |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/mitch-holthus/ |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |language=en-US}}
- Mark Simoneau, former NFL linebacker, College Football Hall of Famer{{Cite web |title=Mark Simoneau (2012) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2332 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}}
- Steve Tasker, former NFL wide receiver{{Cite web |date=2022-03-01 |title=The Life And Career Of Steve Tasker (Complete Story) |url=https://www.profootballhistory.com/steve-tasker/ |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=Pro Football History |language=en-US}}
- Albert F. "Jud" Wagner, Kansas' last confirmed World War I veteran{{Cite web |title=Kansans of the Great War Era: The Last Kansas Doughboy – Kansas WW1 |url=https://ksww1.ku.edu/kansans-of-the-great-war-era-the-last-kansas-doughboy/ |access-date=2022-05-30 |language=en}}
- Evelyn Wilson, Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court{{Cite web |title=KS Courts - Evelyn Z. Wilson |url=https://www.kscourts.org/Judges/Supreme-Court-Justices/evelyn-z-wilson |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=www.kscourts.org}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
{{Portal|Kansas}}
{{Kansas books}}
{{See also|Smith County, Kansas#Further reading|l1=List of books about Smith County, Kansas}}
External links
{{Commons category|Smith Center, Kansas}}
- [https://www.smithcenterks.com/ City of Smith Center]
- [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=41261039 Smith Center - Directory of Public Officials]
- [https://www.usd237.org/ USD 237], local school district
- {{YouTube|suDQu9XTrOE|Saving Miss Liberty In Rural Kansas}}, from Hatteberg's People on KAKE TV news
- [http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/kw/towns.asp?town=Smith%20Center&county=Smith Historic Images] - Wichita State University Libraries
- [https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/smith%20center.PDF Smith Center city map], KDOT
{{Smith County, Kansas}}
{{Kansas}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1871 establishments in Kansas
Category:Cities in Smith County, Kansas