Baldwin City, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County
, Kansas
, United States
about 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Lawrence
and 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Gardner
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,515. It is part of the Lawrence, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to Baker University
, the oldest four-year university in the state.
named Palmyra. The small town consisted of a harness shop, blacksmith, hotel, lawyer, drug store, post office, two doctors and a tavern. In 1858, a group of Methodist ministers gathered at Kibbee Cabin and founded Baker University
. The town of Palmyra bought land to the south for the university and surrounding city. A main benefactor was John Baldwin
and the town was named in his honor. Baldwin built a saw mill which was located at present-day Fifth and Indiana Streets.
Baldwin City unwittingly found themselves surrounded by the events that led up to the American Civil War
. Three miles east of Baldwin was the town site of Black Jack where the Battle of Black Jack
took place on June 2, 1856. The night before John Brown
stayed in Prairie City
and Quantrill's raiders passed within three miles (5 km) of Baldwin after the burning of Lawrence in 1863.
. In 1906, the Santa Fe Depot was built and today the Midland Railway
offers excursion rides to Ottawa
via "Nowhere" and Norwood. Midland's Scout program
is one of the few in the country to offer a railroading merit badge and Midland has hosted a Thomas the Tank Engine
attraction the last few years.
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 3,400 people, 1,077 households, and 774 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,565.1 people per square mile (605.0/km²). There were 1,165 housing units at an average density of 536.3 per square mile (207.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.62% White, 1.12% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races
, and 3.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population.
There were 1,077 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,269, and the median income for a family was $51,667. Males had a median income of $37,111 versus $25,850 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,698. About 5.6% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
). On December 13, 2010, the USD 348 Board of Education voted to close the schools maintained in Vinland and Worden at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
Schools
Newspaper
Historical
Douglas County, Kansas
Douglas County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 110,826...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
about 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
and 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Gardner
Gardner, Kansas
Gardner is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,123.-History:Gardner was founded where the California Trail and Santa Fe Trail divided, sending travelers due west over the mountains and through Colorado and Salt Lake City toward San...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,515. It is part of the Lawrence, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
, the oldest four-year university in the state.
History
Early history
Baldwin City originally began as a trail stop on the Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
named Palmyra. The small town consisted of a harness shop, blacksmith, hotel, lawyer, drug store, post office, two doctors and a tavern. In 1858, a group of Methodist ministers gathered at Kibbee Cabin and founded Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
. The town of Palmyra bought land to the south for the university and surrounding city. A main benefactor was John Baldwin
John Baldwin (educator)
John Baldwin was an American educator, and the founder of Baldwin Institute in Berea, Ohio, which would eventually merge into Baldwin–Wallace College...
and the town was named in his honor. Baldwin built a saw mill which was located at present-day Fifth and Indiana Streets.
Baldwin City unwittingly found themselves surrounded by the events that led up to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Three miles east of Baldwin was the town site of Black Jack where the Battle of Black Jack
Battle of Black Jack
The Battle of Black Jack took place on June 2, 1856, when anti-slavery forces, led by the noted abolitionist John Brown, attacked the encampment of Henry C. Pate near Baldwin City, Kansas. The battle is cited as one incident of “Bleeding Kansas” and a contributing factor leading up to the American...
took place on June 2, 1856. The night before John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
stayed in Prairie City
Prairie City, Kansas
Prairie City was a town site in southeast Douglas County, Kansas near present-day Baldwin City.-History:Prairie City was founded in 1855 by James Lane, Dr. William Graham, I.F. Greene and Salmon S. Prouty after a dispute between Graham and Henry Barricklow of nearby Palmyra. A post office opened...
and Quantrill's raiders passed within three miles (5 km) of Baldwin after the burning of Lawrence in 1863.
Midland Railway
In 1867, the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Fort Gibson railroad laid tracks and became the first Kansas railroad south of the Kansas RiverKansas River
The Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
. In 1906, the Santa Fe Depot was built and today the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
offers excursion rides to Ottawa
Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous...
via "Nowhere" and Norwood. Midland's Scout program
Scouting in Kansas
Scouting in Kansas has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
is one of the few in the country to offer a railroading merit badge and Midland has hosted a Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
attraction the last few years.
Maple Leaf Festival
Every year since 1957, Baldwin City has hosted the Maple Leaf Festival during the third full weekend in October. It began as a way to celebrate a successful harvest and to view the fall foliage. Today, it is the largest fall family event in the area and features a parade, arts and crafts, quilt show, theatrical performances, history tours, train rides and live music. Annually it draws crowds of 30,000 or more .Geography
Baldwin City is located at 38°46′39"N 95°11′15"W (38.777597, -95.187418). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,400 people, 1,077 households, and 774 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,565.1 people per square mile (605.0/km²). There were 1,165 housing units at an average density of 536.3 per square mile (207.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.62% White, 1.12% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population.
There were 1,077 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,269, and the median income for a family was $51,667. Males had a median income of $37,111 versus $25,850 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,698. About 5.6% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Baldwin City government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30PM.- City Hall, 803 Eighth Street.
Primary and secondary education
The USD 348 School District is located in Baldwin City and serves most of southern Douglas County. It currently maintains four schools in Baldwin City (Baldwin Elementary, Baldwin Intermediate, Baldwin Junior High and Baldwin High SchoolBaldwin High School (Baldwin City, Kansas)
The Baldwin High School building was first occupied in January 1995. The two-story, 31classroom building was carefully planned with architectural features that are state-of-the-art and allow...
). On December 13, 2010, the USD 348 Board of Education voted to close the schools maintained in Vinland and Worden at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
- Baldwin High School is home to the Bulldogs.
College
Baldwin City is home to the main campus of Baker University, a liberal arts university founded in 1858 by United Methodist ministers. It is the oldest four-year university in Kansas and has been coed since it was founded.Further reading
- A Self-Guided Tour of Baldwin City's Historic Sites on the Santa Fe Trail by Loren K. Litteer
- The Leavenworth, Lawrence & Ft. Gibson Railroad by Loren K. Litteer
- The Story of the Marking of the Santa Fe Trail by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas and the State of Kansas; Almira Cordry; Crane Co; 164 pages; 1915. (Online eBook)
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
CitySchools
- USD 348, local school district
Newspaper
- Baldwin City Signal, local newspaper
Historical